IEC 63080:2017
(Main)Accessibility terms and definitions
Accessibility terms and definitions
IEC 63080:2017 contains a list of currently used terminology to describe accessibility and terms that writers of standards need when writing and designing International Standards. It is important to standardize and define a recognized list of the terms already used and in existing ITU Recommendations and Resolutions, along with those in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Without such a list, there could be confusion not only on the part of writers and implementers of standards, but also by the public at large. It is also important to eliminate terminology that is no longer used, offensive, and demeaning to persons with disabilities (PWD) and others.
Termes et définitions relatifs à l'accessibilité
L'IEC 63080:2017 contient une liste des termes actuellement utilisés pour décrire l'accessibilité, ainsi que des termes dont les rédacteurs de normes ont besoin au moment de l'élaboration des Normes internationales. Il est important de normaliser et de définir une liste établie des termes d'ores et déjà utilisés dans les recommandations et résolutions de l'UIT, ainsi que dans la Convention relative aux droits des personnes handicapées de l'Organisation des Nations Unies (UNCRPD). L'absence d'une telle liste pourrait entraîner une confusion, non seulement de la part des rédacteurs de normes et des responsables de leur mise en œuvre, mais aussi au sein du grand public. Il importe également de supprimer les termes obsolètes, injurieux et dévalorisants, notamment envers les personnes handicapées.
La terminologie du présent document a vocation a être utilisée dans le cadre des travaux internationaux en anglais autour des questions d'accessibilité des télécommunications/ICT. Le présent document s'applique également à la vie quotidienne et à tous les usages, y compris la conception de sites Web et autres écrits, de même qu'à la normalisation des ICT, des télécommunications et de la radiodiffusion. L'objectif est aussi d'intégrer cette terminologie aux documents de gestion, réglementaires et académiques à venir, de manière à maintenir une cohérence en vue de la compatibilité et de la compréhension à l'échelle mondiale. Les travaux créés, rédigés ou approuvés à l'avenir sont susceptibles de contenir de nouveaux termes ajoutés en fonction des besoins, par consensus, dans le cadre d'une révision.
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
IEC 63080 ®
Edition 1.0 2017-07
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Accessibility terms and definitions –
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IEC 63080 ®
Edition 1.0 2017-07
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Accessibility terms and definitions –
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 01.040.01; 11.180.01 ISBN 978-2-8322-4658-0
– 2 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
INTRODUCTION . 6
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 7
3 Terms and definitions . 7
4 Abbreviated terms . 12
5 Conventions . 12
6 Terminology. 12
6.1 Access service or accessibility service . 12
6.2 Accessibility . 13
6.3 Accessibility content . 13
6.4 Accessibility feature . 13
6.5 Assistive listening devices (ALD) . 13
6.6 Assistive listening system (ALS) . 13
6.7 Assistive technology (AT) . 14
6.8 Audio and spoken subtitles . 14
6.9 Audio captions/captioning . 14
6.10 Audio description . 14
6.11 Captions/captioning . 14
6.12 Clean audio . 15
6.13 Closed/open accessibility services . 15
6.14 Design for all (deprecated) . 15
6.15 Disability . 15
6.16 Human factors or ergonomics . 15
6.17 Impairment . 16
6.18 Inclusive design . 16
6.19 Interface accessibility . 16
6.20 Keyboard emulator . 17
6.21 Lip-reading and lip-reading interpretation . 17
6.22 Lip speaking or oral interpreters . 17
6.23 Mainstreaming . 17
6.24 Persons with age-related disabilities . 17
6.25 Persons with disabilities (PWD) . 18
6.26 Persons with specific needs . 18
6.27 Pixelation . 18
6.28 Platform accessibility features. 18
6.29 Profile settings . 18
6.30 Real time . 18
6.31 Relay service . 19
6.32 Remote participation . 19
6.33 Respeaking . 20
6.34 Screen magnification software . 20
6.35 Screen reader software . 20
6.36 Sign language . 20
6.37 Sign language interpretation . 21
6.38 Special needs . 21
6.39 Specific needs . 21
6.40 Subtitles . 21
6.41 Supplementary audio services . 22
6.42 Universal design . 22
Annex A (informative) Deprecated terminology . 23
A.1 General . 23
A.2 Elderly . 23
A.3 Handicapped . 23
A.4 Hearing impairment . 23
A.5 Inclusive design, design for all, or accessible design . 23
A.6 Persons with special needs . 23
Bibliography . 24
– 4 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
ACCESSIBILITY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS –
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
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closely with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined
by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
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transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence
between any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in
the latter.
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6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
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8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
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9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard IEC 63080 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 100: Audio,
video and multimedia systems and equipment.
ITU-T F.791:2015 has served as a basis for the elaboration of this standard.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
CDV Report on voting
100/2775/CDV 100/2873/RVC
Full information on the voting for the approval of this International Standard can be found in
the report on voting indicated in the above table.
This document has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to
the specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
A bilingual version of this publication may be issued at a later date.
– 6 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
INTRODUCTION
This document defines words describing accessibility, disability, and technical terms to be
used for improving the writing in relation to standardization, and to facilitate accurately the
needs and the mainstreaming of accessibility in standards that will include persons with
disabilities (PWD), older persons with age-related disabilities and persons with specific needs.
See WTDC Res. 58, WTDC AP and ITU–T F.790, listed in the Bibliography.
With the advent of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(see UNCRPD in the Bibliography), its passage in 2006, and its ratification by numerous
countries, many new terms and definitions were created. Some of these terms and definitions
were created at the behest of PWD themselves to eradicate terms that were demeaning,
insulting, and inaccurate.
Writers of standards are able to mainstream accessibility features into standards, as well as
to write specific standards for accessibility. To design products and services successfully,
there is a need for a common language. This document is intended to give definitions so that
it will make it easier for industries to implement these accessibility features and accessibility
standards if everyone is using the same language and vocabulary. It is also important that
governments, government agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), the UN, and its
respective agencies normalize these terms for their integration into mainstream everyday
language.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), Article 9, made
clear the need to include PWD, older persons with age-related disabilities, and persons with
specific needs by mainstreaming them into all aspects of modern life. This can only be done
by including them in the design of modern technology and information and communication
technologies (ICTs) using universal design as defined in the UNCRPD and using a common
language and vocabulary.
