Fwd: ISO/IEC SC35 WG6 Definition of Accessibility

Janina Sajka (PF WG chair) forwarded the ISO definition of 
"accessibility" that was agreed on last month,  I think this is a useful 
part of the "accessible content" discussion.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: ISO/IEC SC35 WG6 Definition of Accessibility
Resent-Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:50:52 +0000
Resent-From: w3c-wai-cg@w3.org
Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2011 15:50:27 -0400
From: Janina Sajka <janina@rednote.net>
To: w3c-wai-cg@w3.org

The following resolution was agreed during the Warsaw meeting of ISO/IEC
SC35 WG6 during the week of 29 August last:

Definition of "accessibility" (WG 6)

Definition of "accessibility" (WG 6)

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 35 strongly supports the existing definition of
accessibility, as specified in ISO 9241-20:2007 and ISO 9241-171:2007.
This definition is the basis for the standards of SC 35, including ISO/IEC
24756 and ISO/IEC 29136.  ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 35 resolves to continue to use
this definition.
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 35 resolves that if (for whatever reason) a definition of
accessibility is required that is not based upon usability, it should read
as follows:


            extent to which products, systems, services, environments and
            facilities can be used by people from populations with the
            widest range of user needs for the widest range of goals in the
            widest range of contexts of use


            NOTE 1: Contexts of use include direct use or use supported by
            assistive technologies.


            NOTE 2: While it is valid to claim compliance with accessibility
            standards, it is not appropriate to claim that something is
            accessible without specifying the user needs, goals, and
            contexts of use for which it is accessible.

     ➢ Adopted by consensus

-- 

Janina Sajka, Phone: +1.443.300.2200
  sip:janina@asterisk.rednote.net

Chair, Open Accessibility janina@a11y.org 
Linux Foundation  http://a11y.org

Chair, Protocols & Formats
Web Accessibility Initiative http://www.w3.org/wai/pf
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

Received on Thursday, 8 September 2011 15:53:38 UTC