Identification of user needs using CEN-CENELEC Guide 6/ISO/IEC Guide 71
It is important to be able to identify and to describe a user’s characteristics and abilities for identifying the required functionality of a technology product for that user. CEN-CENELEC Guide 6 / ISO/IEC Guide 71:2014 ‘Guide for addressing accessibility in standards’ provides standardised terminology to describe personal abilities and characteristics, and aligns with the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).
Clause 7/ of CEN-CENELEC Guide 6 / ISO/IEC Guide 71:2014 has:
- A description of a human ability and characteristic
- Examples of limitations of that ability and characteristic
- Design considerations for addressing the limitations of that ability and characteristic
The sensory abilities and characteristics are covered in four sections:
- Seeing functions
- Hearing functions
- Touch functions
- Taste/Smell functions
Physical abilities and characteristics are covered in the following sections:
- Body size
- Movement: Functions of the upper body
- Movement: Functions of the lower body
- Muscle power & muscle endurance
- Voice and speech
Cognitive abilities are covered in the following sections:
- global mental functions
- specific mental functions
It is important to note that, “although some impairments are minor in nature, combinations of impairments can impose significant limitations, as is often the case in ageing. While not all older persons have impairments, the prevalence of disability or limitations is highest among this demographic group. It is also important to recognize that children with impairments can have specific requirements based on their disabilities; they also have general needs and preferences that are similar to those of other children.”
The benefits of using CEN-CENELEC Guide 6 / ISO/IEC Guide 71 are:
- It provides commonly accepted terminology related to accessibility
- It provides clear descriptions of human abilities and characteristics
- It uses standardised terminology from the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) 2001[3], which has been adopted by over 190 member states and is used across broad sectors including health, disability, rehabilitation, community care, insurance, social security, employment, education, economics, social policy, legislation and built environment design and modification.