Advancing health equity through language and communication

For many who have taken up a new language or visited a foreign country, language barriers are often unexpected hiccups and might even be a bit embarrassing. But what happens when language barriers become an everyday encounter that impacts your fundamental autonomy, your voice, and your rights? This talk explores the role of language barriers in healthcare and the power of language translators in improving the health and well-being of marginalized and minority populations. As the daughter of immigrants, Lynda came to understand the many hardships newcomers face. Her family's encounters with language barriers instilled a deep sense of social responsibility to advance language justice. She co-founded Volentia Healthcare Translation, a non-profit providing free healthcare translation for immigrants, newcomers, and refugees in Vancouver. Volentia currently partners with 40 clinics, 10 community centers, and the clinical research department at B.C Children's Hospital. Lynda's ambitions for advancing social justice are also reflected in academia. Whether it's examining the ethnicity-related diagnostic disparity of colorectal cancer or exploring the intersections of ageism and racism during COVID-19, her research has been awarded locally and internationally. As an aspiring clinician-researcher, Lynda seeks to bridge culturally safe care with health equity research to improve the health and well-being of underserved, marginalized, and minority groups in Canada. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. (author abstract)