This Hispanic Heritage Month, so far, has lit a fire in me regarding accessibility when it comes to media, online resources and more.
Those of Hispanic descent have shared a beautiful language of Spanish for the longest time. They deserve fair access to representations of this language (and others associated with their culture) in day-to-day life, especially in our frequently problematic country.
Many websites, government resources and advertising are not available in anything besides English.
As a public health major, I have seen how fair access to information is crucial to maintain the best quality of life for those on the planet, and that is no different for the over 41.67 million Spanish speakers in the United States. (testprepinsight.com).
In fact, the United States is the fourth largest Spanish speaking country and has 40x the number of Spanish speakers than any other country where Spanish is not the official language. (wilsoncenter.org)
You would think these statistics would be enough of a reason for those in power, representing a company or aspect of government, managing businesses or even just working as a poll worker in the local polls to ensure that there are proper and adequate resources available in this language, but that sadly is not the case.
For example, some websites donning health information resources, even down to nutrition sites, do not have copies of the documents presented in Spanish.
Yes, many sites allow for your phone or computer to translate for you as you read, but only after you navigate through the English language to figure out how to turn it on. Not to mention, sites being translated by Google or other software are often filled with inaccuracy or improper versions of words or slogans.
As people of English descent, we often take for granted how easily we can navigate through the world, but for many that is not the case.
Especially with the influx of immigration, it is vital that we create an accessible country that can be navigated easily by ANYONE at all.
No one should be forced with the task of learning English, a language that is commonly brought up as one of the hardest to learn, just to operate in the country that boasts itself as “the best”.
Always remember that having things displayed in other languages (no matter the format) does not really affect you whatsoever as an English speaker, while it is incredibly and deeply important for someone who is not.
On college campuses, this need is especially important. Diverse environments are created on campus, and so they should be treated as such. Despite taking classes in English, many are more comfortable with their native language and would feel much more valued on campus if they were recognized in that way.
During this special and beautiful month, I urge you to act as an activist for this issue. Remind your boss why the flyers you are hanging need to be in a Spanish form, bring light to the numerous websites (especially government ones) that need to offer better Spanish versions, remind your friends the importance of honoring other cultures and languages, or even just do some research.
La accesibilidad lo es todo: Accessibility is everything.