ISO 21802-2019 PDF

Full title and description

Assistive products — Guidelines on cognitive accessibility — Daily time management. This international standard provides design principles and guideline recommendations to improve the cognitive accessibility of products and systems used to support daily time management for people with cognitive impairments, regardless of age.

Abstract

This document specifies principles of cognitive accessibility in the area of daily time management and gives guidance on design features and functions known to increase accessibility of products and systems that support tasks such as planning, reminders, sequencing and time awareness. The standard does not include test methods or specific measurement instructions; it notes related work (for example ANSI/RESNA CA-1:2016) that can inform measurement and reporting practices.

General information

• Status: Published (International Standard, confirmed).
• Publication date: January 2019.
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO), prepared by ISO/TC 173.
• ICS / categories: 11.180.01 (Aids for disabled or handicapped persons).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2019).
• Number of pages: 22 (ISO published PDF length reported as 22 pages).

Scope

The standard specifies principles of cognitive accessibility specifically focused on daily time management. It provides guidance for designers and developers on features and functions that help users with cognitive impairments to manage daily activities that depend on time awareness (for example scheduling, reminders, sequencing, and following routines). The document is advisory and does not define test methods or measurement procedures.

Key topics and requirements

• Core principles of cognitive accessibility applicable to time-management tools (clarity, consistency, predictability, minimal cognitive load).
• Design features and functions to support daily time management—reminders, alarms, visual timelines, simple calendars and routines, step sequencing, and contextual prompts.
• Recommendations for presenting information clearly (plain language, chunking, use of symbols and multimodal cues: visual, auditory and haptic).
• Personalization and adaptability—allowing users to adjust timing, notification type, frequency and complexity to match abilities and preferences.
• Error tolerance and recovery—designing forgiving interactions and clear, actionable guidance when users miss steps or appointments.
• Considerations for integration with other assistive solutions and for documentation that supports carers and clinicians.
• Statement that test methods and measurement procedures are not included (referenced informative standards such as ANSI/RESNA CA-1 for measurement-style details).

Typical use and users

Primary users of this standard are designers, product managers and engineers of assistive products and consumer devices that include time-management features, occupational therapists and clinicians advising on assistive solutions, procurement teams specifying accessible products, and standards bodies or researchers working on cognitive accessibility. The guidance supports developers of physical aids, apps and integrated systems intended to help people with cognitive impairment manage daily time-related tasks.

Related standards

This standard is aligned with and complementary to other cognitive accessibility guidance and national adoptions (for example related ISO work in cognitive accessibility such as the ISO 21801 series). National and regional adoptions or referenced documents (for example UNE/SS/EN editions) exist that republish or adapt ISO 21802 for local use. ANSI/RESNA CA-1:2016 is cited in the informative notes as a useful resource for measurement and documentation of universal design features.

Keywords

cognitive accessibility, assistive products, daily time management, reminders, routines, calendars, sequencing, universal design, cognitive impairment.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 21802:2019 is an international guideline document that provides principles and design guidance to improve the cognitive accessibility of products and systems used to support daily time management for people with cognitive impairments.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers design recommendations for features and functions (for example reminders, alarms, visual timelines, sequencing and prompts) that support time awareness and daily planning. It is advisory and does not include test methods or prescriptive measurement procedures.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Designers and developers of assistive devices and applications, occupational therapists and clinicians, procurement specialists, researchers and standards committees concerned with cognitive accessibility and inclusive product design.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: As published in January 2019 the standard is an active ISO International Standard and has been confirmed in ISO's review cycle; national adoptions and EN/UNE publications may exist that republish or adapt the content for local markets. Check your national standards body for the most current national designation.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is related to broader work on cognitive accessibility within ISO (for example the ISO 21801 series covering general cognitive accessibility guidance), and should be used alongside complementary standards and normative references when specifying or evaluating assistive products.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Cognitive accessibility, assistive products, daily time management, reminders, routines, calendars, sequencing, universal design.