Accessible Information Standard Findings

New Accessibility Report Unveils Crucial Findings and Recommendations for Improved Health and Social Care Communication.

Help & Care’s research arm Involving People, alongside Healthwatch Hampshire, Healthwatch Isle of Wight, Healthwatch Southampton, and Healthwatch Portsmouth, have released a pivotal report on the Accessible Information Standard (AIS). The report reveals that many individuals with disabilities, impairments, and sensory loss are unaware of their rights under the AIS and often do not receive information in accessible formats.

The Accessible Information Standard is designed to ensure everyone, no matter what their needs and preferences, has access to information that they understand, and communication support they may need. All organisations that provide NHS or adult social care must follow the Accessible Information Standard by law and in full.

However, this has never been fully or widely implemented and this report provides evidence from local people across Hampshire (including Southampton and Portsmouth) and the Isle of Wight of how this affects people in their daily lives. It also provides recommendations to be taken forward into actions and change.

Report Findings

The findings of the report reveal a concerning reality: many individuals are unaware of their rights under the AIS, or the importance of communication support tailored to their needs. Additionally, most participants had never been asked about their preferred communication methods, leading to a loss of independence, privacy, and dignity.

Key recommendations include increasing AIS awareness, improving staff training, and diversifying communication methods. The full report is available in multiple accessible formats and available here. This initiative aims to enhance the quality of communication support in health and social care services across Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Help & Care Director of Partnerships, Research & Influence, Kathryn Loughnan says: “At Help & Care, we believe access to information is a fundamental right that improves quality of life.This report prompted us to examine our practices and ensure we always ask about communication needs, providing information in the best formats. We aim to model best practices, not just meet legal requirements, aligning with our commitment to equality and social justice.

Tom Gurney, Director of Strategic Communications and Engagement, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight says: “We welcome the work undertaken by Healthwatch through Involving People to help enable our communities and individuals to better access the information and services they need.

This report will play a key role in supporting the work we are doing to improve accessible information across NHS services in Hampshire and Isle of Wight. We know there are still disparities in experiences and opportunities across different organisations and we are taking steps to address those issues that people may face.”

Help & Care (via Involving People) and our Healthwatch partners are committed to working closely with the Integrated Care System to implement these recommendations and improve communication support for everyone. This report is also available in Easy Read, as a British Sign Language video and an audio file.

 

Read the full report here.

 

To learn more about Involving People and Help & Care, please visit the following

https://involvingpeople.org/

https://www.helpandcare.org.uk/

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