How to meet the standard
The accessible information standard sets out how organisations should ensure that disabled people and people with impairments or sensory loss get information they can access and understand and any communication support they need from health and care services.
Your organisation or service can use the following steps to meet the standard.
First steps to meeting the accessible information standard:
- Understand the standard’s requirements.
- Access the accessible information standard specification.
- Follow the 6 implementation steps.
- Read our implementation guide.
- Review and self-assess your compliance.
- Download and complete the self-assessment framework.
- Publish your assessment results.
- Develop action plans and continuously improve.
The 6 implementation steps
- Ask: find out if people have communication and information needs.
- Record: record those needs in a clear and standardised way in electronic or paper based systems.
- Flag: use alert systems to generate specific formats or to clearly indicate needs to others.
- Share: include records as part of data sharing and treatment and referral processes.
- Act: take steps to ensure people’s information and communications needs are met.
- Review: regularly review needs and ensure records are up to date.
Read more about why it’s important to meet the standard
Developing your action plan
To help you develop an action plan, complete our self-assessment framework.
Your action plan should work through the 6 steps with additional overarching actions that focus on improving your level of compliance from basic, through intermediate, to advanced and finally exemplar level.
You can also:
- view the action plan checklist included in our implementation guidance
- view the ‘high level process’ diagrams, included in the standard for further help with planning implementation
- see example questions and prompts to identify needs
- read more about the levels of compliance in our implementation guidance
- find out more about how to assess your compliance
Who needs to meet the standard
All organisations that provide NHS or adult social care services are covered by the standard. This includes:
- NHS trusts
- GP practices
- ambulance services
- private hospitals and organisations providing NHS services, such as dentists
- local authorities
- adult social care and any similar commissioned services
The standard is not assured by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), that is the role of commissioners. However, the performance of organisations in meeting people’s needs is considered in CQC assessment and ratings.