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Standards can be withdrawn without clear rules, public consultation, or timely communication.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Without a transparent and inclusive process, standards may be removed too soon, kept for too long, or withdrawn without people knowing.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- No clear or transparent criteria for deciding when a standard is outdated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- No clear public notice that a standard is being withdrawn
- People continuing to use an outdated standard without knowing
- Policies or contracts still referring to a withdrawn standard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