LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX18) — Going through a global pandemic can be stressful as it is, now imagine having to take in important information vital to your health and survival in a language you are not comfortable with.
"For people here in Lexington who are English speakers it's been very confusing, so imagine if you're trying to figure that out if it's in a language that's not your first language, " said Mark Royse, the general manager for RADIOLEX.
In Lexington alone, more than 185 different languages are spoken, so that is why RADIOLEX, the non-profit community radio station, is doing what they can to even the playing field.
Royse said, "RADIOLEX is really the voice of the people."
Even when not in the midst of a global health crisis, RADIOLEX broadcasts in English and Spanish every day. Now, they are upping the ante, providing crucial information on the coronavirus in as many languages as possible.
"The first thing we realized is that we need to send that information to the international community in different languages, so we reached out to a group of interpreters and they started helping us in translating the information that was coming out every day," Program Director Victor Palomino said.
Each day, updated information on COVID-19 can be accessed in 20 different languages on their website. Those languages include everything from Russian to Hindi to Japanese and French. Also, the governor's daily briefings are now available in spoken word in multiple languages, every day thanks to work from volunteer interpreters.
Palomino said, "If we want to get out of here together we need to consider that not everybody speaks English, and not everybody feels comfortable listening to important vital information in a second language."
RADIOLEX is filling a need in a most crucial time of confusion and misinformation, working to adapt and make sure the international community makes it through and out of this trying time.
"For people who have adopted Kentucky and Lexington as a second home, just listening to something in your own language is gonna help you have that feeling of belonging. It's like they're thinking about me, I'm being considered part of this community, and I think that's essential in this time, " Palomino explained.
For more information on RADIOLEX head to radiolex.us. To access their COVID-19 information visit radiolex.us/covid
Broadcasts can be heard each day on:
WLXU 93.9 FM (English)
WLXL 95.7 FM (Spanish)
Or you can stream their broadcasts by downloading the free RADIOLEX app in the Apple App Store and Google Play