ACCESSIBILITY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS –
1 Scope
This document contains a list of currently used terminology to describe accessibility and terms
that writers of standards need when writing and designing International Standards. It is
important to standardize and define a recognized list of the terms already used and in existing
ITU Recommendations and Resolutions, along with those in the UN Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Without such a list, there could be confusion not only
on the part of writers and implementers of standards, but also by the public at large. It is also
important to eliminate terminology that is no longer used, offensive, and demeaning to
persons with disabilities (PWD) and others.
The terminology in this document is for use in international work when English is used to refer
to telecommunication/ICT accessibility matters. This document is also applicable to everyday
life and all usages, including web design and other writings, as well as ICT,
telecommunications, and broadcasting standardization. The aim is for it to also be
mainstreamed into future policy, regulatory, and academic documents so as to be consistent
with global compatibility and understanding. In the future, work that is yet to be created,
written, or approved could include new terms that are added as appropriate by consensus in a
revision.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
access service
accessibility service
provision of features intended to make primary audiovisual content accessible to users with
specific needs, preferences, or in specific environmental contexts
3.2
accessibility
degree to which a product, device, service, or environment (virtual or real) is available to as
many people as possible
3.3
accessibility content
accessibility of the content delivered by an audiovisual media solution, i.e. captions, subtitles,
audio description, audio subtitles, etc., and differentiated from the solution's interface
accessibility
– 8 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
Note 1 to entry: Access services are a primary means of delivering content so that it will be accessible to PWD as
well as persons with specific needs.
3.4
accessibility feature
additional content component that is intended to assist people hindered in their ability to
perceive an aspect of the main content
3.5
ALD
assistive listening devices
devices enabling persons who are hard of hearing to hear sounds on an improved basis
3.6
ALS
assistive listening system
assistive technology (AT) systems using electromagnetic, radio or light waves, or a
combination of the two, enabling transmission of the acoustic signal from the sound source (a
loudspeaker or a person talking) directly to the hard-of-hearing person's ALD
3.7
AT
assistive technology
equipment, product system, hardware, software or service that is used to increase, maintain
or improve capabilities of persons
Note 1 to entry: Assistive technology is an umbrella term that is broader than assistive products.
Note 2 to entry: Assistive technology can include assistive services, and professional services needed for
assessment, recommendation and provision.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC Guide 71:2014, 2.16, modified — "individuals" replaced by "persons" for
consistency within this document.]
3.8
audio and spoken subtitles
subtitle text rendered into speech by a human voice artist or a synthetic voice with a text-to-
speech software programme
3.9
audio captions
audio captioning
captions that are read aloud and reflected as speech
Note 1 to entry: It can also be used to designate the audio content of an audiovisual work or sequence in any
language along with action. It is read aloud by a human or a specific apparatus that converts the text into speech.
Note 2 to entry: Audio captions can be called "audio subtitles" or "spoken subtitles" in the case of foreign
language dialogue.
3.10
audio description
additional audio track to aid persons with visual impairments who cannot follow the visual
content
Note 1 to entry: Audio description is also known as "video description", "visual description", and "described
video".
3.11
captions
captioning
real-time transcription of spoken words, sound effects, relevant musical cues, and other
relevant audio information in live or pre-recorded events
Note 1 to entry: Captions can be open, not adjustable by the user, or closed where they can be turned on and off
by the users at will. See 3.13 for further explanation of open and closed accessible services.
3.12
clean audio
enhanced audio signal by means of signal processing, with improved intelligibility of the
dialogue with respect to ambient noise, background noise, music, etc.
Note 1 to entry: This can also apply to the quality of the audio used for audio captioning (see 3.9), audio
description (see 3.10), and subtitles (see 3.39).
3.13
closed/open accessibility services
accessibility services – audio description, audio subtitling, captioning, and sign language –
that have the possibility of being selected by the end user
Note 1 to entry: When selected by the end user, it is closed. If it cannot be selected or turned off by the user, it is
an open service, i.e. open caption.
3.14
design for all
design of mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by all
persons, especially including persons with disabilities (PWD), and persons who were born
with specific needs
3.15
disability
restriction or inability to perform a function or activity in the manner or the range considered
average or accepted functionality, resulting from an impairment or reduction of ability, which
can be either permanent or temporary
3.16
human factors
ergonomics
usability and proper interaction between persons for products and devices; services, systems;
and environments, both real and virtual
3.17
impairment
loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function
3.18
interface accessibility
accessibility of the set of provisions that allow a user to operate and control audiovisual media
solutions
3.19
keyboard emulator
hardware/software input device that emulates the key press outputs of an alphanumeric
keyboard
– 10 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
3.20
lip-reading
lip-reading interpretation
form of communication and interpretation used by persons who are hard of hearing, or
persons who are deaf who may or may not use sign language
3.21
lip speaking interpreters
oral interpreters
technique of interpretation for persons who are deaf and hard of hearing, where a trained
interpreter speaks silently the dialogue in the audio visual content or in any other event in real
time, so that the speech is clearly discernible for persons with hearing disabilities who can lip-
read the words from the interpreter's mouth without the use of sign language
3.22
mainstreaming
inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWD) in everyday life without segregation in the
environment, education, technology, i.e. access to telephones, the Internet, the web, and all
ICTs
3.23
persons with age-related disabilities
persons with cognitive and physical disabilities that are caused by the aging process itself,
e.g. diminished eyesight, deafness in varying degrees, reduced mobility, or cognitive abilities
3.24
persons with disabilities
PWD
persons with a disability according to UNCRPD
3.25
persons with specific needs
persons with disabilities (PWD), persons who are not literate, those with learning disabilities,
children, indigenous people, older persons with age-related disabilities, and anyone who has
a temporary disability
3.26
pixelation
display of a bitmap or a section of a bitmap at such a large size that individual pixels become
visible, making the image "jagged" and more difficult to decipher
3.27
platform accessibility features
accessibility functionality provided as standard on a particular hardware/software platform
3.28
profile settings
ability for the users to store and retrieve multiple profiles containing sets of user interface
preference settings without having to reset them each time, including accessibility settings
3.29
real time
data or services (e.g. broadcasting) that are transmitted with virtually no delay
3.30
relay service
telephone service that enables a person who is deaf or hard of hearing or whose speech is
not clearly understood to place and receive telephone calls in real time
3.31
remote participation
participation in a meeting from a separate geographical location, using communication
technologies
[SOURCE: ITU-T A-Sup. 4 (06/2015) Supplement on guidelines for remote participation]
3.32
respeaking
technique to produce captions where a person ("the respeaker") listens to the speech and
re-speaks it, such that the respeaker's vocal input is processed by a speech recognition
software that transcribes it and produces the captions
3.33
screen magnification software
software application used by a person with low vision to magnify a portion of the text and/or
graphics displayed on a video screen sufficiently to enable reading and comprehension
3.34
screen reader software
software application used by a person who is blind or otherwise "print impaired" to identify
and interpret what is being displayed on a video display and read aloud using speech
synthesis
3.35
sign language
signed language
visual signing
natural language that, instead of acoustically conveying sound patterns, uses manual
communication with the hands, facial expressions, and body language to convey meaning
3.36
sign language interpretation
synchronized showing of an interpreter who uses sign language to convey the main audio
content and dialogue to people who use sign language and also to some lip readers who can
combine lip-reading with sign language
Note 1 to entry: In certain cases, a synthetic construct can be used in place of an interpreter.
