1. The contribution of European Standardization to e-Accessibility
Luc Van den Berghe
CEN - European Committee for Standards

2. Some previous developments
Commission Mandates M/273 and M/283 (1998 and 1999)
M/273: "Standards for disabled and elderly peoples' access to information and communication technologies (ICT) products and services including "Design for All".
(delivered spring 2000)
DATSCG
M/283: "Standards that promote barrier-free design, enabling the use of products by disabled and elderly people by applying the principles of design for all, adaptable design and assistive technology"
ISO/IEC Guide 71 (also known as CEN/CENELEC Guide 6)
CEN/BT Resolution on the Guide’s use in standards development
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

3. Domains addressed in the M/273 report
Communication devices
Digital Broadcasting
Way finding
Personal Information Appliances
Personal Computers
Public Access Terminals
Smart Cards
Internet and e-commerce Services
Smart Housing
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

4. Need for co-ordination
DATSCG, the Design for All and Assistive Technologies Co-ordination Group
Sub-group of the ICT Standards Board
Co-ordination through information exchange
Dialogue with the Commission
CEN, CENELEC, ETSI but also EICTA, EDF, ANEC, AAATE, etc
International Workshop on Accessibility Requirements for Public Procurement in the ICT Domain (Brussels, Oct 2004)
Workshop on Demonstrating Conformance with eAccessibility Requirements in ICT Products and Services ( 27 March 2006, Brussels)
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

5. CEN product range (deliverables)
Standards
European Standard – EN
Pre-Standards
Technical Specification - TS
European Pre-Standard – ENV
Informative
Technical Report - TR
CEN Guide
Workshop Agreement
CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA)
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019 5
2005 CEN – all rights reserved
23/02/2019

6. Characteristics of an EN
Stand-Still
Withdrawal of conflicting National Standards
Publication as a national Standard
Designed to support legislation (New Approach – next slide)
Developed in a TC
National representations
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

7. New Approach – Basic principles
Essential requirements
desired outcome which must be achieved WITHOUT specifying how it should be achieved
Reference to standards
Standards organizations develop or approve harmonized standards
EN’s set out technical specifications to meet directives essential requirements
Conformity assessment policy
Standards are voluntary
Manufacturers do not have to follow EN
IF they follow = presumption of conformity (CE marking)
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019 7
2005 CEN – all rights reserved
23/02/2019

8. New Approach – in which sectors?
European Directives under the New Approach regime organize some of the most important industrial sectors
Over 16% of industry production in the European Union countries relates to the New Approach
Machinery
Lifts
Construction products
Low voltage equipment
Pressure equipment
Packaging and packaging waste
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

9. Drafting European Standards (ENs)
National
Standards
Body
Technical
Committee
Working
Group
Technical
Committee
TIMEFRAME: 3 YEARS
circulation for
comments
weighted vote
national
implementation
Project
Proposal
Draft
Standard
European
Standard
USER
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019 9
2005 CEN – all rights reserved
23/02/2019

10. Characteristics of the Technical Specification
No Requirements for
Stand-Still
Withdrawal of conflicting National Standards
Publication at the national level
Not designed for support of legislation
Nationally available
Developed in a TC
National representations
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

11. Characteristics of a CWA
No Requirements for
Stand-Still
Withdrawal of conflicting National Standards
Publication at the national level
Not precluded from use in support of legislation
National availability is optional
Developed in a Workshop
Direct representation
Consensus of the participating parties
Fast process
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

12. Drafting CEN Workshop Agreements (CWAs)
Business
Plan
Kick-off
Meeting
Adoption of
CWA
CWA
TIMEFRAME: 6 – 12 MONTHS
Describing
– Scope
– Objectives
– Financing
– Schedule
Confirming
– Business Plan
– Rules of the
Workshop
– Chairmanship
– Secretariat
– Consensus of
Participants
– Working
preferably via
Internet
Published by
CEN National
Members
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019 12
2005 CEN – all rights reserved
23/02/2019

13. Workshops in the eAccessibility area
CWA14661: 2003 Guidelines to Standardisers of ICT products and services in the CEN ICT domain
Workshop on Document Processing for Accessibility (DPA – cfr EUAIN)
Workshop on Web Accessibility Certification (WAC – cfr Support-EAM etc)
Objective is a Web Accessibility Quality Mark
CWA will describe the requirements for the conformity scheme and the organizational structure
Requirements document is not in Workshop’s scope
Growing consensus that it should be published as an ESO deliverable (EN, TS, CWA?)
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

14. Other CEN eAccessibility activities
CEN/TC 224/WG6 Identification Card Systems - Man-Machine Interface
EN 1332
Part 1: Design principles for the user interface (annex with icons being added)
Part2: Dimensions and location of a tactile identifier for ID-1 cards
Part 3: Key pads
Part 4: Coding of user requirements for people with special needs (under revision)
Part 5: Raised tactile symbols for differenciation of application on ID-1 cards (underway)
CEN/TS 15291:2006 Identification card system - Guidance on design for accessible card-activated devices
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

15. The Keymark
The Keymark is a voluntary third-party European certification mark, demonstrating to the consumer or user of a product that it is in conformity with the relevant EN(s).
The Keymark can only be granted by certification bodies that have been 'empowered' by the CEN Certification Board.
See requirements by WS/WAC
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

16. EC also supports ETSI/TC HF projects
Currently operational are:
STF287:User-oriented handling of multicultural issues in broadband and narrowband multimedia communications (deliverable ETSI Guide)
STF286:Access symbols for use with video content and ICT devices (Deliverable ETSI Standard)
STF 285:Enabling and Improving the Use of Mobile e-Services (Deliverable: 2 ETSI Guides)
STF 284:Human related technical guidelines for real-time person-to-person communication services (EG, ETR and a web-based tutorial system)
STF: Specialist Task Force (reporting to TC HF)
More projects are expected in 2006
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

17. And what about ISO?
ISO/IEC JTC1 Special Working Group on Accessibility
ISO/IEC JTC1/SC35/WG6 - User Interfaces for People with Special Needs -including the Elderly and Disabled
TC 159/SC 4/WG 5 Software ergonomics and human-computer dialogues …
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

18. Mandate M/376
European accessibility requirements for public procurement of products and services in the ICT domain
Phase I – Inventory of European and international accessibility requirements and assessment of suitable testing and conformity schemes
A CEN/BT Working Group
ETSI/TC HF
Also a CENELEC interest
DATSCG
Phase II - Standardisation activities
EN: the requirements for accessibility
Supported by other standards deliverables
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019

19. Thank you for your attention
Summary
DATSCG co-ordinates
A wide variety of standards deliverables and processes for their development
EC supports European standardization on eAccessibility
Deliverables related to M/376 will be main focus from 2006/Q2 onwards in the ESOs
Thank you for your attention
 2005 CEN – all rights reserved 23/02/2019