European Standards Organisations' guidance documents related to European Mandates 

A series of guidance documents related to accessibility in standardization and linked to previous mandates from the European Commission exists at ESOs level.

European Commission Mandates related to accessibility

In 1999, the European Commission published two mandates intended for CEN, CENELEC and ETSI:

• M/273 'ICT for disabled and elderly people' aims to ensure that European Standards integrate requirements for disabled and elderly people in terms of access to Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) products and services.
  
  
• M/283 'Safety and usability of products by people with special needs' seek to produce a guidance document, which explains how to address the needs of elderly and disabled people in product standards.

Guidance documents on accessibility in standardization

The result of above-mentioned mandates is to be found in several publications:

• CEN-CENELEC Guide 6 : 'Guidelines for standards developers to address the needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities' is identical to ISO/IEC Guide 71. This Guide aims to inform, increase understanding and raise awareness about how human abilities have an impact on ‘usability’ of products, services and environments. It identifies areas which need to be considered when drafting standards.
  CEN/CENELEC Guide 6 is identical to ISO/IEC Guide 71 'Guidelines for standards developers to address the needs of older persons and people with disabilities' which is currently under revision.
  
  
• CENELEC Guide 28 : 'Accessibility in interfaces in low voltage electrical installations – a guide for standards writers' informs and raises awareness on how the installations of low voltage electrical systems should be designed.
  
  
• ETSI Guide EG 202 116 : Guidelines for products and services 'Design for All' (DfA) is widely used and referenced by ICT companies, car manufacturers, standards bodies, the UN Committee on Human Rights, academic institutions, etc. Under the guidance, the Human Factors Technical Committee of ETSI seeks to apply the ‘DfA approach’ to all its standardization work.
  
  

Other mandates

• M/483 : Mandate under Directive 2008/57/EC in the field of the Interoperability of the Rail System. A Technical Specification of Interoperability is maintained by the European Railway Agency, which specifies the requirements to be met to address the needs of ‘Persons with Reduced Mobility’. This Technical Specification of Interoperability will be supported by standards (under development).