1.1 This Guide provides guidance to writers of relevant International Standards on how to take into account the needs of older persons and persons with disabilities. Whilst recognizing that some people with very extensive and complex disabilities may have requirements beyond the level addressed in this Guide, a very large number of people have minor impairments which can be easily addressed by relatively small changes of approach in standards, thereby increasing the market for the product or service.

This Guide aims

1. to inform, increase understanding and raise awareness about how human abilities impact on the usability of products, services and environments,
2. to outline the relationship between the requirements in standards and the accessibility and usability of products and services, and
3. to raise awareness about the benefits of adopting accessible design principles in terms of a wider market.

1.2 This Guide applies to products, services and environments encountered in all aspects of daily life and intended for the consumer market and the workplace. For the purposes of this document, the term 'products and services' is used to reflect all these purposes.

1.3 This Guide

1. describes a process by which the needs of older persons and persons with disabilities may be considered in the development of standards,
2. provides tables to enable standards developers to relate the relevant clauses of a standard to the factors which should be considered to ensure that all abilities are addressed,
3. offers descriptions of body functions or human abilities and the practical implications of impairment,
4. offers a list of sources that standards developers can use to investigate more detailed and specific guidance materials.

1.4 This Guide provides general guidance. Consideration should be given to the development of additional guides for specific product or service sectors.

1.5 While it is recognized that accessibility and usability are important for both products amd services, international work on services standards is at the preliminary stage. At present, this Guide contains considerably more guidance on products than on services.

1.6 This Guide is also available as a Braille version. Copies may be obtained through the ISO Central Secretariat.