Note 2 to entry: This is also done live when an interpreter is physically present.
3.37
special needs
identification in forms or signs of any accessibility accommodation that a person with
disabilities or a person with specific needs may require to help them be able to participate
Note 1 to entry: Not to be used to refer to persons (see clauses 3.38, 6.38, and Annex A).
Note 2 to entry: This term has a different usage when referring to countries, see [WTDC Res.58], and [WTDC AP].
3.38
specific needs
DEPRECATED: special needs
wide range of categories of persons including women, children, youth, indigenous people,
older persons with age related disabilities, persons with illiteracy, as well as persons with
disabilities (PWD)
SEE [ITU PP Res.175], [WTDC Res.58], [WTDC AP], and 6.39.
– 12 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
3.39
subtitles
on-screen text translation between languages of the dialogue in any audiovisual content
3.40
supplementary audio services
additional audio soundtrack that provides additional features or function over and above that
provided by the main audio stream
3.41
universal design
DEPRECATED: inclusive design
mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by, as many people
as reasonably possible without the need for special adaptation or specialized design
4 Abbreviated terms
ALD assistive listening devices
ALS assistive listening system
AT assistive technology
CART communication access real-time translation (i.e., real-time captioning)
EPG electronic programme guide
G3ict global initiative for inclusive ICTs
HD high definition
ICT information and communication technology
IFHOH International Federation of Hard of Hearing People
IPTV Internet protocol television
PWD persons with disabilities
SA supplementary audio
UNCRPD UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
WFD World Federation of the Deaf
WTDC World Telecommunications Development Conference
5 Conventions
The terms and definitions in this document are matched in numbering in Clauses 3 and 6, for
easier reference for the reader. The essential definitions are provided in Clause 3, while more
nuanced considerations on the use of different terms associated with the definitions are
provided in Clause 6.
6 Terminology
6.1 Access service or accessibility service
See 3.1 for a concise definition.
Examples related to impairments include users who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or
partially sighted. Examples related to preferences include people who turn down the sound on
a TV when others are trying to sleep. Examples related to environmental contexts of use
include being unable to hear a phone in a loud environment or see a screen in strong light.
Examples of common access services are captioning, subtitling, audio description, and sign
language interpretation. A service such as captioning, audio description, or visual signing
improves the accessibility of the audiovisual content for which it was made. It is required that
metadata be available in an electronic programme guide (EPG) to allow a user to be able to
determine the access services available.
6.2 Accessibility
See 3.2 for a concise definition.
Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access", and possibly benefit, from some system
or entity. Accessibility is often used to focus on PWD or identify persons with specific needs
who may or may not be PWD and their right of access to entities, directly, or through use of
assistive technology (AT) or access services. Accessibility is the property of being accessible
and useable upon demand by an authorized entity. Accessibility is strongly related to
universal design (see Article 2 of UNCRPD), when the approach involves direct access.
Universal design is about making (and designing) things from the beginning of concept to
realization, to be accessible to as many people as possible, whether or not they have a
disability or specific needs. Using the principles of universal design in the beginning of the
design process will make products, services, and environments, both virtual and real,
accessible to a greater number of people and will prevent expensive refits later when
accessibility is possibly required by regulation. An alternative method of providing
accessibility is to provide "indirect access" by having the entity support the use of a person's
AT to achieve access.
6.3 Accessibility content
See 3.3 for a concise definition.
In order for PWD and specific needs to follow audiovisual content, certain technology shall be
implemented. Examples are the following: for persons who are deaf and/or profoundly hard of
hearing, open and closed captioning (including audio captioning) are necessary for
understanding dialogue and background noises. An example is sign language, which also can
be open or closed. For persons who are visually impaired, audio description is necessary to
describe the non-spoken content of audiovisual content.
6.4 Accessibility feature
See 3.4 for a concise definition.
Examples of accessible features are: captions for persons who are deaf and persons who are
hard of hearing, subtitles in various languages, and sign language interpretation for video and
audio description for the visually impaired.
6.5 Assistive listening devices (ALD)
See 3.5 for a concise definition.
ALD include hearing aids worn in the ear with or without radio assistance and radio
communication systems comprising of a narrow band transmitter(s). These can be handheld,
placed on a table, or worn physically around the neck. They can have a wired or an inductive
connection to a hearing aid. ALD also include cochlear implants.
6.6 Assistive listening system (ALS)
See 3.6 for a concise definition.
