ISO/IEC TR 19766:2007

TECHNICAL ISO/IEC
REPORT TR
19766
First edition
2007-06-15

Information technology — Guidelines for
the design of icons and symbols
accessible to all users, including the
elderly and persons with disabilities
Technologies de l'information — Lignes directrices pour la conception
d'icônes et de symboles accessibles à tous les utilisateurs, y compris
les personnes âgées et les personnes handicapées




Reference number
ISO/IEC TR 19766:2007(E)
©
ISO/IEC 2007

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ISO/IEC TR 19766:2007(E)
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ISO/IEC TR 19766:2007(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction.vi
1 Scope.1
2 Normative references.1
3 Terms and definitions .1
4 Framework for Establishing Accessibility of Icons .3
5 Structuring icons to support accessibility .6
5.1 Separate aspects of icons .6
5.2 Icon components.6
5.3 Accessibility of description attributes .7
5.4 Accessibility of icon operations .7
6 Identifiability of icons.7
6.1 Internal attributes .7
6.2 Comprehensibility of icons .8
6.3 Discriminability of icons from each other.8
6.4 Discriminability of icons from adjacent objects .8
6.5 Consistency of state information .8
6.6 Discriminability of states of icons.8
6.7 Persistent presentation of icons.8
6.8 Consistency of comprehensibility and discriminability.8
6.9 Animation of icons .9
7 Attributes of icons.9
7.1 Description Attributes.9
7.2 Representation attributes.10
8 Functions of icons. 12
8.1 Separation of icon operations. 12
8.2 Selection of an icon. 12
8.3 Selection operation on a label. 12
8.4 Activation of an icon function . 12
8.5 Moving an icon. 12
8.6 Obtaining a functional description . 12
8.7 Obtaining state information. 12
8.8 Immediate indication of icon operations. 13
8.9 User control of labels . 13
9 Grouping icons . 13
9.1 Separation of icons. 13
9.2 Groups of icons . 13
9.3 Consistent positioning. 13
9.4 Ordering of icons. 13
9.5 Consistent ordering. 14
9.6 User control of icon groups. 14
10 Guidance regarding icons that relate to accessibility . 14
10.1 System related icons. 14
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ISO/IEC TR 19766:2007(E)
Annex A (informative) Sources of guidance . 15
Bibliography.20

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ISO/IEC TR 19766:2007(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of
ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees
established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental
and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information
technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International
Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as
an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
In exceptional circumstances, the joint technical committee may propose the publication of a Technical Report
of one of the following types:
⎯ type 1, when the required support cannot be obtained for the publication of an International Standard,
despite repeated efforts;
⎯ type 2, when the subject is still under technical development or where for any other reason there is the
future but not immediate possibility of an agreement on an International Standard;
⎯ type 3, when the joint technical committee has collected data of a different kind from that which is
normally published as an International Standard (“state of the art”, for example).
Technical Reports of types 1 and 2 are subject to review within three years of publication, to decide whether
they can be transformed into International Standards. Technical Reports of type 3 do not necessarily have to
be reviewed until the data they provide are considered to be no longer valid or useful.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC TR 19766, which is a Technical Report of type 2, was prepared by Joint Technical Committee
ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology, Subcommittee SC 35, User interfaces.

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ISO/IEC TR 19766:2007(E)
Introduction
Computer icons are typically graphical objects that are interacted upon via direct manipulation means to
achieve some specific functionality. The specialized abilities required to perform such interactions may limit
the possible range of users and environments in which icons are used and thus may limit access to the
underlying functionality provided by icons. This Technical Report identifies various attributes and operations that
can be implemented as part of an icon or graphical user interface symbol to provide greater accessibility to its
underlying functionalities.

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TECHNICAL REPORT ISO/IEC TR 19766:2007(E)

Information technology — Guidelines for the design of icons
and symbols to be accessible to all users, including the elderly
and people with disabilities

1 Scope
This Technical Report provides recommendations relating to the design of icons to support accessibility by the
elderly and people with disabilities. These recommendations assist accessible implementation of all icons for
users. While these recommendations were developed to meet the needs of the elderly and people with
disabilities, they can also provide greater accessibility to a wider range of users in a variety of different
contexts.
This Technical Report introduces a set of attributes and operations that can be implemented as features of
graphic icons to make the functionality of these icons accessible to the widest possible range of users. Textual
attributes are emphasized in this Technical Report because they can be rendered in various alternate
modalities. ISO/IEC 11581-1 provides guidance on the graphic aspects of icons. Specific renderings of these
attributes (or of icons in general) are not dealt with as part of this Technical Report.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 9241-3, Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) — Part 3: Visual
display requirements
ISO 9241-14, Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) — Part 14: Menu
dialogues
ISO/IEC 10646, Information technology — Universal Multiple-Octet Coded Character Set (UCS)
ISO/IEC TR 11580, Information technology — Framework for describing user interface objects, actions and
attributes
ISO/IEC 11581-1, Information technology — User system interfaces and symbols — Icon symbols and
functions — Part 1: Icons — General
ISO/IEC 11581-3, Information technology — User system interfaces and symbols — Icon symbols and
functions — Part 3: Pointer icons
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
icon
graphic displayed on the screen of a visual display that represents a function of the computer system

