About this project
The goal of this project is to make the process of creating standards more accessible to people with disabilities and Deaf people. The idea is that if more people with disabilities and Deaf people get involved in this process, the goods and services we use in our daily lives will be more accessible. We’re focusing on how this is done within Standards Development Organizations (SDOs). Our vision is to remove accessibility barriers and have standards development processes that support a wide range of needs, so that people with disabilities are able to participate in mainstream standards development.
What are standards?
Standards affect the goods and services we use in our daily lives. They make sure goods and services are of good quality, consistent, reliable, efficient, and safe. For example, TV manufacturers are required by standards to include features such as inputs and resolution that are of a certain quality.
In short, standards allow goods and services to work smoothly, and allow people to trust that things are made well.
Learn more about what standards are.
How are standards made?
Who does it involve?
A Standard Development Organization (SDO) brings together experts to create standards. These experts are from various backgrounds such as industry, academia, and government.
What do they do?
Experts work together to share their experiences and come to an agreement on what a standard should be. These standards are written down and published by SDOs so that they can be used by the public, governments, and industry. Standards are also regularly checked and improved, to make sure they are up to date as the world changes.
Working globally
Sometimes, SDOs can work internationally with other groups to make sure standards are similar across the world.
Read more about it on the Standards Council of Canada website.
Why is it important for the standards process to be inclusive?
Standards define how everyday things are made. By considering accessibility when developing these standards, we can make everyday things easier for everyone to use. It’s especially important to involve people with disabilities and Deaf people in creating these standards. Their experiences and expertise can help us consider a broader range of needs and make sure that the standards support accessibility for everyone.
Project goals
Our project goals are to:
- Identify barriers for people with disabilities and disability organizations to take part in the standards processes through co-design and secondary research (literature review, jurisdictional scan)
- Create guidance on how to make the standards development process more inclusive to people with disabilities and Deaf people, and pilot them with mainstream SDOs.
- Create capacity building resources to equip disability organizations and people with disabilities to take part in the standards development process.
Project partners
This list will be updated as the project progresses.
Funder
Canadian Accessibility Standards Development Organization (Accessibility Standards Canada)
References
International Organization for Standardization (2024). Standards. Retrieved from https://www.iso.org/standards.html.
University of Massachusetts (2024). Standards. Retrieved from https://guides.library.umass.edu/c.php?g=719645&p=5126968.