oSIST prEN ISO 21802:2021

Assistive products - Guidelines on cognitive accessibility - Daily time management (ISO 21802:2019)

This document specifies principles of cognitive accessibility within the area of daily time management.
This document gives guidelines for design application for features and functions known to increase the
accessibility of products and systems used to support daily time management for people with cognitive
impairment regardless of age.
This document does not provide test methods and specific instructions for measuring and reporting.

Technische Hilfen - Leitfaden zur kognitiven Zugänglichkeit - Tägliches Zeitmanagement (ISO 21802:2019)

Produits d'assistance - Lignes directrices relatives à l'accessibilité cognitive - Gestion quotidienne (ISO 21802:2019)

Tehnični pripomočki - Smernice za kognitivno dostopnost - Dnevno upravljanje časa (ISO 21802:2019)

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 19-May-2021
• ICS: 11.180.01 - Aids for disabled and handicapped persons in general
• Technical Committee: VAZ - Healthcare
• Current Stage: 4020 - Public enquire (PE) (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 06-Apr-2021
• Due Date: 24-Aug-2021
• Completion Date: 28-May-2021
• Ref Project: prEN ISO 21802 - Assistive products - Guidelines on cognitive accessibility - Daily time management (ISO 21802:2019)

Standards Content (sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN ISO 21802:2021
01-maj-2021
Tehnični pripomočki - Smernice za kognitivno dostopnost - Dnevno upravljanje
časa (ISO 21802:2019)

Assistive products - Guidelines on cognitive accessibility - Daily time management (ISO

21802:2019)

Technische Hilfen - Leitfaden zur kognitiven Zugänglichkeit - Tägliches Zeitmanagement

(ISO 21802:2019)

Produits d'assistance - Lignes directrices relatives à l'accessibilité cognitive - Gestion

quotidienne (ISO 21802:2019)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN ISO 21802
ICS:
11.180.01 Pripomočki za Aids for disabled and
onesposobljene in handicapped persons in
hendikepirane osebe na general
splošno
oSIST prEN ISO 21802:2021 en,fr,de

2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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oSIST prEN ISO 21802:2021
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oSIST prEN ISO 21802:2021
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 21802
First edition
2019-01
Assistive products — Guidelines on
cognitive accessibility — Daily time
management
Produits d'assistance — Lignes directrices relatives à l'accessibilité
cognitive — Gestion quotidienne
Reference number
ISO 21802:2019(E)
ISO 2019
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oSIST prEN ISO 21802:2021
ISO 21802:2019(E)
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2019

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may

be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting

on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address

below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
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Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
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oSIST prEN ISO 21802:2021
ISO 21802:2019(E)
Contents Page

Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................iv

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................v

1 Scope ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1

2 Normative references ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

3 Terms and definitions ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

4 Daily time management ................................................................................................................................................................................ 3

4.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

4.2 Time awareness ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

4.2.1 To be aware of the passage of time .................................................................................................................. 4

4.3 Orientation to time .............................................................................................................................................................................. 7

4.3.1 Orientation to time to know when activities or events will take place............................. 7

4.3.2 To know time within the day or night ........................................................................................................... 9

4.4 Time management ............................................................................................................................................................................10

4.4.1 To estimate time needed for activities .......................................................................................................10

4.4.2 To structure one’s daily routines ....................................................................................................................11

4.4.3 To plan when to do things .....................................................................................................................................12

4.4.4 To plan and manage time for undertaking multiple tasks ........................................................13

4.5 Adapting to time demands .........................................................................................................................................................14

4.5.1 To adapt to time .............................................................................................................................................................14

Annex A (informative) Various examples of design applications ........................................................................................15

Annex B (informative) Rationale ...........................................................................................................................................................................20

Bibliography .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................22

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Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards

bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out

through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical

committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International

organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.

ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of

electrotechnical standardization.

The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are

described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the

different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the

editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/directives).

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of

patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of

any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or

on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/patents).

Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not

constitute an endorsement.

For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and

expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the

World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www .iso

.org/iso/foreword .html.

This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 173, Assistive products.

Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A

complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/members .html.
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Introduction

The time-dependent society of today places high demands on every citizen. How we use and manage

our time is of great importance for daily life including employment and other domains of participation

and well-being. There are cultural differences in how time is understood and used, and performance

can vary in differing environments. Time management behaviours relate positively to perceived

control of time, job satisfaction and health, and negatively to stress. Children, adolescents and adults

living with various types of impairment might need support with daily time management. People with

limited ability to manage time show a heightened dependence on others and greater need for support,

exacerbating their inferior status and vulnerability. This introduction summarises the concepts and

research that inform this document.

The evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive assistive products supporting daily time management

(e.g. reminder systems for adults with acquired brain injury) is strong. Time devices can be both

digital and analogue and include both mainstream products like smartphones or alarm clocks, and

assistive products. Time devices can compensate for a lack of time management skills, and can increase

independence and participation. It is known that assistive products are not always used as intended,

and that non-use is frequently associated with a decrease of independence in everyday activities.

People with cognitive impairment who find electronic planning devices beneficial tend to use them.

People with cognitive impairment and a low level of daily time management who use advanced

electronic planning devices tend to be more influenced by environmental factors, such as support

from professionals and services. Well-designed electronic planning devices that are matched to the

individual user’s needs result in greater dependency on those devices of the user. In other words,

greater usability of assistive products for time management is associated with greater independence of

the user. Research has also highlighted the necessity of adaptation of electronic planning devices to the

individual user, regardless of whether it is a mainstream product or a specifically designed assistive

product for time management. Therefore, the more that producers of time devices consider making

the products easy to understand, easy to manage and motivating (i.e. usable), the more benefit for the

individual user, for his/her environment and for society. It is highly recommended to actively engage

people with cognitive impairments in the development and evaluation of products used in daily time

management.

Although termed cognitive ‘accessibility’, this document will also adopt the concept of ‘usability’ to

ensure that design principles are based on the unique experiences of users rather than on assumptions

of human abilities. Usability reflects a combination of dimensions of effectiveness, efficiency and

satisfaction, so it is necessarily a more individual and subjective assessment than accessibility,

incorporating psychosocial factors and perceptions of how well an environment enables participation

and inclusion. Within this document, usability functions as a framework for specifying design goals and

evaluating their achievement.

This document specifies guidelines that are relevant to creating a daily time management support

system. It focuses on identifying the critical variables in the design and construction of products (and

common exceptions) that affect their usability for people with cognitive impairment. The document

provides directions on how to think when manufacturing a product, when giving support and service,

and when matching the product to the needs of the person and the environment regarding daily time

management. This is done by presenting examples of user needs in relation to daily time management

functions followed by design recommendations. The categories are:
a) Time awareness;
b) Orientation to time;
c) Time management;
d) Adapting to time demands.
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oSIST prEN ISO 21802:2021
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 21802:2019(E)
Assistive products — Guidelines on cognitive accessibility
— Daily time management
1 Scope

This document specifies principles of cognitive accessibility within the area of daily time management.

This document gives guidelines for design application for features and functions known to increase the

accessibility of products and systems used to support daily time management for people with cognitive

impairment regardless of age.

This document does not provide test methods and specific instructions for measuring and reporting.

NOTE ANSI/RESNA CA -1: 2016 specifies features, measurement methods, and documentation for reporting

the universal design specifications that support inclusion of individuals with cognitive impairment that might be

applicable and beneficial to use for evaluating products and systems used to support daily time management.

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:

— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https: //www .iso .org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http: //www .electropedia .org/
3.1
adapting to time demands

carrying out actions and behaviours appropriately in the required sequence and within the time

allocated
EXAMPLE Running to the station when in danger of missing the train.
Note 1 to entry: See Reference [5].
3.2
assistive product

any product (including devices, equipment, instruments and software), especially produced or generally

available, used by or for persons with disability
— for participation;

— to protect, support, train, measure or substitute for body functions/structures and activities; or

— to prevent impairments, activity limitations or participation restrictions
[SOURCE: ISO 9999:2016, 2.3]
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3.3
daily time management

managing one’s time (3.5) in daily life, both alone and along with others, and adapting to time demands

Note 1 to entry: This covers all aspects of managing time in daily routines and adapting to time demands,

including socialized time in recurring daily activities e.g. school, employment carried out during weekdays or

weekends, or leisure activities and less frequently occurring events like planning for a vacation.

3.4
haptic

relating to the sense of touch, in particular relating to the perception and manipulation of objects using

the senses of touch and proprioception

Note 1 to entry: While there is no difference between haptic and tactile in most dictionary definitions, in the

area of haptics, researchers and developers use haptic to include all haptic sensations, while tactile is limited to

mechanical stimulation of the skin.
3.5
managing one's time

managing the time required to complete usual or specific activities, such as preparing to depart from

home, taking medications, and accessing assistive technology and supports
Note 1 to entry: See Reference [4].
3.6
orientation to time

cognitive function that produces awareness of today, tomorrow, yesterday, date, month and year

including temporal orientation within the past, present and future
3.7
the quarter hour principle
way of showing time in 15-minute units
3.8
time interval
amount of time between two specified instants, events, or states
3.9
time management

cognitive function of ordering events in chronological sequences, estimation of time needed to execute

an activity, allocating amounts of time to different events and activities
Note 1 to entry: See Reference [4].
3.10
time awareness
subjective experience of the duration of activities

Note 1 to entry: This concept is similar to time perception. It includes intuitive time and knowing for how long to

perform an activity and for how long to wait.
3.11
user
individual who accesses or interacts with a system
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC Guide 71:2014, 2.2]
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4 Daily time management
4.1 General

Daily time management is how a person in daily life handles time. In the activity and participation

domain in ICF-CY there are two categories considered as complementary aspects of “daily time

management”: “managing one’s time” in daily life and “adapting to time demands”. Activity and

participation in these categories are facilitated by a person´s time-processing ability.

