All organisations that provide NHS or adult social care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard (AIS). The AIS aims to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss get information that they can access and understand and get any communication support that they need.
As an organisation we want to make sure that our patients/service users, and where appropriate carers and parents, can access and receive information in formats that they can understand. This is very important for everyone, especially those that have difficulty seeing, hearing or have a learning or physical disability.
Our aim is to make sure that we support our patients/service users, their carer/s or parents to get information in different formats, if they have any information and communication needs. For example by receiving information in large print, yellow paper, large print on yellow paper, easy read format (words and pictures) or via email.
As part of the accessible information standard we are going to do five things:
- Ask and identify any information or communication needs. Find out how to meet those needs where they relate to a disability, impairment or sensory loss
- Record those needs clearly
- Flag the information or communication needs and how to meet those needs
- Share information about our patients/service users information and communication needs with other providers of NHS and adult social care, when they have consent or permission to do so
- Meet needs by taking steps to ensure that people receive information which they can access and understand, and receive communication support if they need it
NHS England and NHS Improvement has developed a video which provides a step-by-step overview of the AIS.
