In what the two organisations dub ‘a key milestone’ in their three-year partnership to date, NHS Property Services (NHSPS) and AccessAble – which provides ‘essential, detailed accessibility data’ to disabled people and carers countrywide – say such information is now available for over 200 NHS Property Services sites both on the (NHSPS) website, and via the (Android and iOS-compatible) AccessAble ‘app’, ‘to help people feel confident and empowered when visiting clinical sites’.
Anna Nelson, AccessAble’s Executive director, said “NHSPS was a founding partner of AccessAble’s accessibility service for the NHS. Through its leadership we have been able to change the conversation on what constitutes good accessibility information for disabled people and carers accessing NHS services. NHSPS’s commitment to promoting the reality people will face, and a desire to improve facilities, have acted as the catalyst for the expansion of our service across 60 NHS Trusts in England. Our service currently covers over 6,000 NHS services, and helps 1.8 million people annually.”
A link to these guides can now be found directly on the NHSPS website to provide disabled people, carers, friends, and family, with detailed information on what to expect when visiting a site. From transport options, to car parking facilities, to information on the reception area and distances to toilets, over 1,000 pieces of information on a clinical site are now available.
Providing guides for over 125,000 properties and services, AccessAble sends trained surveyors to review properties and provide ‘reliable information to the community’ in the form of accessibility guides. It was established in 2000 by Dr Gregory Burke following his own experience as a wheelchair user. Users range from those with physical disabilities, to people dealing with anxiety or stress when visiting a new location, to families with children wanting to reliably know if they can fit a pram through the front door. The organisation is aiming to support three million people in 2020.
