At least 650 million people
globally are affected by some kind of disability; one quarter of all citizens
in developed countries are 60 or older and, by 2050, most developing countries
will have caught up.
Accessibility is increasingly an
issue as the world population ages and people with disabilities demand equal
access to social, political and economic life. For them, as well as for the
able-bodied, access to information and communication is as important as is the
ability to use an elevator, enter a building, travel, or safely turn on and use
a device.
But accessibility is not only an
issue for the elderly or disabled. Anybody at any stage in life can experience
temporarily reduced accessibility. When that happens, simple, everyday
activities can become very complicated. International standards give
manufacturers and service providers the guidelines on how to design products
accessible for all.
§ A well designed
wheelchair ramp conforming to an international standard may turn out to be
really useful for a new mother with a baby carriage
§ A device with a large
switch may make things easier for someone with an injured hand
§ A sensor stopping
doors from closing can prevent accidents when a back injury impairs movement
§ The little dot on the
number 5 on a phone keypad makes it easier to find numbers – a boon in the
first days after an eye operation.
International standards facilitate
everybody’s access to products, structures and services. They include safety
considerations, ergonomics and harmonized test methods all geared to increase
accessibility. Standards also provide a platform for the dissemination of
technological innovations both in developed and developing countries. They help
markets to grow faster and increase global trade.
IEC, ISO and ITU coordinate their
work and offer a system of standardization that helps designers, manufacturers
and policy makers to make the world safer and more accessible for all, today
and tomorrow.
On the 14 October the whole word celebrates the Worlds Standards Day
The delegation of the National Institute of Standards headed by director Yenok Azaryan participated ...
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