Accessibility

The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is transforming the way people interact both socially and in their business transactions.   Those who wish to take advantage of the opportunities provided by ICT should not be excluded just because of reasons such as age or disability. Standards and Guides are written by ETSI technical committee Human Factors (HF) to support access to ICT in two major ways:

• Design for All approach where products are designed to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for specialized adaptation;
• Security and personalising the way users connect with products, for example, are critical in achieving eInclusion and eAccessibility. The goal is to enter a new era of ICT where services and devices can be personalised to meet the needs of every user, even when those needs may be different from those of the majority.

ETSI technical committee Human Factors (HF) members include specialists with technical capabilities to provide practical solutions to complex user-experience issues. The committee's experts produce standards and guides addressing the needs of those wanting  access  to ICT products and services.

ETSI technical committee Human Factors (HF)is the committee responsible for standards and guidelines dealing with ease of use and access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

ETSI is a leading force in developing standards that concentrate on the human element. ETSI HF has a special responsibility to ensure that the needs of all users 'including those who are older, younger or disabled' are considered.

Several ETSI Guides and Technical Reports have been published with the aim of promoting e-accessibility. These include:

• TR 102 415 'Telecare services; Issues and recommendations for user aspects' Which identifies the key issues and standardization actions that need to be taken to facilitate the growth of care service delivery to intelligent homes
• EG 202 320 'Duplex Universal Speech and Text (DUST) communications' Which reports on the users' requirements for and the feasibility of a duplex universal speech and text facility providing and enhancing chat facility to all users and which can be fully accessible to textphone users, giving them equality of access to mainstream services.
• EG 202 423 'Guidelines for the design and deployment of ICT products and services used by children', which addresses:
  • The design of safer and more accessible ICT products and services for children;
  • the need to promote a common approach with respect to the development followed by network providers and equipment manufacturers in producing products and services that respond to the specific needs of children;
  • the risks of negative side effects for children, such as physical injury, threats to personal security, service abuse and social exclusion;
  • the need to revise European and international standards, with the view to better respecting the specific needs of children using information and communication technologies and services.
• EG 202 116 'Guidelines for ICT products and services (Design for All)', which gives guidance to ICT product and service designers on Human Factors issues, good Human Factors design practice, and relevant international and national standards. In particular, it aims to help designers to maximize the level of usability of products and services by providing a comprehensive set of Human Factors design guidelines.

The ETSI Committee for Human Factors has recently been working closely with CEN/CENELEC in response to the EC Mandate M/376 to support the European requirements for public procurement of ICT products and services. This work is now into the second phase and involves a close CEN/ CENELEC/ETSI working relationship.

The following is a list of recently published and frequently downloaded standards. Please use the ETSI Work Programme to find further related standards.