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Accessibility

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Technical Bodies

The adoption in 2019 of the ‘European Accessibility Act’ (Directive EU 2019/882) was a big step forward in the inclusion of the 87 million persons with disabilities in Europe.

The Directive includes common accessibility requirements for a wide range of products and services and ensures that designers and producers of accessible products and providers of accessible services face fewer barriers to operating in the internal market.

European standardization has a role to play in ensuring the proper functioning of the EU internal market for accessible products and services, by developing consensus-based requirements and specifications.

European Standards are powerful tools to promote products and services that people with functional limitations, including persons with disabilities, can use on an equal basis with others. Persons with disabilities and ageing people, among others, benefit directly from a product, good or service that is easy to access, understand and use.

Accessibility is also recognised as a human right by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and is at the core of the EU Disability Strategy.

More info on Accessibility

7 Technical Bodies responsible

CEN/TC 10 Lifts, escalators and moving walks
CEN/TC 122 Ergonomics
CEN/TC 293 Assistive products and accessibility
CEN/TC 320 Transport - Logistics and services’ CEN-CENELEC and ETSI JWG ‘eAccessibility'
CEN-CENELEC JTC 11 Accessibility in the Built Environment
CEN-CENELEC JTC 12 Design for All
CEN/CLC/ETSI/JWG eAcc eAccessibility
Standards
CTA DESIGN FOR ALL

All three European Standardization Organizations (ESOs), CEN, CENELEC and ETSI, have accepted the European Commission's Standardization Request M/587 to develop standards and standardization deliverables in support of the European Accessibility Act.

Three technical bodies are in charge of carrying out this work:

  • CEN and CENELEC Joint Technical Committee (CEN/CLC/JTC) 11 'Accessibility in the built environment’;
  • CEN and CENELEC Joint Technical Committee (CEN/CLC/JTC) 12 'Design for all';
  • CEN-CENELEC-ETSI Joint Working Group (CEN/CLC/ETSI/JWG eAcc) 'eAccessibility'.

The ESOs are joined by representatives of civil society and the digital technology industry, as well as organizations representing persons with disabilities.

In particular, in accordance with Standardization Request M/587, CEN/CLC/JTC 12 'Design for All' will start working on two new projects:

  • a harmonized standard setting out the requirements on the accessibility of non-digital information related to products;
  • a harmonized standard for the accessibility of support services related to products and services (help desks, call centres, technical support, relay services and training services).

As a first step, the committee will develop a pre-normative report on, among other things, gaps in technical knowledge and existing literature to inform the content of these two deliverables.

CTA OTHER STANDARDS AND ACTIVITIES to be developed in 2024

ACCESSIBILITY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

In 2024, CEN/CLC/JTC 11 'Accessibility in the built environment' will start with the revision on EN 17210 'Accessibility and usability of the built environment – Requirements and recommendations' to address the latest legislative developments.

This standard will describe functional requirements and recommendations for an accessible and usable built environment, following a ‘Universal Design’/’Design for All’ approach. This will facilitate equitable and safe use for a wide range of users, including persons with disabilities. It will also describe performance requirements as applicable for an accessible and usable built environment.

eACCESSIBILITY

Under Standardization Request M/587, the CEN/CLC/ETSI Joint Working Group 'eAccessibility' will launch the revision of EN 301549.

This standard, developed by CEN, CENELEC and ETSI, the three European Standardization Organizations (ESOs), describes the accessibility requirements for ICT products and services.

Through an agreement between the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the three ESOs, the accessibility requirements contained in this document will be consistent with other global accessibility requirements.

Standardization requests from EC/EFTA