If you’ve been to the Valley Medical Center campus or clinics recently, you may have noticed more signs and posters that include a Google Translate QR code. This icon is a cue to those more comfortable reading in languages other than English that we welcome their use of the Google Translate app within our facilities.
Through a person’s smart phone camera, the Google Translate app quickly and easily converts the text it sees into nearly every language. We encourage those who would find it helpful to use Google Translate when viewing our wayfinding signs and other information we display. Please know that Valley also provides direct translation services for patients upon request.
Valley Medical Center serves South King County, one of the most diverse communities in the nation, with 25% – 82% of the population speaking a language other than English. With more than 170 languages spoken in our county1, Google Translate is an especially helpful tool.
Many thanks to our partners at the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition for inspiring us to display the app icon around our facilities—they let us know how their members successfully use Google Translate to make the community more accessible.
