WA Health Benefits Exchange Translation Issues

RantWoman should probably make clear when she is reposting without verifying. RantWOman previously posted a link about translated information sheets related to the WA Health Benefits Exchange.

Here is new information about serious translation issues. RantWoman promises to add a link if she learns of improved translations.

In the meantime, info from one of RantWoman's highly exteemed language professional lists.


http://kuow.org/post/health-exchange-foreign-language-fact-sheets-get-poor-m
arks

Health Exchange Foreign Language Fact Sheets Get Poor Marks

By Austin Jenkins <http://kuow.org/people/austin-jenkins> 
Originally published on Mon July 29, 2013 5:02 am
Call it a case of "lost in translation." Washington and Oregon's new health
insurance exchanges are getting poor marks for their efforts to communicate
with foreign language audiences.
On the Washington Health Benefit Exchange website you can find fact sheets
in eight foreign languages
<http://www.wahbexchange.org/news-resources/press-room/fact-sheets/>  - from
Cambodian to Somali. These one and two page documents are supposed to help
uninsured families navigate the new world of the Affordable Care Act.
But after the translations went live on the website, the feedback was not
great.
"We looked at those and felt that they were somewhat concerning in their
quality and effectiveness," says Amy Alexander, a member of an advisory
committee that's helping Washington's Exchange reach out to low income and
immigrant communities.
She says the committee had unofficial reviewers look at the translations.
Imagine a teacher taking a red pen to a student's paper. That's what it
looked like when the reviewers got done. In the case of the Cambodian
translation, the reviewer said it was written in street language and
recommended a complete redo. The Chinese language reviewer said just the
opposite: that the language was too formal and difficult to understand.
Alexander says it's vital to get it right. "It is often said that it's
better to have no translation than a poor translation."
At Washington's Health Benefit Exchange, Michael Marchand says the fact
sheets were done by state certified translators.
"Obviously we're disappointed," Marchand says.
He adds that the fact sheets will be reworked. He notes the Exchange doesn't
go live until October 1 and says this is why they have community advisers.
"I think it's great that we're in a position where we're catching it now,"
he says.
In Oregon, the healthcare exchange uses Google Translate
<http://coveroregon.com/> . Click on it, select your language and voila -
the whole website is translated.
But Angele Surault is not impressed. She directs Translations Services at
CETRA Language Solutions near Philadelphia.
"My reaction is that it doesn't look professional."
To demonstrate the problems Surault converted questions on the Cover Oregon
website into her native French. She says, "It reads "how can to cover Oregon
it help me?"
A spokesperson for Cover Oregon says Google Translate is just a temporary
solution. Coming soon: an informational website entirely in Spanish and
other Oregon materials in several languages.
Milena adds:

WA DSHS certifies translators in Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese,
Laotian, Khmer and Korean. There is no ATA translator exam for Vietnamese,
Korean, Laotian and Khmer. So DSHS is it! And no, there is no such thing as
a state or ATA certified Somali translator.
You can search for DSHS certified translators at http://www.dshs.wa.gov/ltc/

That said we are still unclear about:

1)    Who is in charge of supervising the translations? Who is the
Translation Manager at Health Exchange?

2)    What was the procurement model used? Direct contracting with
translators? Subcontracting through a language agency?

3)    Did Health Exchange administrators supervising the translations follow
the ATA guidelines? Did they get a second translators to proofread? Was the
original English text written in plain language and edited according to
readability scores? Do they really know who did each translation and whether
those translators are really certified and by whom? 

Or did Health Exchange administrators just outsourced under the "out of
sight out of mind" mode? Do they believe outsourcing is synonymous to
surrendering their best judgment?
For information on buying translation services please visit the American
Translators Association website and order the following publications.
www.atanet.org
 <http://www.atanet.org/publications/getting_it_right_int.php>
<http://www.atanet.org/publications/getting_it_right_trans.php> Translation:
Getting It Right
These Getting it Right buyers' guides are available online and in print. ATA
members may order up to 20 copies at no cost to share with their clients.
Contact ATA's Membership Services Manager <mailto:ata@atanet.org>  for
details.
 <http://atanet.org/docs/translation_buying_guide.pdf> Translation: Buying a
non-commodity
Failed translation projects are as different as frogs and falcons, but they
have one thing in common: time, money and frustration could have been saved
if both sides had agreed in advance as to who would do what, when and how.
Where to begin? Download a free copy of Translation: Standards for Buying a
Non-Commodity for answers.

WASCLA's Healthcare Committee has been actively looking into this issue.
Please contact its chair, Joanna Ramos, to give your input jramos@wascla.org