Equity of Access to Health and Social Care Services

#MakeHealthAccessible

We aim to tackle the inequities faced by blind and partially sighted people when it comes to using healthcare and social services. We achieve this by working closely with a variety of stakeholders, forging strong partnerships to improve the coordination between the NHS and social care services. Our ultimate goal is seamless integration, ensuring that support and resources are readily available for those of us with sight loss.

Accessible Information Standard (AIS)

The NHS Accessible Information Standard was launched in August 2016. The aim of the Standard is to ensure that “patients with communication needs” receive accessible information and appropriate communication support, so they can access services independently, and make decisions about their health, wellbeing, care and treatment.

The Standard means that blind and partially sighted people must receive health and social care information in a format they can read and understand, and appropriate communication support, fulfilling legal rights to accessible information under the Equality Act 2010.

This means:

  • You should get information in a format that works for you, such as large print, email, audio, braille, or Easy Read.
  • You should get support to help you communicate.
  • Staff should ask you how you want to receive information and record your communication needs.
  • Service providers must make sure you get the right support every time you use a service

A 2022 report by Healthwatch, based on 6,000 people’s experiences, showed what kinds of needs were being unmet for patients with a disability or sensory loss. This included a lack of support, inconsistency across services, and unfair and inappropriate burdens made on their families and friends.

Only 35% of NHS trusts that responded to Healthwatch’s Freedom of Information requests said they were fully compliant with the AIS. Just 21% were able to evidence that they had formally audited for compliance since its introduction.

Our Listening Month Research in 2022 as well as research conducted by RNIB showed very low  implementation of the AIS.

Following a Freedom of Information Act request we made in 2021 to NHS bodies, plus in-depth research, we have found that:

  • 90% of the blind and partially sighted people we spoke to were not regularly receiving medical information in their preferred format, with a third saying they never had.
  • 75% said they cannot remember ever being asked by the NHS about preferred information formats, even though the AIS expressly states that this should happen.
  • Only 45% of NHS bodies have policies in place for applying the AIS, with just 10% more currently in the process of introducing them.
  • 51% of NHS bodies reported that they had never engaged people with disabilities as part of their AIS implementation.
  • 70% of NHS bodies also said they had no means of recording numbers of accessible materials issued.

The AIS was updated on 30 June 2025. There is a new requirement for NHS service providers to regularly review people’s information and communication support needs. The Professionals’ Hub provides valuable advice and guidance for NHS staff on how to implement the AIS with ease. There are also tips on helping patients with visual impairments and links to additional resources. You can also read more official NHS online information regarding how to implement the new Self-Assessment Framework of the AIS.

Visit the Professionals’ Hub

Read Eammon Dunne’s recent feature in IFNA.

  • Expanding Access to At-Home Medical Tests

    Building on our past initiatives, we are committed to broadening the accessibility of at-home medical tests as their usage within the NHS will only increase after the COVID-19 crisis.

    We believe that addressing both of these challenges will significantly reduce health inequalities faced by blind and partially sighted people.

    As part of our #MakeHealthAccessible campaign, we are building upon our collaborative work with NHS England and sector partners to improve accessibility in bowel cancer testing. We’ve worked on the design and instructions for the FIT (faecal immunochemical test) home test kit, adapting the standard device to be user-friendly for blind and partially sighted people when received through the post as part of the national screening program.

    But our campaigning goes beyond bowel cancer screening. We want to advocate for the accessibility of other medical tests while ensuring that in-surgery support for individuals with sight loss remains, regardless of the invention of new devices.

    We need your input

    Your input is vital. Lived experiences are powerful tools for change. We encourage you to participate in our survey and share your experience to strengthen our cause. Your feedback will help us emphasise the importance of this issue and shed light on the specific challenges you face with different types of tests. It will provide an accurate and up-to-date representation of the experiences of blind and partially sighted people with at-home testing.

    Share your lived experiences of at-home tests

    Rest assured that all responses are entirely anonymous. Whether you’ve struggled with diabetes or pregnancy tests, your real-life examples are invaluable.

    To stay informed about our ongoing efforts and developments related to this campaign, as well as our other work, sign up for our campaign newsletter.

Our efforts extend to improving healthcare screening for visually impaired individuals, including addressing challenges like bowel cancer screening. We collaborate with organisations like NHS England, the RNIB, and regional partners to make sure that health screening is accessible and inclusive for everyone.

Sight loss affects people wherever they live, and we understand that every location has its unique needs. Our community-based Sight Loss Councils take these differences into account to ensure that everyone, regardless of where they live, can benefit from a healthcare system that is integrated and fair.

Sight Loss Councils, led by blind and partially sighted volunteers, provide awareness sessions to healthcare professionals to raise awareness about visual impairment. For example, we are working with Northumbria University to bring about curriculum changes in nursing, midwifery, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and social work courses, ensuring that visual impairment awareness becomes a standard part of students’ education. We have established best practice accessibility in Bristol and also have programmes across the West Midlands and the North West. Sight Loss Councils also work with health providers to embed the Accessible Information Standard locally.

See our campaigns in your local area by Sight Loss Councils.

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