ALSs include telecoil (an audio inductive loop), infrared systems, or radio frequency-based
systems that are found in mobile phones. They can be found installed at shop counters and in
large venues, for example theatres, museums, and conference centres.
– 14 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
6.7 Assistive technology (AT)
See 3.7 for a concise definition.
AT is an interface to an ICT device that allows access to technology. It also includes the
process used in selecting, locating, and using ICTs. The use of AT and AT devices promotes
greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to
accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to or changed
methods of interacting with the technology. It provides "indirect access" and this is supported
by universal design. An example would be a screen reader that enables persons who are
blind to hear the printed text read aloud.
6.8 Audio and spoken subtitles
See 3.8 for a concise definition.
Subtitles become the audio content of an audiovisual work or sequence in a foreign language
through specific techniques that convert the text into speech from subtitles on the screen in
the target language by text recognition. This may be done at the source or on the user's
device using speech synthesis.
6.9 Audio captions/captioning
See 3.9 for a concise definition.
Audio captioning may be done at the source or in the user's device using speech synthesis.
This is for the benefit of persons with vision impairments or no vision at all where the only
meaningful content is coming from the captions or subtitles.
6.10 Audio description
See 3.10 for a concise definition.
This service provides additional audible narrative. Audio description is mixed with the
dialogue. This describes the significant aspects of the visual content, settings, actions, and
ambiguous sounds of the audiovisual media that cannot be understood from the main
dialogue soundtrack alone. Audio description should be synchronous with this list to describe
any actions and identify who is doing what, where, and when. Special attention should be paid
to the audio mix to make sure that the volume of the main dialogue and the audio description
are not in conflict.
6.11 Captions/captioning
See 3.11 for a concise definition.
Captions provide a real-time on-screen transcript of the dialogue as well as any sound effects
for when an Internet or television broadcast is live. Ideally, users may have some control over
the position and size of the presentation. Captions can also be pre-recorded and
synchronized with the dialogue of the content (see ITU-T Y.1901). There are different ways to
identify speakers, for example with different colours.
There is also real-time captioning (also referred to as communication access real-time
translation (CART)), which is used for meetings to enable participation for persons with
disabilities (PWD). This service can be provided by means of either textual or graphical
supplementary content. The captions and the dialogue are usually in the same language. The
service is primarily to assist users having difficulty hearing sound. They are also beneficial to
those persons who do not understand the spoken language for other reasons, for
example language is not that person’s first language (e.g. sign language).
Presently, captions are created in two basic ways, either spoken or typed. Most commonly,
text is produced by stenographic methods using technology similar to court reporting, or using
a respeaking technique through speech recognition software. There are technical forms of
creating captions in foreign languages that do not have a script, that do not have keyboard, or
for which speech technology solutions are yet to be available. They might use different
keyboards and techniques. One example is in Japan where two captioners work together
simultaneously using a specialized keyboard to produce their language.
6.12 Clean audio
See 3.12 for a concise definition.
Clean audio enables everyone to hear the sound of the broadcast content clearly. This
includes the dialogue and narrative, audio description, audio captions, and spoken subtitles.
This is imperative for those persons who have hearing difficulties and includes persons who
are hard of hearing and those with age-related disabilities.
6.13 Closed/open accessibility services
See 3.13 for a concise definition.
There is a need for both the use of open and closed services. The user should have the ability
to turn on and turn off a service, such as captioning or sign language, if it is not needed.
Equally, when a person with disabilities is in a situation away from home, they should be able
to turn these services on or off at will. Open captions are also vital for announcing
emergencies and other public announcements. It is necessary to have open services in giving
the general public important live information as in news broadcasting. These open services
are not in the control of the user for safety reasons, or as in the case of a live broadcast.
There is also the possibility that technically, for whatever reason, it is not possible to provide
closed services.
6.14 Design for all (deprecated)
See 3.14 for a concise definition, and Annex A on deprecated terminology.
The term "design for all" was used before the creation of the terminology of universal design
but is not recognized or used in UNCRPD, Article 2. Unfortunately, its implied implementation
is not practical from the point of view of industry, but it does not carry a social stigma if it is
used in addition to help explain the term "universal design", which has a slightly more flexible
meaning. "Design for all" should not be used in place of "universal design" which is the UN
preferred term. See "inclusive design" in 3.18 and "universal design" in 3.40.
6.15 Disability
See 3.15 for a concise definition and 6.24 for more information on PWD.
No additional information is provided for this term.
6.16 Human factors or ergonomics
See 3.16 for a concise definition.
This category can deal with accessibility for PWD but not exclusively. Examples of human
factor accessibility in practical applications could be:
• dropped kerbs, which can be used by wheelchairs, motorized disability scooters, and
perambulators for babies;
• the tactile marker on the "5" key of telephone keypads sets conforming to ITU-T E.161,
which guide blind users in placing voice calls;
– 16 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
• captioning in audiovisual programmes, which help an audience to understand its content in
a loud environment.
6.17 Impairment
See 3.17 for a concise definition. Additional terms related to impairments include:
a) Impairment, age related: a collection of sensory and cognitive impairments that increase
with age. In the general sense, it covers matters such as the deterioration of sight and
hearing, memory impairment or memory loss, and motor impairment.
b) Impairment, cognitive: affects the individual's ability to think, concentrate, formulate
ideas, reason, and remember.
c) Impairment, dexterity: reduced function of arms and hands that makes activities related
to moving, turning, or pressing objects difficult or impossible. This may or may not
influence speech communication. If other motor features of the body do not function well,
it may impair speech communication.
d) Impairment, functional: refers to a person's loss of functional ability of an organ or
physical or mental capability to perform its specified function. The existence of a medical
condition may not necessarily restrict functional capacity and does not define disability.
The UN definition of impairment is "any loss or abnormality of psychological or anatomical
structure or function."
e) Impairment, hearing loss: please see Annex A, deprecated terminology.
