Clear, accessible communication is important for everyone when using health and care services.

As Gary Bourlet, Self-advocate and Membership and Engagement Lead says:

“Everyone with learning disability should be able to understand what is being said, by doing this it empowers us and gives us independence.”

For people with learning disabilities, autism, sensory impairments, or communication needs, having information in the right format can make a big difference to how they understand and manage their health and care.

To try and help with this, there is a set of rules called the Accessible Information Standard (AIS).

This standard is used by NHS and adult social care services in England.

It explains what organisations must do to make sure people with specific information or communication needs can access services and information in a way that works for them.

The AIS has been in place since 2016 and is a legal requirement for organisations that provide NHS or adult social care.

It aims to make sure people with disabilities, impairments, or communication difficulties get the information they need in formats they can understand.

It includes five main steps:

1. Identify a person’s communication and information needs.
2. Record those needs clearly in their records.
3. Flag or highlight these needs so staff are aware.
4. Share the information with others providing care (with consent).
5. Act on the information by meeting those needs – for example, by offering easy read documents or communication support.

The AIS was updated on 30 June 2025. The refreshed version includes a new sixth step:

Review – NHS and adult social care providers must now regularly check and update a person’s information and communication needs to make sure they are still accurate and being met.

Other additions to the updated standard include:

• A new Self-Assessment Framework to help organisations monitor how well they are meeting the standard.
• A suggestion that each NHS region should have a named person to lead on AIS work.
• Updates that reflect changes to the Equality Act 2010 and learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the importance of good communication.

The AIS applies to all NHS and adult social care organisations in England.

It is designed to support people who may need extra help understanding health information, including people with learning disabilities, hearing or sight loss, or communication difficulties.

You can look at the updated Accessible Information Standard here.