Making Services Accessible

March 2011

Introduction

Background

SAIF works to combat social exclusion by ensuring that people who find it hardest to access information due to disability have the same access to information as others.

SAIF is committed to the social model of disability and to promoting user-led services. SAIF achieves its aim by providing a range of tools which will enable service providers to improve the accessibility of their information.

SAIF is funded by the Scottish Government, employs two part-time project workers, and is based at Consumer Focus Scotland. The SAIF advisory body is made up of 21 people drawn from
disability-led organisations and information providers.
These guidelines aim to address the accessibility concerns raised by disabled people about:

  • the design and layout of buildings
  • the range of formats and communication support available
  • the awareness, attitudes and knowledge of staff.

The guide incorporates the key elements of the SAIF Standards for Disability Information and Advice Provision in Scotland (second revised edition 2007).

The role of these guidelines

These guidelines are intended to help agencies in the voluntary, public and private sectors enable disabled people to access information and advice services more easily.
We recognise that disabled people access information and advice from specialist and generalist services and from agencies where information and advice is only a small part of their work. These guidelines apply to all of them.
The standards which the guidelines recommend establish the boundaries of a service. They do not detail procedures and systems or contain targets. They identify a range of indicators which can be used to develop performance targets that can be monitored and reviewed. They should be seen as a framework for continual improvement and development. Disabled people must be able to influence future changes.
The guidelines are relevant to any agency no matter how large or small. They are a tool for service providers and disabled people.
They are in three sections dealing with service governance, service delivery and involving disabled people.

  1. Governing to Ensure Accessibility

1.1Defining Your Service

Your service has a clear statement of its values and role including:

  • the purpose of your service
  • your target user group(s)
  • the scope and aims of your service.

All staff, managers, volunteers and customersknow about your objectives.

1.2Equal Opportunities

Your service has a comprehensive equal opportunities policy which includes:

  • a commitment to meeting the needs of everyone in the community
  • your implementation and monitoring plans
  • equality training for all staff, managers and volunteers.

You ensure that none of your other policies or practices conflict with the equal opportunities policy.
All staff, managers, volunteers and customers know about this policy.

1.3Delivery Planning

Your service has a clear delivery plan including:

  • how it is delivered
  • opening hours
  • what it can and cannot offer
  • working with other agencies
  • an effective and accessible promotional strategy
  • a service development plan.

All staff, managers, volunteers and customers know about your delivery plan.

1.4Service Review and Forward Planning

Your service reviews its work against targets.

You publish the results in a publicly accessible form at least once a year.

You use your service reviews to formulate service development.

All staff, managers, volunteers and customers are aware of and involved in these procedures.

  1. Developing Your Service to Ensure Accessibility

2.1Premises

Your service carries out regular access audits to ensureyour premises are accessible for all disabled people.
Your premises have:

  • blue badge parking
  • easy access into, within and out of the building
  • accessible toilets
  • clear signage
  • hearing loops.

All staff, managers, volunteers and customers know about these facilities.

2.2 Service Delivery

You regularly review the delivery of your service to make the best use of your resources.
The review looks at how you can improve the accessibility of your service, for example by using or providing:

  • helplines, including telephone and text
  • email and fax as alternatives to letters
  • online services
  • home visits
  • accessible outreach provision
  • flexible opening hours.

All staff, managers, volunteers and customersknow about these provisions.

2.3 Alternative Formats

You can provide your information in a range of formats, for example:

  • large print
  • audio
  • braille
  • electronic
  • British Sign Language
  • easy to understand
  • other languages.

You make it clear to service users how long they will have to wait for an alternative format and which formats you can provide.

Information for children and parents is produced so that children and parents can use it together and children can read or listen to it alone.

All staff, managers, volunteers and customers know about these provisions.

2.4 Communication Support

Alternative formats alone may not be enough. Some people have communication support needs. It may be necessary to make arrangements to provide one-to-one communication support to enable access to routine information.
You are aware of communication support services and can either provide them or access them.
These services should include, for example:

  • British Sign Language interpreters
  • deafblind interpreters
  • lipspeakers
  • notetakers
  • speech to text transcription.