This term should not be used to include both deaf and hard of hearing persons. Instead,
hearing disability should be used as a general term. The terms to be used are persons
who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Hearing loss can affect the whole auditory range and be a profound hearing loss, which
can make hearing speech and sound impossible through auditory means, or can vary in
degree; this type of hearing loss describes a person who is deaf. Hearing loss can also
affect only a part of the auditory spectrum and in this case AT can assist (e.g., a hearing
aid placed in the ear or ears); this type of loss describes a person who is hard of hearing.
The use of the word "profound" means "severe". Technology is usually needed in both
cases, but it actually is different. Persons who are deaf need visual solutions, and persons
who are hard of hearing need enhanced audio solutions, see WFD and IFHOH.
f) Impairment, visual: visual impairment (or vision impairment) is vision loss (of a person)
to such a degree as to qualify as needing additional support through a significant limitation
of visual capability resulting from disease, trauma, age or congenital, and all of which can
include degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as
the use of glasses and refractive correction, medication, or surgery. The loss may cover
visual acuity, significant central or peripheral field defects, or reduced contrast sensitivity.
6.18 Inclusive design
See 3.41 for a concise definition.
The design of mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by, as
many people as reasonably possible without the need for special adaptation or specialized
design. "Inclusive design" is used usually as a synonym for "universal design" but is not
recognized or used in Article 2 of UNCRPD. The use of terms used in INCRPD is preferred,
but it does not carry a social stigma if "inclusive design" is used in addition to help explain the
term "universal design". "Inclusive design" should not be used in place of "universal design".
6.19 Interface accessibility
See 3.18 for a concise definition.
Interface accessibility is concerned with components and controls such as physical (hardware
and remote controls) and virtual controls, for example displays, menus, electronic programme
guides (EPGs), windows, and selection grids. An accessible interface does not automatically
imply content accessibility.
6.20 Keyboard emulator
See 3.19 for a concise definition.
Keyboard emulators are used by
...
IEC 63080 ®
Edition 1.0 2017-07
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Accessibility terms and definitions
Termes et définitions relatifs à l'accessibilité
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IEC 63080 ®
Edition 1.0 2017-07
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Accessibility terms and definitions
Termes et définitions relatifs à l'accessibilité
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 01.040.01; 11.180.01 ISBN 978-2-8322-9387-4
– 2 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
INTRODUCTION . 6
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 7
3 Terms and definitions . 7
4 Abbreviated terms . 12
5 Conventions . 12
6 Terminology. 12
6.1 Access service or accessibility service . 12
6.2 Accessibility . 13
6.3 Accessibility content . 13
6.4 Accessibility feature . 13
6.5 Assistive listening devices (ALD) . 13
6.6 Assistive listening system (ALS) . 13
6.7 Assistive technology (AT) . 14
6.8 Audio and spoken subtitles . 14
6.9 Audio captions/captioning . 14
6.10 Audio description . 14
6.11 Captions/captioning . 14
6.12 Clean audio . 15
6.13 Closed/open accessibility services . 15
6.14 Design for all (deprecated) . 15
6.15 Disability . 15
6.16 Human factors or ergonomics . 15
6.17 Impairment . 16
6.18 Inclusive design . 16
6.19 Interface accessibility . 16
6.20 Keyboard emulator . 17
6.21 Lip-reading and lip-reading interpretation . 17
6.22 Lip speaking or oral interpreters . 17
6.23 Mainstreaming . 17
6.24 Persons with age-related disabilities . 17
6.25 Persons with disabilities (PWD) . 18
6.26 Persons with specific needs . 18
6.27 Pixelation . 18
6.28 Platform accessibility features. 18
6.29 Profile settings . 18
6.30 Real time . 18
6.31 Relay service . 19
6.32 Remote participation . 19
6.33 Respeaking . 20
6.34 Screen magnification software . 20
6.35 Screen reader software . 20
6.36 Sign language . 20
6.37 Sign language interpretation . 21
6.38 Special needs . 21
6.39 Specific needs . 21
6.40 Subtitles . 21
6.41 Supplementary audio services . 22
6.42 Universal design . 22
Annex A (informative) Deprecated terminology . 23
A.1 General . 23
A.2 Elderly . 23
A.3 Handicapped . 23
A.4 Hearing impairment . 23
A.5 Inclusive design, design for all, or accessible design . 23
A.6 Persons with special needs . 23
Bibliography . 24
– 4 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
ACCESSIBILITY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications,
Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC
Publication(s)”). Their preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested
in the subject dealt with may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and
non-governmental organizations liaising with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates
closely with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined
by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence
between any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in
the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard IEC 63080 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 100: Audio,
video and multimedia systems and equipment.
ITU-T F.791:2015 has served as a basis for the elaboration of this standard.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
CDV Report on voting
100/2775/CDV 100/2873/RVC
Full information on the voting for the approval of this International Standard can be found in
the report on voting indicated in the above table.
This document has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to
the specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
– 6 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
INTRODUCTION
This document defines words describing accessibility, disability, and technical terms to be
used for improving the writing in relation to standardization, and to facilitate accurately the
needs and the mainstreaming of accessibility in standards that will include persons with
disabilities (PWD), older persons with age-related disabilities and persons with specific needs.
See WTDC Res. 58, WTDC AP and ITU–T F.790, listed in the Bibliography.
With the advent of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(see UNCRPD in the Bibliography), its passage in 2006, and its ratification by numerous
countries, many new terms and definitions were created. Some of these terms and definitions
were created at the behest of PWD themselves to eradicate terms that were demeaning,
insulting, and inaccurate.
Writers of standards are able to mainstream accessibility features into standards, as well as
to write specific standards for accessibility. To design products and services successfully,
there is a need for a common language. This document is intended to give definitions so that
it will make it easier for industries to implement these accessibility features and accessibility
standards if everyone is using the same language and vocabulary. It is also important that
governments, government agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), the UN, and its
respective agencies normalize these terms for their integration into mainstream everyday
language.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), Article 9, made
clear the need to include PWD, older persons with age-related disabilities, and persons with
specific needs by mainstreaming them into all aspects of modern life. This can only be done
by including them in the design of modern technology and information and communication
technologies (ICTs) using universal design as defined in the UNCRPD and using a common
language and vocabulary.
