Health Translations Directory’s resources are expanding

Access to accurate information is crucial for making informed decisions about our health and wellbeing. It is also critical in helping us to understand what resources are available, how to find and use the services we need and in understanding our rights and entitlements.

For people with low English language proficiency, accessing information that they can understand and effectively utilise can be a significant challenge. This is further compounded by many migrant and refugee communities’ unfamiliarity with services and our complex health system. 

The Health Translations Directory (HTD) was developed as a response to such challenges. The Directory, funded by the Victorian Government, is an online library, which has over 14, 000 reliable, up to date translated health and wellbeing resources (both print and audio-visual) in over 100 languages. It is used by health professionals, community workers and culturally and linguistically diverse communities across Australia. 

Due to the success of the Directory, which has close to 600 unique visitors daily, we are now expanding this valuable resource to include new categories such as disability, ageing, mental health, child and family services, family violence, housing and sport and recreation. This will ensure the Directory can assist communities: to more easily access information about a comprehensive range of topics; increase their awareness and understanding about the issues that affect them, and to find and use the services and resources they need with greater ease. Increased awareness and access to information will, ultimately, support communities to more equitably participate in the social and economic life of Australia.

The Directory has many applications and is easy to use. Health and community workers can use the Directory to facilitate communication and to support their clients’ information needs. Similarly, community members can access information and resources directly by searching under key words, topics, languages and organisation.  

To continue to effectively expand and promote the Directory, we need your help. Please contact us if your organisation has produced translated information or if you know of any translated resources that should be shared. We would also love to hear from you if you believe there is a need for translated information about your services and initiatives or a particular issue. Similarly, we can support you in developing your own translated resources. 

Most importantly, we seek your support to help promote the Health Translations Directory and the benefits of translated resources amongst your colleagues, other services, networks and your clients and local communities. Ultimately, we want to reach as many CALD communities as possible through the health, community and sport sectors and sector workforces are a critical conduit.

You can help promote the Directory in a number of ways, including: introducing your clients to the Directory; featuring information and a link to the Directory on your website, facebook page or twitter account; including an item about the Directory in your newsletter; and displaying brochures in your organisations or service sites. 

Please join us in helping to remove barriers to information for Victoria’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities. For further information, please email Mary Gavranic maryg@www.ceh.org.au or phone (03) 9418 9910 (Mondays and Tuesdays).