[ISO/IEC 11581-1]
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3.2
icon function
capability of the computer system represented by an icon
[ISO/IEC 11581-1]
3.3
icon operations
predefined interactions with an icon that a user initiates
NOTE 1 The main icon operations are: selection, activation and manipulation.
NOTE 2 This is in accordance with ISO/IEC TR 11580.
3.3.1
selection
explicitly identifying an icon that is intended as the target for subsequent action
EXAMPLE When a mouse is used, the selecting function is performed by clicking once on a mouse button.
NOTE This is in accordance with ISO/IEC TR 11580.
3.3.2
selection indication
cue that indicates the selected icon, to which the user may apply a subsequent action
NOTE This is in accordance with ISO/IEC TR 11580.
3.3.3
activation
initiation of the icon function of a selected icon
EXAMPLE When a mouse is used, the activation function is performed by double clicking on a mouse button.
NOTE This is in accordance with ISO/IEC TR 11580.
3.3.4
manipulation
controlling the selected icon without activating it
3.4
icon attribute
data item that modifies or describes some aspect of an icon
NOTE 1   “Attribute” is also used to refer to icon attribute within this Technical Report.
NOTE 2 This is in accordance with ISO/IEC TR 11580.
3.4.1
icon graphic
visual representation of an icon
NOTE     “Graphic” is also used to refer to icon graphic within this Technical Report.
3.4.2
icon internal identifier
language-independent information used to internally define an icon that is intended to ensure system-based
recognition of a particular icon
NOTE This is in accordance with ISO/IEC TR 11580.
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3.4.3
icon label
language-dependent information used to supplement or provide an alternative to the icon graphic
NOTE 1 This can include information in various languages, e.g. English, Japanese, Blissymbols.
NOTE 2 This is in accordance with ISO/IEC TR 11580.
3.4.4
function description
language-dependent set of words used to clarify the object and/or function represented by the icon to the
user
NOTE 1 The function description is used to elaborate on the meaning presented by the icon label.
NOTE 2 This is in accordance with ISO/IEC TR 11580.
3.5
state
status of an icon which is related to the currently permitted interactions with the icon
EXAMPLE Some states include: “active”, “available”, “selected”, “unavailable”.
NOTE This is in accordance with ISO/IEC TR 11580.
3.6
discriminability
ease with which a given icon can be distinguished from other icons that might occur in close spatial, temporal
or contextual proximity

[ISO/IEC 11581-1]
NOTE Discriminability applies both to icon graphics and to icon labels.
3.7
variations
permitted alterations of an icon used to present state information and/or to adapt all icon graphics to specific
design styles or specific system technologies while retaining their essential perceptual characteristics
including discriminability
3.8
translation
alternate version of language-dependent components of an icon to suit specific cultural and linguistic
audiences while retaining their essential content and discriminability
4 Framework for Establishing Accessibility of Icons
This clause provides a framework for identifying accessibility considerations in the analysis and design of
icons. This framework is presented both at a high level and at a detailed level. This framework identifies a
number of important components beyond the graphics and functions presented in ISO/IEC 11581-1 as a
conceptual framework for the development of icon graphics. Fully specifying icons involves more than just
connecting graphical elements to system functions.
This framework identifies a logical set of components of an individual icon to provide a basis for applying the
accessibility guidance contained within ISO/IEC TR 19766.
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Figure 1 presents a high level framework for establishing accessibility of icons. It shows that there are four
major interacting aspects that need to be considered in the design of accessible icons: attributes that specify
the internal identity of the icon; attributes that describe the icon in textual form; attributes that are used in
graphical representations of the icon; and operations related to the icon. Internal attributes identify the
intended function of the icon to software utilizing icons and allow it to distinguish between different icons.
Description attributes provide user-oriented information about the purpose and use of the icon and provide a
basis for the media-independent recognition of icons. Representation attributes are media dependent and
provide rendering information to developers and systems. Operations provide the functionalities of an icon that
are intended to be implemented by the system.

