The Accessible information Standard - making health and social care information accessible
The Accessible Information Standard tells organisations how they should make sure that disabled service users, carers and parents receive information in formats that they can understand and how to ensure they receive the appropriate level of support to help them to communicate.
A shorter overview of the standard can be found here.
All NHS or publicly funded adult social care organisations, must have the standard fully implemented by 31 July 2016. However, this standard is a model of good practice for all people in contact with adults with learning disabilities and or sensory impairments.
Who will benefit from standard?
Service users, carers and parents who have information and/or communication support needs which are related to a disability, impairment or sensory loss.
This means if you have a disability or a communication need, information like appointment letters will be provided to meet your individual needs rather than being provided in standard print. Also, if you have communication impairment such as a dual sensory loss or if you are deafblind and need an interpreter for a health or social care appointment, this must be provided for you.
Who needs to follow the standard?
All NHS and publicly funded social care organisations which include hospitals, GPs, social care services, pharmacies and others.
What do I need to do?
If you have an information or communication need, the next time you contact your health or social care provider highlight your needs and ask them to record this within your clinical health record. To help highlight your needs fill out this template created by sense.org.uk and send it to your provider.
Please be aware that services will need to demonstrate compliance by the 31 July 2016.
More information is available on the NHS England website and also on the sense.org.uk website.