All staff, managers, volunteers and customers know about these provisions.

2.5Referral Arrangements

Know what you can and cannot do and work closely with other services.
You have referral agreements to ensure a consistent service and these agreements include:

  • how to make the referral
  • reasons for accepting/rejecting the referral
  • individual responsibilities
  • exchange of information
  • the customer’s rights if dissatisfied.

All staff, managers, volunteers and customers know about these arrangements.

  1. Involving Disabled People and their Representatives

3.1Customer Feedback and Planning with Disabled People

You consult customers and their representatives about your service on a regular basis, for example every 12 months.
You supply information about your service to customers and their representatives, and invite feedback, including from people with:

  • visual impairments
  • hearing impairments
  • dual sensory impairments
  • impaired mobility
  • learning difficulties
  • specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia
  • mental health support needs
  • communication support needs.

You monitor the feedback.
The feedback is incorporated within your service delivery plan.
You publicise any changes to services arising from customer feedback.
All staff, managers, volunteers and customers know about these procedures.

3.2Complaints

You have an effective and accessible complaints procedure.

This procedure is publicised and accessible to all customers.

Complaints are monitored and analysedand incorporated into the service delivery plan.

Changes to the servicewhich arise from complaints are publicised.

All staff, managers, volunteers and customers know about these procedures.

Other organisations

Communication Forum Scotland

An alliance of organisations representing people of all ages with varied communication support needs.
Tel: 0131 229 6754
Email:
Website:

Office for Disability Issues

HM Government
Produces many useful guides on accessibility issues.
Tel: 020 7340 4000
Email:
Website:

RNIB

Royal National Institute of Blind People
Produces many useful guidelines on how to provide accessible information.
Tel: 0303 123 9999
Email:
Website:

UPDATE – Disability Information Scotland

Scotland’s National Disability Information Service
Tel: 0131 669 1600
Email:
Website:

In partnership with SAIF, UPDATE produces the Scottish FormatsResource. It is a directory of formats providers. It is free and available as an on-line searchable database at

Other publications

Guidelines for Producing Material in Accessible Formats (2004)

Scottish Disability Equality Forum
Tel: 01786 446456
Email:
Website:

Information Alternatives – A Guide to Providing Accessible Information (2006)

By Paul Ralph
Email:
Website:

See It Right (2006)

A guide to providing accessible information.
Royal National Institute ofBlind People
Tel: 0303 123 9999
Email:
Website:

Talk for Scotland Toolkit(updated 2010)

A practical guide to help service providers engage with people with communication support needs and make their services more accessible.
Communication Forum Scotland
Tel: 0131 229 6754
Email:
Website:

Other SAIF publications

Making Information Accessible, Guidelines for producing accessible printed and electronic information(2010)

(A4, 8 pages)

SAIF Standards for Disability Information and Advice Provision in Scotland(2007) (CD Rom)

Making Ecommunication Accessible (2006) (A4, 64 pages)

The Social Model of Disability (2009)

(A5, 32 pages, £2) ISBN 978-01149734910

Guide to User-Led Reviews (2007) (A4, 20 pages)

Scottish Formats Resource (2009)

(online at

Information and Advice Services - What Disabled People Should Expect and Receive(2007) (A5, 8 pages)

Getting Information and Advice (2008)

(Easy to understand, A5, 12 pages)

A Brief Guide to Easy Read(2010) (Online)

What about Social Networks and Accessibility?

(2010) (Online)

All SAIF publications are free except where a cover price is shown.
All are available free in other formats and can be downloaded free from our website at

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They can be copied in whole or in part provided the source is quoted.

For more information contact:

Scottish Accessible Information Forum
Consumer Focus Scotland
Royal Exchange House
100 Queen Street
Glasgow
G1 3DN

Tel: 0141 226 5261
Fax: 0141 221 9695
Email:
Website: