Julian and Yvonne take a deep dive into the Accessible Information Standard and what impact it is having on the deaf community, including access to healthcare.
In 2016, the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) was introduced in England, which gave all people with a sensory loss, impairment or disability the legal right to have their medical access needs met in a way that worked for them.
But See Hear has discovered this hasn鈥檛 been the case for deaf patients in many parts of the country. A freedom of information request to English NHS trusts found that, in the worst performing trust, only 23.5% of BSL interpreter requests were fulfilled, while in other trusts the fulfilment rate was 100%.
This special programme features conversations with patients, their families, doctors and charities to hear their perspectives on the issue and find out what more needs to be done to accomplish equitable access.