18 September 2017
The Accessible Information Standard: update
How A2i can help you comply with the Accessible Information Standard
The UK government’s Accessible Information Standard came into force from the 1st August 2016. You may already know that the Standard requires publicly funded health and social care organisations to ensure patients, service-users, their parents, and carers can get information in an accessible format – such as Braille, Large Print, Audio, Easy Read or via Email. The Standard also requires organisations to offer British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters, deafblind manual interpreters, or advocates, where needed.
In March this year, NHS England reviewed the Standard to ensure that it was achieving what it set out to do. Feedback was broadly positive, with widespread support for the Standard’s aims to ensure equal information rights for people who are print-disabled. However, initial evidence suggests that although being popular, the legislation was poorly enacted, with many people still not being offered their preferred communicative format, resulting in people unable to access vital health information. One of the issues it highlighted however was that more information was needed by busy healthcare staff to help them produce and arrange alternative formats for patients and carers.
This is where we can help! A2i has expertise in producing accessible healthcare information – we already transcribe health and social care texts for NHS and healthcare organisations and charities.
At A2i we:
- are experts in translating into Braille, Large Print, Audio, E-text, and Easy Read formats
- are experienced in handling sensitive and confidential data
- offer fast turnaround times
- can send orders straight to your customers
“Ensuring patient confidentiality is a top priority for A2i. We want all patients – and their carers – to get equal access to health information, fast. That’s their right.”
Susie Fisher, Director, A2i Transcription Services.
We also have a number of free resources for you to use, from advice about how to advertise your accessible formats, to tips about producing your own Large Print in-house… Sign up to our newsletter to make sure you receive more accessibility tips and advice.
If you have any questions about the Accessible Information Standard, want an information pack, quote or chat, contact our friendly team:
• Phone: 0117 9 440044
• Email: info@a2i.co.uk
• Web: www.a2i.co.uk
• Twitter: @A2iTranscribes
