When language access fails, lives are at stake.

In this deeply moving episode, I sit down with Silvia Salabarde, President of the Society of Translators and Interpreters of British Columbia (STIBC), to discuss a recent tragedy in Canada where the absence of an interpreter led to fatal consequences.

Together, we explore the questions no one is asking:

Could a life have been saved if a human interpreter had been present?

Why do institutions still rely on Google Translate in critical situations?

How can we ensure language access becomes a human right, not an afterthought?

🎧 About the episode:

This conversation is not just about translation—it’s about humanity, empathy, and the systems that fail when communication breaks down. A powerful discussion every policymaker, interpreter, and language advocate needs to hear.

💡 Key Takeaways

Language access should be recognized as a human right

Technology can assist, but human interpreters save lives

Emotional and cultural nuance cannot be automated

Policy reform is needed for crisis language access

Awareness and collaboration between government and industry are critical

⏱ Chapters

00:00 Intro & context

01:00 The tragic case in Surrey, BC

05:00 Why language access matters

08:00 The limits of technology in crisis situations

13:00 Emotional nuance and cultural understanding

18:00 Is language access a human right?

22:00 Industry and government responsibility

30:00 How STIBC is taking action

36:00 Lessons learned and call for change

40:00 Closing thoughts

🔗 Connect & Learn More

🌐 Localization Fireside Chat: www.L10NFiresideChat.com

🎧 Listen on Spotify: Localization Fireside Chat Podcast

🎙️ Schedule a guest appearance: https://calendly.com/robin-ayoub/localization-fireside-chat-podcast-recording

⚠️ Disclaimer

This episode discusses real events and news reports from publicly available sources. The views shared are for educational and awareness purposes only and do not represent legal or investigative conclusions.