Assistive products can compensate for a lack of time-processing ability and/or modify one’s activities

or environment to facilitate daily time management.

For the purpose of this document the following functions are to be compensated for or facilitated:

a) Time awareness

Time awareness includes knowing, having a feeling or a sense of how long (or of how much time)

different activities or events take. Also, knowing, having a feeling or a sense of how long (or of

how much time) one should wait for the next activity or event. This is in the present, not in the

future. “How long” is, in this case, not defined in time units (hours, minutes or seconds) but rather

in regular intervals or on demand to meet the user’s needs or preferences.

NOTE 1 Assistive products for time awareness can apply “The quarter hour principle” for compensation

of time awareness, making the passage of time visible and understandable.

EXAMPLE 1 A Time Log has a row of light diodes, where many lit diodes indicate a long time and few

indicate a short time.

EXAMPLE 2 Assistive products for time awareness could also include timer with alarm function.

b) Orientation to time

Orientation to time includes knowing how to use specific time concepts, like names of the weekdays

or months, and to use devices like a calendar for orientation in time. The ability to use time

representations allows to know the time of the day or night in hours, minutes or seconds.

The purpose is to know when activities or events will take place and/or to use information planned

and provided by others.

NOTE 2 Assistive products for time orientation can apply compensatory interventions to support

orientation to time, including the use of calendars, Quarter-hour watches, adapted calendars and other

visual devices with or without pictures. They can promote orientation to the time of the day, date, week,

month, season and/or year.

EXAMPLE 3 An automatic daily calendar is often used by people with dementia to help them find the day,

date, week and/or year.

EXAMPLE 4 Interventions with pictures presenting daily activities in time order are well established

for supporting children with autism. They provide an organized and predictable environment, and are also

used for individuals with severe intellectual impairment.
c) Time management

Time management (as part of higher cognitive functions) includes knowing how to plan for and

schedule different events and activities and the time in between. Time management also includes

knowing how much time is needed for each activity and how to allocate the time needed.

The purpose is to use both time awareness and orientation to time to plan independently according

to one’s own preferences (what one must do and what one wants to do).

NOTE 3 Assistive products for time management can apply interventions to promote, develop and/or

compensate for deficits in time management with a focus on scheduling skills.
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EXAMPLE 5 Interventions to promote management of oneself might include the introduction of low-tech

time devices (e.g. an adapted paper-based personal organizer), and high-tech time devices (e.g. software for

mobile devices).

NOTE 4 Time management is an executive function depending on other executive functions, e.g.

organization and other cognitive functions, e.g. calculation.
d) Adapting to time demands

Adapting to time demands includes knowing how to adapt to changes in schedule and to unexpected

events disrupting one’s previously planned time.

NOTE 5 Functions in assistive products could provide a “plan B” or a “plan of crisis” (alternative actions)

helping to adapt to time demands. The examples of assistive products facilitating or compensating for time

processing ability are aimed at increasing daily time management in general and specifically managing

one’s time. Therefore, adapting to time demands is presented as a separate category. There are few assistive

products aimed at facilitating or compensating for adapting to time demands. These products would

present different options to find alternative ways to adapt the plan made to fit the new situation, a “crisis

management plan”.

Time awareness, orientation to time and time management can be seen as one ability, operationalized as

different hierarchical levels of complexity in time-processing ability. Time awareness is the basic level

of time-processing ability followed by orientation to time and time management being the highest level

of time-processing ability. This is reflected in childhood development, where children first learn which

activities take a long or short time before learning to orient themselves to time using information from

a clock or calendar and subsequently also to acquire the cognitive skill of time management making

their own plans of how to use their time. Youth and adults with cognitive impairment as well as elderly

people or people with dementia might have moderate or severe difficulties in time-processing ability

and thus difficulties with daily time management.

It is important that the design is familiar to persons with cognitive impairment, for example after

acquired brain injury, and that it requires minimal new learning as they often have problems with new

learning. To be accepted it is important that the design is attractive, modern and consistent with the

users’ life style. The design should be neutral and not stigmatize or make the user seem different in

some way.

The next section is structured as follows, a presentation of how problems in time awareness,

orientation to time, time management, both in managing one’s time and in adapting to time, might be

compensated for, or prevented through the use of assistive products. For each concept, there is at least

one case described, with the needs of a person and a variety of design recommendations and of desired

outcomes. The aim of the structure is to guide the reader in how to think, starting with a person and

the function to be compensated for, then the needs of that person as a potential user of a product.

