Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are testing the use of new hand-held language translation-interpretation devices at Philadelphia International Airport in an effort to support a more positive security checkpoint experience for individuals who are limited English proficient, international travellers and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing or who are blind or have low vision.
The goal of this pilot is to allow the TSA to evaluate the viability of these devices by assessing the ease and effectiveness of use and its impact on checkpoint operations.
“We hope that this will turn out to be a valuable tool for our officers to provide guidance to passengers who might not speak English,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Philadelphia International Airport. “For example, it will help us to explain in the language that the traveller understands, that we may need to open a carry-on bag for a search.”
The device is smaller than a mobile phone and contains a library of 83 languages. A TSA officer or a traveller can speak into the device and it will translate the message into the language that is selected. The device will audibly repeat the message into the chosen language for the traveller and it will appear on the screen for travellers to read if they are deaf or hard of hearing.
TSA has deployed five units to be used at checkpoints in Philadelphia’s international terminals A-East and A-West, and also at its busiest checkpoints in terminals B and DE. Since the rechargeable units work via WiFi or data connection, they can easily be moved to any checkpoint lane where they are needed because they do not need to be tethered to an electrical outlet.
In the short time that the units have been in use, TSA has seen the benefits of the units, as well as a few challenges such as the use of colloquialisms. For example, the term “pat-down” does not translate accurately into all languages and instead TSA officers may need to use different words to explain that a pat-down needs to take place.
TSA can pre-programme common advisements that TSA officers use in typical checkpoint conversations. The device can keep up to 10,000 translations that are “favourites” and commonly used. Software updates can be downloaded to add languages and words to the vocabulary library.
“The field testing of these units is one step that we are taking to improve our communication with a broader travelling population and further enhance the customer experience,” said Jose Bonilla, TSA’s Executive Director of the agency’s Traveler Engagement Division. “The results of this field test will allow us to evaluate the viability of a small, stand-alone communication device at our checkpoints by assessing the ease and effectiveness of use and its impact on checkpoint operations.”
