Overview
ISO 21802:2019 - Assistive products - Guidelines on cognitive accessibility - Daily time management provides design guidance to improve cognitive accessibility and usability of products and systems that support daily time management for people with cognitive impairment (any age). It defines principles and practical design recommendations across four functional areas: time awareness, orientation to time, time management, and adapting to time demands. The standard focuses on usability and inclusive design rather than on test methods or measurement procedures.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and purpose
- Guidelines apply to both mainstream and dedicated assistive products (devices, equipment, instruments, software) used to support daily time management.
- Emphasis on increasing independence, participation and usability for users with cognitive impairment.
- Four functional categories
- Time awareness - making the passage of time perceivable (e.g., timers, visual time logs, quarter‑hour principle).
- Orientation to time - supporting recognition of day/date/time (e.g., adapted calendars, automatic daily calendars, visual day planners).
- Time management - supporting planning, sequencing and allocation of time for tasks (e.g., low‑tech organizers, electronic planning aids).
- Adapting to time demands - helping users adapt actions and sequences to time constraints and changing schedules.
- Design guidance
- Principles focus on clear, easy‑to‑understand features; match product complexity to user needs; support customization and environmental/contextual factors.
- Strong recommendation to involve people with cognitive impairment in development and evaluation to ensure usability.
- Limitations
- ISO 21802:2019 does not include test methods or measurement protocols for conformity or performance reporting.
Practical applications
- Design and development of assistive technology: timers, reminder systems, digital planners, adapted watches, automatic calendars, and mobile apps.
- Product UX and accessibility design: applying cognitive accessibility principles to mainstream consumer devices to increase adoption and benefit.
- Clinical and rehabilitation settings: occupational therapists and rehabilitation professionals use the guidance when recommending or customizing time‑management supports.
- Procurement and policy: informs inclusive procurement specifications and service design for supported living, education, and workplace accommodations.
Who should use this standard
- Assistive product manufacturers and product managers
- UX/UI designers and software developers working on time‑management tools
- Clinicians, occupational therapists, and rehabilitation specialists
- Accessibility consultants, procurement officers, and policymakers
Related standards
- ANSI/RESNA CA‑1:2016 - specifies features, measurement methods and documentation for cognitive accessibility (noted as complementary for evaluation).
- ISO 9999 and ISO/IEC guidance referenced for assistive product and user terminology.
Keywords: ISO 21802:2019, cognitive accessibility, assistive products, daily time management, time awareness, orientation to time, time management, usability, accessibility guidelines.
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