Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month at the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation in Southwest Detroit Tuesday by highlighting the work the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) is doing to serve residents who speak languages other than English. Benson announced that by the end of October, every branch office in Michigan will be equipped with new Pocketalk handheld translation devices to ensure every customer can easily communicate in their preferred language during their visit.
Pocketalk devices resemble smartphones and provide real-time translation in Spanish, Arabic, Bangla, and more than 80 other languages. A user speaks into the device in their language, the device then translates it and provides the message to the second user in both audible and print formats. Thanks to the infusion of this new technology, customers who are not fluent in English are completing their transactions faster than ever before.
“Since I first took office in 2019, I have made it the mission of this department to meet people where they are and make state government work for them,” Secretary Benson said. “It is our responsibility to provide excellent, efficient service to every Michigan resident – regardless of what language they speak.
Our branch office employees came together to research and implement this innovative technology solution. We’ve received great feedback on the Pocketalk devices from customers and branch office staff – our customers felt less anxious and more welcome, and our staff was better able to serve customers and keep wait times down for everyone.”…