A woman at a busy hospital reception desk working on a laptop.
Blind and partially sighted people have a legal right to receive accessible information about their health and care, including alternative formats like large print, email, braille and audio.
Accessible health and care information enables blind and partially sighted people to manage their own health with the same level of independence and privacy as everyone else.
Inaccessible health and care information:
RNIB recognises the challenges you face and can provide you with the support and solutions which are quick, easy, and cost effective.
All organisations should have improvement plans in place that have been created in consultation with people with lived experience of sight loss.
RNIB can connect you with people with lived experience and support your improvement journey.
All organisations should have an accessible information policy and ensure complaints / PALS process are fully accessible.
RNIB can support you with developing and / or reviewing these.
All organisations must have IT systems and processes that record and flag a patient’s required communication format.
RNIB can help you test electronic patient record systems, patient portals and other IT systems.
RNIB can equip you to better understand the needs of blind and partially sighted patients. We have a range of training courses from sight loss awareness, guiding, how to ask people about their required communication formats to navigating life with sight loss.
We will work with you and your front-line teams to ensure everyone has a positive patient experience. All RNIB trainers have sight loss.
RNIB provides a range of Business Services and can provide you with solutions through a range of free and paid services.
We take your original documents from appointment letters, test results, medication instructions, bespoke reports or information leaflets and transcribe into your patients required accessible format including Large Print, Easy Read, Braille, and Audio.
We also review all literature to ensure it is accessible to as many patients as possible.
Our standard is 20 font Arial. We can produce up to 32 font and on different coloured paper.
We support both Grade 2 (contracted) and Grade 1 (uncontracted), Unified English Braille, double sided.
We provide information in audio, either in synthetic or real voice. Formats include CD, DAISY, and MP3 formats. All personal information is synthetic voice only.
Accessible PDF documents are fully tagged, meaning the information can be read by the text-to-speech software.
We provide RNIB Easy Read and have expanded the reach of Easy Read to include people with sight loss who also have a learning disability. Easy Read also helps when English is not your first language.
RNIB can receive your documents electronically or as hard copy. We process all patient information accurately and if you require, we can send the information direct to your patients in the most demanding of timeframes ranging from 2 business working days or longer depending on the length, complexity and required accessible format.
All customer data is processed in our PCS-DSS / Cyber Essentials Plus environment which provides the highest level of security and compliance.
Our core strengths are
Our mission is to provide a seamless service for you and your patients. Any income generated is re-invested into improving services for blind and partially sighted peop
We have a team of RNIB Accessibility and Usability Consultants that help make:
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are an international, recognised standard for improving web accessibility. All public websites must achieve the standard as a minimum.
To identify the barriers that prevent disabled people from using your website or app.
The first line of defence against inaccessible web and app design.
We audit against the latest industry standard WCAG 2.2 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and RNIB’s internal app guidelines to test coding, responsiveness, and user experience.
We test your website or app with end users through RNIB’s observed user testing service. This involves blind and partially sighted people and / or other groups of people with other communication needs, as required.
This lets your patients/clients know that you have undertaken a rigorous assessment which ensures your website / app is accessible and usable.
Technical web development courses including:
RNIB can support you to improve your wayfinding and navigation – this starts from your patient’s home.
Inclusive design is better for everyone.
JAWS for Kiosk software is a screen reader that provides a text-to-speech audio output on self-service kiosks.
It can be used with both Microsoft Windows and Android operating systems. JAWS for Kiosk provides customisable, context-specific instructional messaging to assist users with disabilities and is available in more than 40 languages with a variety of voice options.
JAWS for kiosk software ensures that many blind and partially sighted people can independently check in without support.
NaviLens technology overcomes the challenges of traditional signage through using the camera on the person’s smart phone.
Designed to enable many blind and partially sighted people, with the ability to access and locate information and interact with their environment, particularly in busy areas.
All information is relayed in the patient’s required format including Easy Read, and over 30 different languages.
For people who have no sight at all, or whose vision is sufficient to locate a sign but not to distinguish the individual letters, tactile elements and symbols will help patients find their way around the environment.
RNIB can provide guidance, test accessibility, and provide signage design.
Email the team at [email protected] or telephone 01733 375370 to discuss all your requirements. Alternatively, view our range of services online at RNIB Business Services