In Co-production Week (29 June to 3 July 2026), Peter Friedman explores the accessibility of the healthcare system and how co-production can support this process.

For many of us, navigating the healthcare system is a series of simple exchanges: reading a letter, understanding a diagnosis, or explaining a symptom.

Last Wednesday, 17 June 2026, Team IC Works set out on an exciting field trip to Norwich for Opening Doors ‘Happy, Healthy, Safe Day’held at The Forum in Norwich City Centre.

The event brought together a wide array of local organisations, including the NHS, the Fire and Rescue Service, local charities supporting people with a learning disability, and various advocacy groups.

Here at IC Works, the team behind easy-read-documents.com, our entire mission revolves around accessibility. We spend our days breaking down barriers to information, ensuring that documents are clear, understandable, and available to everyone.

At IC Works, we are seeing the start of a dramatic shift in how organisations approach their commitments to inclusive communication. We’re increasingly working with clients who want to reach a wider, more diverse audience by moving away from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to making information accessible and turning toward a multi-format strategy.

Whether you see the recent surge in ADHD as a long-overdue neurological awakening or just a side effect of our hyper-stimulated modern world, the ‘over-medicalisation’ debate is definitely the elephant in the office. But for those of us designing accessible communications, the why matters far less than the how.

We know from what our clients are telling us that we are getting really good at making sure people, especially those with cognitive challenges like learning disabilities, autism, dyslexia, and literacy issues, can understand what you need to get across.

Most leaders understand the word ‘accessibility’, but far too few have encountered the term Self-Advocacy. Yet, if you want a workplace that is truly efficient, safe, and inclusive, self-advocacy is quite possibly the most important skill your team can possess.

When we talk about accessibility, we often think about ramps or automated captions. But there’s a silent barrier that millions of us face every day. Dyslexia.

In a crisis, information needs to move fast. Whether it’s a public health emergency or a sudden service disruption, the ability to access and act on safety information is not just a convenience - it is a fundamental right.

‘Reasonable adjustments’ is a legal right under disability law - but if the information about them is confusing, hidden or inaccessible, that right becomes much harder, sometimes even impossible to use.

For a lot of people, the traditional written CV is treated as the ‘proper’ way to apply for a job. But from an accessible information perspective, it’s worth saying plainly: a standard CV can be a difficult task for anyone.

AI can be amazingly helpful. It can shorten sentences, simplify vocabulary, and give a document a much clearer structure. But there’s an important risk: text can become easier to read without becoming easier to understand.

One of IC Works finest achievements of 2025 was producing the video about Shaun Webster’s cancer story which was filmed in the summer for NHS England

IC Works Expert by experience Rupa reminded me that it is Human Rights Day today, 10 December 2025, and she produced a presentation about human rights for children, a concept embedded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

At IC Works, we often see problems with Easy Read surveys: a survey that looks like Easy Read, but is not accessible in practice. It’s clear, it’s visual, and it may even use plain language - but when you try to fill it in, everything falls apart.

Instead of an Easy Read document, IC Works created a set of videos and instead of aiming them at people with a learning disability and autistic people, these resources are designed for carers and healthcare professionals.

Millions of lives intersect in London every day, as Londoners and visitors find their way around this busy metropolis. For London's authorities and organisations, making information accessible is a fundamental part of connecting with this vibrant, diverse community.

When NHS England asked IC Works to help promote Hospital Passports, also known as Health and Care Passports, we knew it was an important project. Hospital Passports are simple but powerful documents. They tell hospital staff about a person’s needs, preferences, and how they communicate.

In the heart of London, millions of lives intersect every day, each navigating a unique and bustling urban landscape. For London's authorities and organisations, making information accessible isn’t just a regulatory necessity; it's a fundamental part of connecting with this vibrant, diverse community.

Water companies provide an essential, life-sustaining service. From billing and service updates to vital safety notices and complex policy changes, the information you share directly impacts every household and business.