(ISO: Geneva) -- Any of us can find some packages or packaged products tricky to open. Such difficulties can be worse for the elderly, or people with disabilities. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is contributing to a solution in the form of a standard for designing packaging that is easier to use for the elderly, the people with disabilities—and the rest of us.

ISO 11156:2011 “Packaging—Accessible design—General requirements,” provides a framework for packaging design that takes into account the varying physical and sensory capabilities of users to ensure that the package can be used not only by people with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive disabilities, but also by the elderly, the temporarily disabled, and by those with no disability at all.

The standard complies with ISO/TR 22411:2008 and ISO/IEC Guide 71:2001, aimed mainly at designers and evaluators working in the field of standardization. It can also be used by manufacturers, laboratories, service providers, educators, and others.

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