The Professionals’ Hub

Here are steps that healthcare professionals can take to implement the AIS effectively:

• AIS Policy: Establish an AIS policy either as a standalone document or add it to an existing access policy.
• Training: User the policy to influence accessibility training during staff briefings, ensuring that practical AIS sessions are part of the induction process for new team members.
• AIS champion or specialist: Consider appointing an AIS champion or specialist, ideally someone who has recently received disability awareness training.
• Consult: Seek input from individuals with disabilities to assess AIS success and improve data systems.
• Work with sight loss specialists: Many regions have voluntary Sight Loss Councils or sight loss charities that can help test new measures related to accessible information.
• Regular reporting: Keep a log of materials produced or preferences recorded to drive progress effectively.
• Materials: Keep a supply of popular materials in alternative formats to save time.
• Information needs: Ask people about their information needs by including questions in registration forms or adding AIS statements to letters. People may be unaware that alternative accessible formats are available.
• Accessibility: Although not enforced by the AIS, 2018 accessibility regulations outline the legal obligation to make web material accessible. Failure to comply contravenes the Equality Act 2010 and may lead to an investigation by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)

Every staff member plays a vital role in ensuring accessibility:

• Ask about information needs: Ask individuals about their information requirements and how you can meet them.
• Consistent queries: Consider using a set, standard question to enquire about information needs during first contact with a person.
• Listen: Actively listen to individuals as they usually know what they need.
• Record preferences consistently: Establish systems for consistent handling of access requests and flag an individual’s record so the access needs are always visible to all staff.
• Share information needs: Share information preferences with consent, ensuring information preferences move with people as they are referred.
• Seek advice: Promote understanding by discussing AIS-related questions with colleagues.
• Be considerate: Remember blind and partially sighted people are parents and carers too. Their right to dependents’ information should not be queried due to their visual impairment.

• Approach people. Introduce yourself as a member of staff and ask if, and how, you can help,
• Remember not all sight loss is visible. Not everyone carries a white cane or has a guide dog,
• People with all degrees of vision may still benefit from the AIS. This applies even if the person can find their way unaided, make eye contact, recognise your face or read signs.
• Avoid the word ‘suffer’ when discussing sight loss or visual impairment. The language we use is ‘blind’ or ‘partially sighted’ or ‘visually impaired’. We do not use ‘the blind’ or ‘the visually impaired’. ‘Handicapped’ is also no longer an acceptable term. Use ‘people with disabilities’ instead.
• Don’t worry about references to ‘taking a look’ or ‘seeing if this works’. Most blind or partially sighted people use these everyday phrases themselves.
• If you need to discuss the visually impaired patient with a colleague while they are present – use the same diplomacy and respect that you would for anyone else.

For more information and resources, explore the following links:

• Read more official NHS online information regarding the AIS
• The Care Quality Commission (CQC) provides regularly updated guidance on how best to apply the AIS
• You can find further information on reasonable adjustments and general information on the Equality Act 2010 on the government website
• The Reasonable Adjustment Flag is a national record that indicates that reasonable adjustments are required. It may include details of their significant impairments and key adjustments that should be considered.

Read more about the Flag

• Read more RNIB advice on transcription into readable formats
• Learn more about regional Sight Loss Councils
• Find out more information on the government’s These are grounded in the principles of the international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
• You can find your nearest local sight loss societies for consultation purposes by contacting the charity Visionary. Ensure consultation is with people who have actual lived experience and not just with staff working in the field
• Finally, you can read more information on physically guiding blind and partially sighted people by following this RNIB link.