SAIF: SAIF Training

Making NHS information accessible

By providing accessible information, you can remove the barriers experienced by many people in accessing health information and services. Patients and the public can:

obtain and understand the information they need;
be involved in decisions about their own care;
take responsibility for their own health and well being; and
get involved in decisions about how services are designed, delivered and monitored

NHS staff can also benefit from clear, accessible information.

staff often find accessible information produced for patients meets their own needs better than more formal documents
both those involved in producing information and front-line staff can be more confident that the information they give to patients will meet their needs; and
managers can be confident that they are meeting the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

For more information about how the Scottish Accessible Information Forum can help you please see the information brochure below. More detailed information about our training courses can be found on this page.

Making NHS Information Accessible Information brochure (Word )

Making NHS Information Accessible brochure (pdf )

Beyond the Web

Do you know the difference between accessible and inaccessible electronic documents?

Are you aware of the benefits of ensuring that electronic information is accessible?

Are you unsure of your legal obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act to produce accessible electronic information?

This seminar is aimed at anyone with an interest in accessible e-communication and also those of you who manage and commission e-communication. Delegates do not need to be technically-minded to attend.

It covers:

the principles and benefits of accessible design for websites and other forms of electronic communication.
the legal responsibilities of public sector organisations in ensuring that electronic information is included in their accessible information strategy.
the standards to include in specifications and tender documents to ensure the accessibility of e-communication.

Ecommunication: Accessibility in practice

It is not possible to predict the needs of everyone who accesses electronic information. However we have 3 practical courses which will help you to make some key adjustments to the way you produce electronic information to ensure it's flexible enough to suit a wide range of needs. These courses are:

Creating accessible documents
Sending accessible emails
Testing the accessibility of websites

and they ran earlier this year. Below is a summary evaluation of the main feedback.

Summary Report of Ecommunication Courses 2008 (Word - 31kb)
Summary Report of Ecommunication Courses 2008 (pdf - 90kb)

We will be running these courses again later in the year.

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Raising awareness

disability legislative requirements
barriers people (including disabled people) face in accessing information
how to include accessible information in broader equality strategies, policies and action plans
producing design guides or checklists for your staff
how to produce information in a variety of formats, design and delivery
accessible e-communication (websites, portable document files, Word documents and email)

We also provide in house training and can provide your organisation with a range of training days and seminars which can be tailored to meet your organisation's needs.

For more information about any of our courses please contact us on 0141 226 5261, fax 0141 221 0731, text phone 0141 226 8459 or email us at

Beyond the Ramp

Too often when disability issues are raised, discussion starts and ends with physical access into and within buildings, ramps, accessible toilets, and so on. While these issues are vitally important they fall far short of all that is necessary to ensure that services and information are accessible to everyone, including disabled people.

This half day seminar is designed to raise awareness:

about other issues that need to be considered, such as signage, printed information, alternative formats and electronic information
about the part that large organisations can play in demonstrating good practice and influencing smaller partner agencies to adopt accessible information strategies

and to give practical guidance:

about how to develop an accessible information strategy that can easily and effectively be put into practice
in identifying the key staff within a large organisation and the key external partners that need to be involved to ensure that the strategy is embedded into everyday practice across the organisation

By the end of the course you will

have a clear idea of how disability legislation affects your organisation
have an action plan that ensures that your organisation complies with legislation in terms of information provision to everyone, including disabled people
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Information Explosion! Information Inclusion

This one day interactive training session raises awareness

of the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act in relation to employment and service provision
of disability etiquette
of the wide range of barriers disabled people face in accessing information

You will receive guidance about the practical steps you need to take to

produce information in a variety of formats
design and deliver accessible presentations
ensure electronic accessibility