Over the past two years, PROGRESSIVE has been looking at how standards for ICT-based products and services can help to meet the needs and preferences of older people and respond to the challenges and opportunities arising from an ageing population so that anyone, at any age, can enjoy healthy and included lives.
In an effort to “change mindsets”, PROGRESSIVE accompanied standardisers, policy makers, manufacturers, service providers and European citizens by helping them adopt new approaches to standards development in the field of ICT for ageing well.
A set of practical tools supporting this new approach comprises:
- an online database of relevant and ‘good practice’ standards
- a framework that outlines important ethical principles that should be taken into account when developing products/services and their underlying standards
- a guide on co-production with product and service users, i.e. how (older) citizens and consumers can be better involved in the standardisation process
- suggestions on how products and services can work better together (“interoperability“)
- policy and practice guidelines for smart homes and how standards can support age-friendly approaches
- guidelines for standards and procurement tips around age-friendly communities and ICT for active and healthy ageing
- the establishment of a coordination forum where all stakeholders, incl. older people and their representative organisations, can continue to exchange good practice and collaborate on the development or revision of standards
All this culminated into the STAIR-AHA** statement that was presented and validated at the final PROGRESSIVE conference at the end of January 2019 and that calls for “a new approach to standards (that support active and healthy ageing) to engage with users of all age groups”.
* Click on the above links to access summarised factsheets of these reports or documents. For more information, contact info@progressivestandards.org.
** STAIR-AHA is the “STAndardisation, Innovation and Research platform (STAIR) on Active and Healthy Ageing”, embedded within CEN/CENELEC, and initiated by PROGRESSIVE.
Great to see a citizen-focussed, ethical and evidence-based approach. So important in order to avoid alienation, suspicion and rejection, or a new digital divide or health inequality. A very welcome and necessary initiative, and a good European lead.