Food Standards Scotland Accessibility and Inclusive Communications (AIC) Plan 2024-2026

It is acknowledged that there may be some challenge on the content and delivery of the plan. Any risks will be discussed at the regular AIC Group meetings. 

In writing them, we have tried to ensure the actions are ones that we can currently realistically deliver in terms of staffing and budgetary resource. However, it could be the case that unexpected situations occur that make delivery of certain and/or all the actions impossible. 

We are also aware that there may be some internal resistance as it will require colleagues to rethink how they approach some of their work. It’s hoped that through the introduction of training and support from the AIC group that concerns can be mitigated. We will use internal communications channels to share success stories and employee experiences. 

There could be technical challenges in the delivery of this plan, such as,

• a lack of technical skills to make a particular piece of content accessible, or
• limitations of a particular piece of software.

In this case, we will deal with them on a case-by-case basis and try to find alternative solutions.

This plan will be regularly monitored to maintain its progress and ensure each goal is addressed. The following governance and metrics will be implemented:

•  Monthly progress updates from the AIC group supplied to the FSS Executive Management Team.
• User testing of the FSS website before launch and every two years thereafter.
• Engagement with key stakeholder groups and consideration of an annual user satisfaction survey.
• FSS staff completion rates of mandatory accessibility training course.

This is a two-year plan that colleagues from across FSS will work to deliver. It is due for review by June 2025. An interim report will be published in 2025 to outline progress to date. 

We will continue to engage with stakeholders throughout the plan’s implementation and its lifetime to ensure that we’re working towards delivering the goals and actions. 

We will monitor feedback from stakeholders and incorporate this into the plan, if appropriate and feasible. Should there be any legislative changes in respect of how accessible and inclusive information should be provided to the public, then these will be addressed.