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What is the Accessible Information Standard?

Since 31 July 2016, all organisations that provide NHS or adult social care must follow the Accessible Information Standard by law. This includes organisations such as Hospitals, GP practices, Pharmacies and those providing adult social care such as care homes and support services 

The Accessible Information Standard aims to make sure that disabled people have access to information that they can understand and any communication support they might need.

The Standard tells organisations how to make information accessible to patients, service users and their carers or parents. This includes making sure that people get information in different formats if they need it, such as large print, Braille, easy read or via email.

The standard also tells organisations how to support people’s communication needs e.g. by offering support from a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, deafblind manual interpreter or an advocate.

Organisations that provide NHS or adult social care must do five things. They must:

  1. Ask people about their communication needs
  2. Record those needs in a set way
  3. Highlight the person’s needs on their file and how these needs are to be met
  4. Share information about a person’s needs with other providers, subject to consent
  5. Provide information in an accessible way 

How to find out more

    • This subtitled BSL video explains more about the Standard.

Useful Links

If you need information about adult social care in another language or format, please contact Sadie_Webber@bathnes.gov.uk