ACCESSIBILITY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
1 Scope
This document contains a list of currently used terminology to describe accessibility and terms
that writers of standards need when writing and designing International Standards. It is
important to standardize and define a recognized list of the terms already used and in existing
ITU Recommendations and Resolutions, along with those in the UN Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Without such a list, there could be confusion not only
on the part of writers and implementers of standards, but also by the public at large. It is also
important to eliminate terminology that is no longer used, offensive, and demeaning to
persons with disabilities (PWD) and others.
The terminology in this document is for use in international work when English is used to refer
to telecommunication/ICT accessibility matters. This document is also applicable to everyday
life and all usages, including web design and other writings, as well as ICT,
telecommunications, and broadcasting standardization. The aim is for it to also be
mainstreamed into future policy, regulatory, and academic documents so as to be consistent
with global compatibility and understanding. In the future, work that is yet to be created,
written, or approved could include new terms that are added as appropriate by consensus in a
revision.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
access service
accessibility service
provision of features intended to make primary audiovisual content accessible to users with
specific needs, preferences, or in specific environmental contexts
3.2
accessibility
degree to which a product, device, service, or environment (virtual or real) is available to as
many people as possible
3.3
accessibility content
accessibility of the content delivered by an audiovisual media solution, i.e. captions, subtitles,
audio description, audio subtitles, etc., and differentiated from the solution's interface
accessibility
– 8 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
Note 1 to entry: Access services are a primary means of delivering content so that it will be accessible to PWD as
well as persons with specific needs.
3.4
accessibility feature
additional content component that is intended to assist people hindered in their ability to
perceive an aspect of the main content
3.5
ALD
assistive listening devices
devices enabling persons who are hard of hearing to hear sounds on an improved basis
3.6
ALS
assistive listening system
assistive technology (AT) systems using electromagnetic, radio or light waves, or a
combination of the two, enabling transmission of the acoustic signal from the sound source (a
loudspeaker or a person talking) directly to the hard-of-hearing person's ALD
3.7
AT
assistive technology
equipment, product system, hardware, software or service that is used to increase, maintain
or improve capabilities of persons
Note 1 to entry: Assistive technology is an umbrella term that is broader than assistive products.
Note 2 to entry: Assistive technology can include assistive services, and professional services needed for
assessment, recommendation and provision.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC Guide 71:2014, 2.16, modified – "individuals" replaced by "persons" for
consistency within this document.]
3.8
audio and spoken subtitles
subtitle text rendered into speech by a human voice artist or a synthetic voice with a text-to-
speech software programme
3.9
audio captions
audio captioning
captions that are read aloud and reflected as speech
Note 1 to entry: It can also be used to designate the audio content of an audiovisual work or sequence in any
language along with action. It is read aloud by a human or a specific apparatus that converts the text into speech.
Note 2 to entry: Audio captions can be called "audio subtitles" or "spoken subtitles" in the case of foreign
language dialogue.
3.10
audio description
additional audio track to aid persons with visual impairments who cannot follow the visual
content
Note 1 to entry: Audio description is also known as "video description", "visual description", and "described
video".
3.11
captions
captioning
real-time transcription of spoken words, sound effects, relevant musical cues, and other
relevant audio information in live or pre-recorded events
Note 1 to entry: Captions can be open, not adjustable by the user, or closed where they can be turned on and off
by the users at will. See 3.13 for further explanation of open and closed accessible services.
3.12
clean audio
enhanced audio signal by means of signal processing, with improved intelligibility of the
dialogue with respect to ambient noise, background noise, music, etc.
Note 1 to entry: This can also apply to the quality of the audio used for audio captioning (see 3.9), audio
description (see 3.10), and subtitles (see 3.39).
3.13
closed/open accessibility services
accessibility services – audio description, audio subtitling, captioning, and sign language –
that have the possibility of being selected by the end user
Note 1 to entry: When selected by the end user, it is closed. If it cannot be selected or turned off by the user, it is
an open service, i.e. open caption.
3.14
design for all
design of mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by all
persons, especially including persons with disabilities (PWD), and persons who were born
with specific needs
3.15
disability
restriction or inability to perform a function or activity in the manner or the range considered
average or accepted functionality, resulting from an impairment or reduction of ability, which
can be either permanent or temporary
3.16
human factors
ergonomics
usability and proper interaction between persons for products and devices; services, systems;
and environments, both real and virtual
3.17
impairment
loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function
3.18
interface accessibility
accessibility of the set of provisions that allow a user to operate and control audiovisual media
solutions
3.19
keyboard emulator
hardware/software input device that emulates the key press outputs of an alphanumeric
keyboard
– 10 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
3.20
lip-reading
lip-reading interpretation
form of communication and interpretation used by persons who are hard of hearing, or
persons who are deaf who may or may not use sign language
3.21
lip speaking interpreters
oral interpreters
technique of interpretation for persons who are deaf and hard of hearing, where a trained
interpreter speaks silently the dialogue in the audio visual content or in any other event in real
time, so that the speech is clearly discernible for persons with hearing disabilities who can lip-
read the words from the interpreter's mouth without the use of sign language
3.22
mainstreaming
inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWD) in everyday life without segregation in the
environment, education, technology, i.e. access to telephones, the Internet, the web, and all
ICTs
3.23
persons with age-related disabilities
persons with cognitive and physical disabilities that are caused by the aging process itself,
e.g. diminished eyesight, deafness in varying degrees, reduced mobility, or cognitive abilities
3.24
persons with disabilities
PWD
persons with a disability according to UNCRPD
3.25
persons with specific needs
persons with disabilities (PWD), persons who are not literate, those with learning disabilities,
children, indigenous people, older persons with age-related disabilities, and anyone who has
a temporary disability
3.26
pixelation
display of a bitmap or a section of a bitmap at such a large size that individual pixels become
visible, making the image "jagged" and more difficult to decipher
3.27
platform accessibility features
accessibility functionality provided as standard on a particular hardware/software platform
3.28
profile settings
ability for the users to store and retrieve multiple profiles containing sets of user interface
preference settings without having to reset them each time, including accessibility settings
3.29
real time
data or services (e.g. broadcasting) that are transmitted with virtually no delay
3.30
relay service
telephone service that enables a person who is deaf or hard of hearing or whose speech is
not clearly understood to place and receive telephone calls in real time
3.31
remote participation
participation in a meeting from a separate geographical location, using communication
technologies
[SOURCE: ITU-T A-Sup. 4 (06/2015) Supplement on guidelines for remote participation]
3.32
respeaking
technique to produce captions where a person ("the respeaker") listens to the speech and
re-speaks it, such that the respeaker's vocal input is processed by a speech recognition
software that transcribes it and produces the captions
3.33
screen magnification software
software application used by a person with low vision to magnify a portion of the text and/or
graphics displayed on a video screen sufficiently to enable reading and comprehension
3.34
screen reader software
software application used by a person who is blind or otherwise "print impaired" to identify
and interpret what is being displayed on a video display and read aloud using speech
synthesis
3.35
sign language
signed language
visual signing
natural language that, instead of acoustically conveying sound patterns, uses manual
communication with the hands, facial expressions, and body language to convey meaning
3.36
sign language interpretation
synchronized showing of an interpreter who uses sign language to convey the main audio
content and dialogue to people who use sign language and also to some lip readers who can
combine lip-reading with sign language
Note 1 to entry: In certain cases, a synthetic construct can be used in place of an interpreter.
