Why is this a problem?
Standards can be withdrawn without clear rules, public consultation, or timely communication.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Without a transparent and inclusive process, standards may be removed too soon, kept for too long, or withdrawn without people knowing.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- No clear or transparent criteria for deciding when a standard is outdated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- No clear public notice that a standard is being withdrawn
- People continuing to use an outdated standard without knowing
- Policies or contracts still referring to a withdrawn standard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
Long-term Actions
- Work with diverse communities to create clear rules for reviewing whether a standard should be withdrawn.
- Include technical, legal, social, and disability perspectives when making decisions.
- Ask key questions, like:
- Is the standard still being used?
- Does it still solve an important problem?
- Who would be most affected if it were removed?
- Treat withdrawal like a review process: involve the public, especially the people most impacted, to help shape the criteria.
- Make the process transparent so everyone understands how decisions are made.
- Document and share the reasoning behind any decision to withdraw a standard.
- Update the criteria regularly based on feedback and real-world impacts.
Barriers these actions address
- No clear or inclusive process for retiring standards
Create an opportunity for public feedback before withdrawal
Long-term Actions
- Issue a public “notice of withdrawal” using multiple ways to reach people and share it with relevant community groups.
- Ask for input on how the withdrawal could affect people, especially equity-denied groups, and give enough time to respond.
- Let affected individuals and groups influence the decision before it is finalized.
- Use multiple accessible channels to share withdrawal notices, like email lists, newsletters, websites, community networks, accessible PDFs, ASL/LSQ videos, and direct outreach to known users.
- Create a searchable public archive of withdrawn standards, including:
- Why each standard was withdrawn
- What has replaced it (if anything)
- How to access older versions if needed
- Make all materials easy to understand in plain language and accessible formats.
- Keep the process transparent so communities know their feedback is considered.
Barriers these actions address
- No clear or inclusive process for retiring standards
- Lack of public awareness of the standards feedback process
- No way to track the real-world impact of a standard
Offer opportunities to request revisions rather than removal
Long-term Actions
- If a standard is outdated but still useful, let affected communities suggest updates or improvements instead of withdrawing it completely.
- Provide clear instructions on how to request revisions for standards and what kind of changes can be made.
- Use multiple accessible channels for submitting revision requests, such as online forms, email, phone, or mail.
- Share outcomes of revision requests publicly to show how input influenced the standard.
- Track and report revisions to show continuous improvement and maintain trust with communities.
Barriers these actions address
- No clear or inclusive process for retiring standards
Use clear, accessible, and open language in withdrawal notices
Long-term Actions
- If the public hasn’t had a chance to give feedback yet, include a period for them to do so.
- Make it clear in the notice that the withdrawal decision is not final.
- Explain how and when people can submit feedback.
- Provide plain language summaries that cover:
- Why the standard might be withdrawn
- What the potential impacts are
- Key timelines for the process
- Share all information in accessible formats, such as screen-reader friendly documents, PDFs, captions, and sign language/interpretation videos.
- Keep language simple and direct, so everyone can understand the notice.
- Highlight who to contact for questions or additional support.
Barriers these actions address
- No clear or inclusive process for retiring standards
- No support when a standard is removed