Support every language, serve every community
UX tips to help public sector and not-for-profit teams create multilingual digital experiences that include and empower diverse audiences.
Categories
Identify which languages to support first
Start where the need is greatest based on community demographics and web traffic.
Check analytics
See which languages users’ browsers are set to.
Talk to staff and partners
Ask which languages come up often in service delivery.
Use census data
Match languages to your service region’s cultural profile.
Start small
Focus on the top 2–3 most-used languages.
Translate key service pages first
Add a ‘language help’ option sitewide
Use simple language before you translate
Leverage community translators and advocates
Use browser-based tools with caution
Translate PDFS and printable forms
Add language tags and alt text for screen readers
Offer interpreting support across channels
Review and update translations regularly
Identify which languages to support first
Start where the need is greatest based on community demographics and web traffic.
Check analytics
See which languages users’ browsers are set to.
Talk to staff and partners
Ask which languages come up often in service delivery.
Use census data
Match languages to your service region’s cultural profile.
Start small
Focus on the top 2–3 most-used languages.
Translate key service pages first
Add a ‘language help’ option sitewide
Use simple language before you translate
Leverage community translators and advocates
Use browser-based tools with caution
Translate PDFS and printable forms
Add language tags and alt text for screen readers
Offer interpreting support across channels
Review and update translations regularly
Identify which languages to support first
Start where the need is greatest based on community demographics and web traffic.
Check analytics
See which languages users’ browsers are set to.
Talk to staff and partners
Ask which languages come up often in service delivery.
Use census data
Match languages to your service region’s cultural profile.
Start small
Focus on the top 2–3 most-used languages.
Translate key service pages first
Add a ‘language help’ option sitewide
Use simple language before you translate
Leverage community translators and advocates
Use browser-based tools with caution
Translate PDFS and printable forms
Add language tags and alt text for screen readers
Offer interpreting support across channels
Review and update translations regularly