Note 2 to entry: This is also done live when an interpreter is physically present.
3.37
special needs
identification in forms or signs of any accessibility accommodation that a person with
disabilities or a person with specific needs may require to help them be able to participate
Note 1 to entry: Not to be used to refer to persons (see clauses 3.38, 6.38, and Annex A).
Note 2 to entry: This term has a different usage when referring to countries, see [WTDC Res.58], and [WTDC AP].
3.38
specific needs
DEPRECATED: special needs
wide range of categories of persons including women, children, youth, indigenous people,
older persons with age related disabilities, persons with illiteracy, as well as persons with
disabilities (PWD)
SEE [ITU PP Res.175], [WTDC Res.58], [WTDC AP], and 6.39.
– 12 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
3.39
subtitles
on-screen text translation between languages of the dialogue in any audiovisual content
3.40
supplementary audio services
additional audio soundtrack that provides additional features or function over and above that
provided by the main audio stream
3.41
universal design
DEPRECATED: inclusive design
mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by, as many people
as reasonably possible without the need for special adaptation or specialized design
4 Abbreviated terms
ALD assistive listening devices
ALS assistive listening system
AT assistive technology
CART communication access real-time translation (i.e., real-time captioning)
EPG electronic programme guide
G3ict global initiative for inclusive ICTs
HD high definition
ICT information and communication technology
IFHOH International Federation of Hard of Hearing People
IPTV Internet protocol television
PWD persons with disabilities
SA supplementary audio
UNCRPD UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
WFD World Federation of the Deaf
WTDC World Telecommunications Development Conference
5 Conventions
The terms and definitions in this document are matched in numbering in Clauses 3 and 6, for
easier reference for the reader. The essential definitions are provided in Clause 3, while more
nuanced considerations on the use of different terms associated with the definitions are
provided in Clause 6.
6 Terminology
6.1 Access service or accessibility service
See 3.1 for a concise definition.
Examples related to impairments include users who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or
partially sighted. Examples related to preferences include people who turn down the sound on
a TV when others are trying to sleep. Examples related to environmental contexts of use
include being unable to hear a phone in a loud environment or see a screen in strong light.
Examples of common access services are captioning, subtitling, audio description, and sign
language interpretation. A service such as captioning, audio description, or visual signing
improves the accessibility of the audiovisual content for which it was made. It is required that
metadata be available in an electronic programme guide (EPG) to allow a user to be able to
determine the access services available.
6.2 Accessibility
See 3.2 for a concise definition.
Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access", and possibly benefit, from some system
or entity. Accessibility is often used to focus on PWD or identify persons with specific needs
who may or may not be PWD and their right of access to entities, directly, or through use of
assistive technology (AT) or access services. Accessibility is the property of being accessible
and useable upon demand by an authorized entity. Accessibility is strongly related to
universal design (see Article 2 of UNCRPD), when the approach involves direct access.
Universal design is about making (and designing) things from the beginning of concept to
realization, to be accessible to as many people as possible, whether or not they have a
disability or specific needs. Using the principles of universal design in the beginning of the
design process will make products, services, and environments, both virtual and real,
accessible to a greater number of people and will prevent expensive refits later when
accessibility is possibly required by regulation. An alternative method of providing
accessibility is to provide "indirect access" by having the entity support the use of a person's
AT to achieve access.
6.3 Accessibility content
See 3.3 for a concise definition.
In order for PWD and specific needs to follow audiovisual content, certain technology shall be
implemented. Examples are the following: for persons who are deaf and/or profoundly hard of
hearing, open and closed captioning (including audio captioning) are necessary for
understanding dialogue and background noises. An example is sign language, which also can
be open or closed. For persons who are visually impaired, audio description is necessary to
describe the non-spoken content of audiovisual content.
6.4 Accessibility feature
See 3.4 for a concise definition.
Examples of accessible features are: captions for persons who are deaf and persons who are
hard of hearing, subtitles in various languages, and sign language interpretation for video and
audio description for the visually impaired.
6.5 Assistive listening devices (ALD)
See 3.5 for a concise definition.
ALD include hearing aids worn in the ear with or without radio assistance and radio
communication systems comprising of a narrow band transmitter(s). These can be handheld,
placed on a table, or worn physically around the neck. They can have a wired or an inductive
connection to a hearing aid. ALD also include cochlear implants.
6.6 Assistive listening system (ALS)
See 3.6 for a concise definition.
ALSs include telecoil (an audio inductive loop), infrared systems, or radio frequency-based
systems that are found in mobile phones. They can be found installed at shop counters and in
large venues, for example theatres, museums, and conference centres.
