National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of ISO/IEC 30071‑1:2019.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee ICT/2, ICT Accessibility.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its secretary.

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 30 June 2019.

Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.

The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).

Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not constitute an endorsement.

For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see

www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.

This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology, Subcommittee SC 35, User interfaces.

A list of all parts in the ISO/IEC 30071 series can be found on the ISO website.

Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

Introduction

This document provides guidance on developing and implementing an organizational accessibility policy for creating accessible ICT systems (including products and services). It can help organizations to ensure that their ICT systems are accessible to diverse users.

The design of many ICT systems unnecessarily excludes users with disabilities or others with accessibility requirements, for example, older persons, which can leave organizations that provide these systems subject to legal challenge on the grounds of discrimination. However, by following good practice in creating, updating or procuring ICT systems, this exclusion can generally be prevented.

This document contains process-related guidance rather than technical requirements. It brings together and summarizes important information needed to enable organizations that create ICT systems to understand:

how to create organizational policies to embed accessibility considerations into their "business as usual" processes;
how to consider the needs of users with disabilities and older people at all stages of the ICT development process.

The document is intended for:

persons responsible for setting high-level organizational policies;
persons responsible for setting accessibility policies and procedures at the system, product or service level;
persons responsible for directly designing or implementing accessibility activities derived from the policies applied within the organization.

The guidance in this document focuses on activities and outcomes rather than specifying complete processes and methods, allowing organizations to implement this guidance in the manner most suited to their individual organizational culture and operations.

Drivers for organizations to make their ICT systems more accessible and usable include:

legal reasons;
commercial reasons;
ethical reasons/human rights/social responsibility;
innovation reasons.

Often, these drivers interrelate. These include the accessibility of ICT systems that support employment, those used in public and private transport, in public buildings, in the home, in education, in social networking and in the ubiquitous use of ICT known as the Internet of Things. Ensuring systems are accessible to the widest range of diverse users will increase inclusion. This can create benefits for many sectors of society.

1 Scope

This document takes a holistic approach to the accessibility of information and communications technology (ICT) by combining guidance on implementing the accessibility of ICT systems (ICT accessibility) both at organizational and system development levels.

This document gives guidelines for building and maintaining ICT systems (including products and services) that are accessible to diverse users (including users with disabilities and older people).

This document is applicable to all types of organizations. This document applies to the breadth of ICT systems and the results of convergent and emerging technologies within an organization including, but not limited to: information systems; intranet systems; websites; mobile and wearable applications; social media; and Internet of Things (IoT) systems.

It gives requirements and recommendations for organizations:

ensuring accessibility is considered in their policies or strategy by creating an organizational ICT accessibility policy;
embedding the consideration of accessibility decisions through the entire process of developing procuring, installing, operating and maintaining ICT systems, and documenting these choices;
justifying decisions on accessibility;
communicating the ICT system’s accessibility decisions to its users at launch, through creating and publishing its accessibility statement.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

3.1 Accessibility and related definitions

3.2 Users and systems related definitions

3.3 Definitions relating to developing accessibility

4 Conformity

5 Introduction to ICT accessibility within an organization

This document contains process-related guidance rather than technical requirements. It brings together and summarizes important information needed to enable organizations that create ICT systems to understand:

how to create organizational policies to embed accessibility considerations into their "business as usual" processes (Clause 6 and 7);
NOTE Policies can support communication internally with staff and/or externally with many different stakeholders.
how to consider the needs of users with disabilities and older people at all stages of the ICT system development life cycle (Clause 8).

The document is intended for:

persons responsible for setting high-level organizational policies;
persons responsible for setting accessibility policies and procedures at the system, product or service level;
persons responsible for directly designing or implementing accessibility activities derived from the policies applied within the organization.

This document presents requirements and recommendations appropriate for the management of ICT accessibility throughout the organization.

NOTE Different organizations can approach implementation differently according to the organization's:

type (e.g. public or private);
size;
diverse users;
development methodologies (used to create and maintain its ICT systems).

6 Responsibilities and documentation for embedding accessibility of ICT systems within an organization

6.1 Taking responsibility and setting policy

6.2 Contents of an organizational ICT accessibility policy

6.3 Organizational ICT accessibility goals

6.4 Accessibility considerations in the organization's ICT policies

7 Embedding ICT accessibility within the system development life cycle

7.1 Taking accessibility into account throughout ICT system development

7.2 Making justifiable decisions on accessibility

7.3 Assuring accessibility throughout the system life cycle

7.4 Creating accessibility logs and statements for each ICT system

7.5 Contents of an ICT system accessibility log

7.6 Contents of an ICT system accessibility statement

8 Activities in ICT system development or procurement

8.1 Performing and documenting accessibility activities

8.2 Activities

Bibliography

BS ISO/IEC 30071-1:2019

Information technology. Development of user interface accessibility - Code of practice for creating accessible ICT products and services

Current

Published:

30 Jun 2019