ISO/IEC 10779 Offers Guidelines for Making IT Office Equipment Friendlier for Elderly, Disabled
August 1, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) published a standard aimed at making information and communication technology (ICT) more accessible for the elderly and the disabled.
ISO/IEC 10779:2008 - Information technology - Office equipment accessibility guidelines for elderly persons and persons with disability provides guidelines for the design and evaluation of office equipment to facilitate their operation by people with the widest range of capabilities, including those with disabilities or with temporary disabilities.
"It may not be evident for someone with motor difficulties to operate a printer or scanner," said Atsushi Sakurai, ambassador of Joint Technical Committee (JTC) 1/Subcommittee (SC) 28.
"This can constitute a serious drawback as we increasingly rely on office equipment for completing common tasks such as copying documents, printing data or sending facsimile," he said.
The standard provides guidelines to be used when office equipment such as copying machines, page printers and multifunction devices is planned, developed and designed.
It outlines specifications for:
- Operation.
- Display.
- Mechanical operable controls.
- Terms.
- Maintenance, such as care of equipment and parts replacement by users.
ISO/IEC 10779:2008 also includes provisions for evaluation, feedback and user support requirements.
"Although not all older persons have disabilities, the prevalence of disability or limitations is highest among this demographic group," Sakurai said.
"As the percentage of older persons in the world's population is continually increasing, ISO/IEC 10779:2008 will play a critical role for, on one hand, ensuring accessibility and, on the other, for helping businesses target their products to more users," he said.
According to ISO, this international standard should be implemented in conjunction with ISO/IEC Guide 71:2001 - Guidelines for standards developers to address the needs of older persons and persons with disabilities.
Source: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).