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Spanish translations and screen readers

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From: Mark Berning
Date: Aug 6, 2024 11:51AM

Hello everyone,

I'm reaching out to gather feedback on the best method for providing
Spanish translations of our web and social media posts while ensuring that
screen readers correctly interpret language switches. Our CMS offers a
language picker for English (default) and Spanish, using Google Translate.

In our school district, we often post graphical flyers to our school
websites and push them to social media platforms. We require that any
graphical text images posted online include a text box with all the text
from the image (especially when more text is present than can be included
in alternative text). We have a significant Spanish-speaking audience,
including potential Spanish-speaking screen reader users.
Method 1: English Focus with Automatic Translation

- *Visual Users*: Provide both English and Spanish graphical flyer
images. Include an accompanying text box in English that replicates the
graphical text.
- *Web*: Users can translate English text to Spanish using the Google
Translate picker.
- *Social Media*: Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer a
translate button to translate English text.
- *Screen Readers*:
- *Web*: Choosing Spanish in the language picker sets the page's
language tag to Spanish, which should ensure accurate reading by screen
readers.
- *Social Media*: It's unclear if the 'Translate' button ensures
accurate Spanish reading. Initial tests with iOS VoiceOver indicate that
Spanish text may be read as if it were English.

*Pros*: Simple for post creators to use English and rely on automatic
translations.
*Cons*: Google Translate may not always provide accurate translations, and
screen readers may not read Spanish accurately.
Method 2: Bilingual Text with Alerts for Screen Readers

- *Visual Users*: Provide both English and Spanish text in the
accompanying text box, along with both versions of the flyer image. Add a
header before each Spanish section alerting that the following text is in
Spanish.
- *Web*: Accurate Spanish text is provided without needing to use the
language picker.
- *Social Media*: Posts include both languages, negating the need for
the translate button.
- *Screen Readers*: Unsure if mobile screen readers will read the
included Spanish accurately. However, an English message will alert users
that the following text is in Spanish, allowing them to switch their
reader's language.

*Pros*: Ensures accurate Spanish content for all readers.
*Cons*: Requires screen readers to switch language settings when
encountering the language alert.

I appreciate any feedback or potential solutions we may not have considered.

Thank you, Mark
--
Mark Berning
Web Developer
Escondido Union School District
<EMAIL REMOVED>
x10176
760-432-2191