Drafting standards on cognitive accessibility: a global collaboration

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Human Factors and Ergonomics
• Assistive Technology

Background:

• The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is developing accessibility standards for products aiding individuals with cognitive impairment.
• Working Group 10 (WG10) of technical committee 173 was established in 2014 to create these standards for assistive products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explain the scope, purpose, and formation context of WG10.
• To outline the process for drafting and publishing new international standards for assistive products.
• To present a proposed suite of standards, including examples for daily time management.

Main Methods:

• Review of international research evidence on the effectiveness of assistive products for time management in people with cognitive impairment.
• Identification of key features for assistive products based on time domains from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY).

Main Results:

• A proposed suite of standards is presented, with a draft standard focusing on daily time management.
• Examples of assistive products and their features are provided, linked to ICF-CY domains.
• Evidence supports the effectiveness of assistive products in supporting time management for individuals with cognitive impairment.

Conclusions:

• The new standards will offer design recommendations to improve product accessibility for people with cognitive impairment.
• Standards based on universal design (UD) principles will guide the creation of more user-friendly assistive products.
• Enhanced usability of assistive products can decrease training needs and increase participation for individuals with cognitive impairment.