ISO: Report Delivers Delivers Tech, Ergonomic Design Data for Elderly, Disabled Population - ISO TR 22411:2008

November 21, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS

ISO Technical Report (TR) 22411:2008 - Ergonomics data and guidelines for the application of ISO/IEC [International Electrotechnical Commission] Guide 71 to products and services to address the needs of older persons and persons with disabilities offers technical information, data and ergonomic know-how for design that addresses the needs of these often overlooked members of the population, ISO said.

It builds on ISO/IEC Guide 71:2001, aimed mainly at experts and government bodies working in the field of standardization. Standards exist for almost every product or service used by human beings, ISO said. The new technical report can also be used by manufacturers, designers, service providers, educators and others.

Each of the report's design considerations or recommendations is based on necessary for making accessible products, services and environments encountered in all aspects of daily life, as well as in the consumer market.

Accessible design extends standard design to persons with some type of performance limitation. Its purpose is to maximize the number of people who can readily use a product, building or service.

According to ISO, this can be achieved:

• By designing products, services and environments that are readily usable by most users without any modification.
• By making products or services adaptable to different users (adapting user interfaces).
• By means of standardized interfaces compatible with special products for persons with disabilities.

The issue of the accessibility of products, services and environments has become more important with the increasing percentage of older persons in the world's population and the prevalence of disability or limitations in this demographic group as expressed in the U.N. Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

"Products, services and the places where people live, work and play should be designed to be accessible for the widest range of the population, including those with special requirements," said Georg Krämer, chair of the ISO committee that authored the report.

"This report will help a greater number of individuals to become involved in social activities without the restrictions often imposed by age or disability. The economic benefit is that products developed using accessible design will be able to be purchased by a wider range of people, including older persons and those with disabilities, who are now a significant proportion of consumers with buying power," he said.

For ordering information, go to the ISO web site.

Source: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).