Japan – The Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) JISC uses a multi-criteria review that factors in legal relevance, market use, and social value. If a standard supports accessibility or public safety, it may be retained even if its original technical basis is outdated.
Brazil – Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT) ABNT partners with government agencies and civil society to review standards related to housing, accessibility, and education. The decision to retire a standard involves assessing whether it continues to fill a policy or equity gap, even if it’s no longer widely used in industry.
Standards can be withdrawn without clear rules, public consultation, or timely communication. Decisions may focus mainly on technical reasons, without considering social impact or the needs of affected communities.
Without a transparent and inclusive process, standards may be removed too soon, kept for too long, or withdrawn without people knowing. This can reduce transparency, accountability, and trust in the standards system - especially for people whose rights or access depend on those standards. It can also cause confusion, mistakes, or harm.
Common problems include:
No clear or transparent criteria for deciding when a standard is outdated
Little or no consultation with affected communities, including D/deaf and D/disabled communities
Decisions focused only on technical details, not real-life impact
Important protections or accessibility guidance being removed
No clear public notice that a standard is being withdrawn
People continuing to use an outdated standard without knowing
Policies or contracts still referring to a withdrawn standard
No clear information about what replaces the standard
Ways to address the barrier
Co-develop criteria for withdrawal
Create an opportunity for public feedback before withdrawal
Offer opportunities to request revisions rather than removal
Use clear, accessible, and open language in withdrawal notices