What is accessible information?
Accessible information is information that you can understand. What makes information accessible is different for different people; there is no one size fits all as people often have different needs.
Most people are aware that there are lots of different ways of making information more accessible. This is why it is important to know the needs of the people or person your information is for. People may need information presented in a particular way because of a particular impairment. Examples might include visual impairment, hearing impairment or a learning disability. It might be necessary to offer spoken versions, braille, phone calls, sign language, Makaton or easy read to make information accessible.
There are a many ways of making information more accessible, the key is to find out what the people your information is for need and offer it.
Ask yourself these questions
Who is the information for?
Will the information be useful to them?
How should the information be provided?
and use the answers to help guide you in making information accessible.
The standard requires that health and social care organisations do 5 things
1. Ask people if they have any information or communication needs and how they can meet these.
2. Record those needs clearly and in a set way.
3. Highlight or flag the person’s file or notes so it is clear they have communication needs and how these needs can be met.
4. Share their knowledge of a person’s information or communication needs with other providers of NHS and adult social care services if they have consent or permission to.
5. Take steps to make sure people receive information that they can access and understand and that they are given communication support if they need it.
To download a leaflet or poster about the standard please click on the leaflets below;
You can find more information about the Accessible Information Standard on the NHS England website:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/accessibleinfo/
https://www.mencap.org.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy8uelPDW3wIV6LftCh0nfgyFEAAYASAAEgIp3vD_BwE
We want to get better at communicating with our patients. We want to make sure you can read and understand the information we send you. If you find it hard to read our letters or if you need someone to support you at appointments, please let us know.
We want to know if you need information in braille, large print or easy read. We want to know if you need a British Sign Language interpreter or advocate.
We want to know if we can support you to lipread or use a hearing aid or communication tool.
Accessible Information Form
Website Accessibility Information
Our website pages are designed so that you can change the style, size and colour of the font used, as well as the background colour. If you wish to do so, please see the guides below.
Customise settings in:
Further help
If you:
- Have problems seeing the screen
- Find it difficult to use the mouse or keyboard
- Need help with language or reading websites
then we recommend you visit the BBC website My Web My Way, which provides advice on how to make your computer easier to use, whether you are a Windows, Mac or Linux user.