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6.7 Assistive technology (AT)
See 3.7 for a concise definition.
AT is an interface to an ICT device that allows access to technology. It also includes the
process used in selecting, locating, and using ICTs. The use of AT and AT devices promotes
greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to
accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to or changed
methods of interacting with the technology. It provides "indirect access" and this is supported
by universal design. An example would be a screen reader that enables persons who are
blind to hear the printed text read aloud.
6.8 Audio and spoken subtitles
See 3.8 for a concise definition.
Subtitles become the audio content of an audiovisual work or sequence in a foreign language
through specific techniques that convert the text into speech from subtitles on the screen in
the target language by text recognition. This may be done at the source or on the user's
device using speech synthesis.
6.9 Audio captions/captioning
See 3.9 for a concise definition.
Audio captioning may be done at the source or in the user's device using speech synthesis.
This is for the benefit of persons with vision impairments or no vision at all where the only
meaningful content is coming from the captions or subtitles.
6.10 Audio description
See 3.10 for a concise definition.
This service provides additional audible narrative. Audio description is mixed with the
dialogue. This describes the significant aspects of the visual content, settings, actions, and
ambiguous sounds of the audiovisual media that cannot be understood from the main
dialogue soundtrack alone. Audio description should be synchronous with this list to describe
any actions and identify who is doing what, where, and when. Special attention should be paid
to the audio mix to make sure that the volume of the main dialogue and the audio description
are not in conflict.
6.11 Captions/captioning
See 3.11 for a concise definition.
Captions provide a real-time on-screen transcript of the dialogue as well as any sound effects
for when an Internet or television broadcast is live. Ideally, users may have some control over
. Captions can also be pre-recorded and
the position and size of the presentation
synchronized with the dialogue of the content (see ITU-T Y.1901). There are different ways to
identify speakers, for example with different colours.
There is also real-time captioning (also referred to as communication access real-time
translation (CART)), which is used for meetings to enable participation for persons with
disabilities (PWD). This service can be provided by means of either textual or graphical
supplementary content. The captions and the dialogue are usually in the same language. The
service is primarily to assist users having difficulty hearing sound. They are also beneficial to
those persons who do not understand the spoken language for other reasons, for
example language is not that person’s first language (e.g. sign language).
Presently, captions are created in two basic ways, either spoken or typed. Most commonly,
text is produced by stenographic methods using technology similar to court reporting, or using
a respeaking technique through speech recognition software. There are technical forms of
creating captions in foreign languages that do not have a script, that do not have keyboard, or
for which speech technology solutions are yet to be available. They might use different
keyboards and techniques. One example is in Japan where two captioners work together
simultaneously using a specialized keyboard to produce their language.
6.12 Clean audio
See 3.12 for a concise definition.
Clean audio enables everyone to hear the sound of the broadcast content clearly. This
includes the dialogue and narrative, audio description, audio captions, and spoken subtitles.
This is imperative for those persons who have hearing difficulties and includes persons who
are hard of hearing and those with age-related disabilities.
6.13 Closed/open accessibility services
See 3.13 for a concise definition.
There is a need for both the use of open and closed services. The user should have the ability
to turn on and turn off a service, such as captioning or sign language, if it is not needed.
Equally, when a person with disabilities is in a situation away from home, they should be able
to turn these services on or off at will. Open captions are also vital for announcing
emergencies and other public announcements. It is necessary to have open services in giving
the general public important live information as in news broadcasting. These open services
are not in the control of the user for safety reasons, or as in the case of a live broadcast.
There is also the possibility that technically, for whatever reason, it is not possible to provide
closed services.
6.14 Design for all (deprecated)
See 3.14 for a concise definition, and Annex A on deprecated terminology.
The term "design for all" was used before the creation of the terminology of universal design
but is not recognized or used in UNCRPD, Article 2. Unfortunately, its implied implementation
is not practical from the point of view of industry, but it does not carry a social stigma if it is
used in addition to help explain the term "universal design", which has a slightly more flexible
meaning. "Design for all" should not be used in place of "universal design" which is the UN
preferred term. See "inclusive design" in 3.18 and "universal design" in 3.40.
6.15 Disability
See 3.15 for a concise definition and 6.24 for more information on PWD.
No additional information is provided for this term.
6.16 Human factors or ergonomics
See 3.16 for a concise definition.
This category can deal with accessibility for PWD but not exclusively. Examples of human
factor accessibility in practical applications could be:
• dropped kerbs, which can be used by wheelchairs, motorized disability scooters, and
perambulators for babies;
• the tactile marker on the "5" key of telephone keypads sets conforming to ITU-T E.161,
which guide blind users in placing voice calls;
– 16 – IEC 63080:2017 © IEC 2017
• captioning in audiovisual programmes, which help an audience to understand its content in
a loud environment.
6.17 Impairment
See 3.17 for a concise definition. Additional terms related to impairments include:
a) Impairment, age related: a collection of sensory and cognitive impairments that increase
with age. In the general sense, it covers matters such as the deterioration of sight and
hearing, memory impairment or memory loss, and motor impairment.
b) Impairment, cognitive: affects the individual's ability to think, concentrate, formulate
ideas, reason, and remember.
c) Impairment, dexterity: reduced function of arms and hands that makes activities related
to moving, turning, or pressing objects difficult or impossible. This may or may not
influence speech communication. If other motor features of the body do not function well,
it may impair speech communication.
d) Impairment, functional: refers to a person's loss of functional ability of an organ or
physical or mental capability to perform its specified function. The existence of a medical
condition may not necessarily restrict functional capacity and does not define disability.
The UN definition of impairment is "any loss or abnormality of psychological or anatomical
structure or function."
e) Impairment, hearing loss: please see Annex A, deprecated terminology.
This term should not be used to include both deaf and hard of hearing persons. Instead,
hearing disability should be used as a general term. The terms to be used are persons
who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Hearing loss can affect the whole auditory range and be a profound hearing loss, which
can make hearing speech and sound impossible through auditory means, or can vary in
degree; this type of hearing loss describes a person
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