Social Justice Interpreting and Building Multilingual Spaces

Simultaneous Interpreting Equipment: We Heart the BabelBox

We are proud to use the BabelBox, an interpretation system that works like a basic transistor radio; this equipment enables us to use available radio frequencies to provide simultaneous interpretation to many different groups at once, with up to 150 people or more. Simultaneous interpreting equipment is a tool to foster smooth and direct communication across languages, with as little foregrounding of the interpreting process as possible. Typically, this is accomplished with a transmitter into which the interpreter speaks while individuals listen on portable receivers. Normally, this interpreting equipment would be quite expensive, far out of the reach of small organizations or community groups. The BabelBox has made this expensive technology much more affordable and accessible by harnessing radio technology.

The BabelBox is designed, produced and sold by the Intergalactic Interpretation Cooperative, a group of engineers and interpreters based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who believe that communication is key to building strong movements for change. The BabelBox is the culmination of years of work for communication and language access in social movements.