The new standard means that people with sight loss will receive information such as appointment reminders and test results in an accessible format ‘by right and without a fight’.
The RNIB has been campaigning for such a move for years and it’s only right that the new standards have, at last, been agreed. It does seem that very often, sensory disability doesn’t seem to get the same attention that physical disability does, even though sensory disabilities such as those involving hearing and sight are likely to affect far more people to some extent than physical impairments.
Ignoring requests for fair and equal treatment often turns people bringing about the complaint into ‘villains’ as they become seen as unreasonable or demonstrative. I hope that the NHS will again lead the way and show the possibilities and benefits of proper accessibility.
Although providing accessible documentation (using Braille) can be expensive, the savings are likely to be significant in that blind or visually impaired people will be less likely to miss appointments or misunderstand medical advice and the like. With healthcare, it is always far easier to fix issues at source then it is to pick up the broken pieces later.
RNIB CEO, Lesley-Anne Alexander CBE said: “Today’s announcement by NHS England of a new mandatory accessible information standard is a massive step forward for blind and partially sighted people everywhere.
We have campaigned for accessible health information for many years, joining forces with blind and partially sighted people across the country to get the NHS to make this right a reality.
The new standard is far reaching and applies to all organisations that provide NHS or adult social care, including GPs, hospitals, pharmacies and local authority social services.
Blind and partially sighted people can now look forward to getting letters, test results and appointment reminders in an accessible format, by right and without a fight, enabling the same levels of independence and privacy expected by everyone else.
We urge all NHS organisations and local authorities to implement the new standard without delay.”