Examples of possible outcomes for a person using the assistive product are presented in Annex B.

4.2 Time awareness
4.2.1 To be aware of the passage of time

In this case, a person has little sense of time and does not know how long something will take to do,

or for how long to wait before starting or ceasing an activity. This could impact on the subjective

experience of the duration of activities.
4.2.1.1 User needs
Some users need greater specificity regarding passage of time:

a) to understand the duration of activities, for example “Is it a long or short time left to continue with

a task, or an activity?”;
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b) to understand a specific length of time, for example “How long is my break or for how long must

I wait?”;

c) to understand the length of time, or time until the start or end of an event, e.g. “How long is it until

the next important event takes place?”;
d) to understand the time of day, for example “is it still night time?”.
4.2.1.2 Design recommendations
4.2.1.2.1 Provide options that indicate decreasing time intervals

Time intervals are shown graphically as dots (Figure 1), bars or as a surface (Figure 2) fading or

diminishing to show time passing. Time intervals can be divided into different steps for example 2,5 or

15 minutes.

EXAMPLE 1 Time displayed graphically as dots (Figure 1), one dot for each quarter of an hour as light-

emitting diode (LED) that is unlit at the passing of time, one for each quarter of an hour until the time interval is

completed. Set intervals, e.g. as dots, are easier to perceive.

Figure 1 — Example of dots representing the remaining amount of time out of one hour

EXAMPLE 2 Each of four quadrants of a circle, capable of being illuminated separately; dimmed one-at-a-time

in an anti-clockwise direction in 15 minute-intervals, see Figure 2.
Figure 2 — Example of surface that increase

EXAMPLE 3 A clock face with a surface decreasing in clockwise direction in 5-minute intervals, see Figure 3.

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Figure 3 — Example of surface that decreases
4.2.1.2.2 Provide options that indicate increasing time intervals

Measured time is visualized graphically as dots (Figure 4), bars or a surface that increases in numbers

or size. For example: A watch that makes it possible to measure time as dots, the number of lit dots

increases until the activity is finished. How many dots does it take to do the things I usually do?

Figure 4 — Example of dots in minutes that increase

NOTE Increasing time intervals are used when measuring time, whereas decreasing time intervals are used

to illustrate a count down.
4.2.1.2.3 How time can be indicated using different modalities
a) Visual
— Bar that increases or decreases in fixed steps
b) Visual or Haptic
— Surface that increases or decreases in size (See Figures 2 and 3)
c) Haptic feedback
— for example Vibrations indicating certain time intervals
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d) Audio
— Sound Impulses, for example sounds indicating continuous passing of time

— Audible alert for example a different sound designated for certain intervals, like a chime sound

or a specific bird song for each hour
e) Voice or text (long time, short time)
4.3 Orientation to time
4.3.1 Orientation to time to know when activities or events will take place

In this case, a person cannot orient him or herself with a watch or an ordinary almanac/calendar/

planner (analogue or digital).
4.3.1.1 User needs

a) to orient to time, where one is in the day, date, week, month, season, year, for example “when

shall I…?”

b) to know when next important activity takes place, for example “How many days until next visit to

the cinema?”

c) to know when current activities need to be finished, for example “How much time is left/how many

activities are left to do until it is time to…”

d) to know whether it is appropriate time of day or night for particular activities, for example “Can I

call my friends now, can I contact a person, play loud music now?”

e) to see events planned/scheduled for the future, for example “When is my next birthday?” or “When

are we going on that trip?”
4.3.1.2 Design recommendations
4.3.1.2.1 Provide options for representing different time concepts
Time concepts can be represented using different modalities:
a) Visual:
— Symbols, colours, text, characters or numbers for each day of the week;
— Symbols, colours, text, characters or numbers for months;
— Symbols, colours, text, characters or numbers for seasons.
b) Audio:
— Different sounds or earcons for each day of the week, or months, or seasons.
c) Haptic:

— Different surfaces, or different vibrations for each day of the week, or months, or seasons.

d) Olfactory:
— Each day of the week is represented by a different aroma.
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4.3.1.2.2 Use established conventions where possible and appropriate

EXAMPLE for examples from different countries see Annex A (use of colours, use of symbols, etc.).

4.3.1.2.3 Provide options representing time in a calendar
In a calendar, time can be represented using different modalities:
a) Visual:
— Today is highlighted, other days not;
— Only today is visible or indicated;

— Time passed is de-emphasized for example grey or pale or not is not available/not visible;

— Coming time is in another colour;
— Overview over week, month, year;
— Only one day/page;
— The date of today is displayed;
— There is a “go to today-button” that, when activated, indicates the day/date;
— A “go to today-function” that activates automatically after a set time;
— Time, day, date, month, season and/or year is automatically changed.
...