ProZ.com Translation Forums

Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions? | Re: Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions?

Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:21:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions?
Poster: Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL
Post title: Re: Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions?

I agree with Maria Teresa that the shortage of trained interpreters and mediators is the core problem, and I'd add continuity. When I worked with a landlord and Polish-speaking tenants, the same person translated the tenancy agreements and procedures and then interpreted when questions about repairs, inspections or payments came up, so the explanations stayed consistent and nobody had to start from scratch.

When budgets are cut, that continuity is often the first thing to go: every contact gets a different provider or a machine-translated letter, and people receive slightly different wording each time. Even a short shared glossary of recurring terms helps a lot and costs very little.

Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions? | On the importance of an adjective

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 08:05:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions?
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: On the importance of an adjective

First of all, thank you, Philip! Then, although the question is rather obtuse (could it be that AI, in its eagerness to be accepted, is rephrasing its sentences to make them less direct and comprehensible?), in my humble opinion, it would have been enough simply to omit the adjective ‘federal’ for it to cease to refer to any ‘Executive Orders signed in recent months by POTUS’. Anyway, as far as I know most countries in the world are not federations…

May I wish you all a wonderful, bright, and productive day?

Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions? | Sharwing

Philip Lees — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 06:02:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions?
Poster: Philip Lees
Post title: Sharwing

I would like to sharwe that I didn't understand this question—although I now think Maria Teresa, being smarter than me, has probably nailed it—and I didn't understand the relevance of most of the answers, either. I imagine that's why a plurality, and almost an outright majority, voted for "Other".

So: another great poll, ProZ!

Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions? | Disgraceful abuse of Proz site rules

Jennifer Levey — Tue, 03 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions?
Poster: Jennifer Levey
Post title: Disgraceful abuse of Proz site rules

How come we are invited to answer a poll that includes the option "repeal of federal civil rights laws" - which so obviously refers to certain Executive Orders signed in recent months by POTUS - on the very day when the polls open in the US mid-term elections?

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Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions? | Other

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Tue, 03 Nov 2026 10:46:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions?
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: Other

I am Portuguese and returned to live in Portugal in 2015, after 30 years in Belgium; I can hear and see perfectly well, so the problem does not affect me directly. However, I am aware of the shortage of professional interpreters and, above all, of language mediators in the health service, police, courts and public service counters to meet the needs of the deaf, visually impaired and immigrant communities. On the other hand, the current budget cuts will only exacerbate the problem and make it harder to solve. These communities need to be seen as full citizens. I worked abroad and know the difficulties I initially faced with simple things like buying a travel pass: I spoke the language but lacked the everyday vocabulary…

Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions?

ProZ.com Staff — Tue, 03 Nov 2026 08:10:05 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions?
Poster: ProZ.com Staff

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What poses the greatest operational threat to language access in public institutions?".

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