12.1.1 Accessibility and compatibilty features and 12.1.2 Accessibile documentation: meaning of product documentation

A critical question in deciding wheter or not 12.1.1 and 12.1.2 are applicable to content is the understanding of the precondition, especially the definition of "product documentation".

• The precondition in Annex C for 12.1.1 "Accessibility and compatibilty features" limits the requirement to cases where "Product documentation is supplied with the ICT."
• The precondition in Annex C for 12.1.2 "Accessibile documentation" limits the requirement to cases where "Product documentation in electronic format is supplied with the ICT."

For some web applications, technical product documentation about the features and functions of the app, and possibly modes of use such as keyboard shortcuts, exist. Here, the case is quite clear, the requirements apply.

However, when 12.1.1 and 12.1.2 are applied to the evaluation of web sites implementing products or services, the question arises whether any kind of documentation related to aspects of the product or service in question should rightly be considered "product documentation", or where to draw the line. Two examples:

• An online shop might have an FAQ on how to return merchandise or what to do if shipments have not arrived, or arrived damaged. Would this fall under product documentation?
• A public transport website offering transport information and online tickets has an FAQ that explains what to do when caught without a ticket, or rules for using the service (say, "no bikes between 8:00 and 10:00" or "no smoking in stations or on the train"). Does this fall under "product documentation" as used in the EN?

A clarification of the meaning and scope of "product documentation" and "product documentation in electronic format" is urgently needed.

marked this issue as related to #494 (closed)

added Documentation and Support Services label

marked this issue as related to #541 (closed)

Issue #541 (closed) makes a proposal that eliminates any reference to the words "product documentation", which is never mentioned in the EAA, and instead simply refers to information "about" a product or service that is available in a digital format.

Descriptions about what types of information can, or shall, be made available is not something that EN 301 549 is expected to define. The other HENs on (the peculiarly named) "non-digital information" and "support services" are where such definitions should be found.

If that issue is accepted, this issue would no longer be of concern.

mentioned in issue #541 (closed)

As a result of adopting the proposed changes from Issue #541 (closed), further discussion of this requirement, and all others that concern the content of information about ICT are not appropriate to the scope of EN 301 549. It is the "non-digital" HEN and the "support services" HEN that will need to address all such issues.

closed