Figure 1 — A high-level framework for establishing accessibility of icons
Figure 2 provides a detailed framework for establishing accessibility of icons that expands each aspect
(identify, description attributes, representation attributes, and operations) into a number of specific
components. It also recognizes that icons are often located and used within a group rather than individually,
and that accessibility therefore involves grouping level operations. Each of the icon components, considered
in this framework can contribute to the accessibility of the icon and are the subject of guidance within
ISO/IEC TR 19766. Properties identified in ISO/IEC TR 11580 are implemented as attributes of an icon in
ISO/IEC TR 19766.
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Figure 2 — A detailed framework for establishing accessibility of icons
An icon can be uniquely identified based on its internal identifier and unique instance number. The current
possibilities of an icon can be uniquely identified by combining this unique identifier with the internal
representation of the current state that it is in. An internal identifier is a machine readable code that uniquely
identifies the functionality that the icon represents. The internal identifier is used to programmatically link all
aspects of an icon together. Making an internal identifier explicit can facilitate the standardization of icons. In
many current systems this is done implicitly via the programming routine / object used to implement the icon.
The current state of the icon further identifies how the icon will respond to different user actions.
Information attributes are textual so that they can be formatted and presented to the user through the widest
possible variety of media and modalities. The basic set of information attributes includes a label, a functional
description, and a textual value of the current state. Labels are short names that are presented with the
graphic, on demand, or on their own (in place of a graphic). Labels can be interacted with in a manner similar
to the use of icon graphics. Functional descriptions are presented on demand to provide further elaboration on
the purpose and/or use of an icon. Textual state values provide an indication to the user of how the icon will
respond to different user actions. Labels, descriptions, and states can be translated to provide cultural and
linguistic accessibility to icons. Where explicitly developed, these translations can be stored with an icon as
optional additions to the set of description attributes.
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Representation attributes include both the basic icon graphic and permitted variations on the graphic. Graphic
variations are produced both to adapt the graphic to different contexts of use and to convey information on the
current state of the icon. This framework recognizes that it is possible to develop alternate representations for
icons that are used in non-visual media that can be stored with an icon as optional additions to the set of
representation attributes. However, this Technical Report only provides guidance regarding improving the
accessibility of visual (graphic variation) representation.
This model contains three different formats: an internal computationally accessible format within the identity
attributes, a textual format within the information attributes, and a graphical format within the representation
attributes. Thus an icon can be referred to by its internal identifier, its label, or its icon graphic. Likewise, there
is only one current state of an icon at any time, which also has computational (internal state), textual (textual
state value), and graphical (graphic variations) formats.
Icons include additional specific operations beyond the operational properties identified in ISO/IEC TR 11580.
There are three basic operations that are part of all icons: selection, activation, and manipulation. Icon
selection can be followed by either activating the icon or manipulating it in other manners. Separating icon
operations, as considered in this framework provides greater accessibility by providing the user with an
appropriate level of controllability. The basic manipulation operation involves obtaining one or more of the
icon's information attributes. There are various types of optional manipulation operations including: individual
icon manipulations (selecting a language for presenting information attributes, modifying the pallet for
graphical representation of an icon) and manipulations of the icon within a group of icons (moving an icon,
removing the icon, restoring the icon). This framework also recognizes that some icons can involve additional
optional manipulation operations.
NOTE Application program interfaces (APIs) are often used to implement the functionalities described in this Technical
Report.
5 Structuring icons to support accessibility
5.1 Separate aspects of icons
An icon's state, individual attributes and individual operations should be separately accessible.
NOTE 1 This recommendation does not prohibit providing access to meaningful groups of attributes and operations.
NOTE 2 The internal attributes are only intended for the use of the system and are not intended to be presented to the
user.
5.2 Icon components
Icons should be composed of:
a) an unique internal identifier,
b) a set of permitted states,
c) an icon graphic,
d) an icon label,
e) an icon description,
f) a selection operation,
g) an activation operation, and
h) an operation that obtains the icon description.
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Additionally icons may have:
i) a unique instance number (for each instance of an icon implemented within an application),
j) translations of description attributes,
k) variations of representation attributes, and
l) one or more manipulation operations.
5.3 Accessibility of description attributes
Icon description attributes (including labels, descriptions and any available translations) should be readily
available to users and to assistive technologies.
5.4 Accessibility of icon operations
Both a pointing device and a keyboard or keyboard equivalent device should be able to be used exclusively to
complete all icon operations.
NOTE Keyboard or keyboard equivalent methods can be used to complete operations in manners that are not based
on direct manipulation.
6 Identifiability of icons
6.1 Internal attributes
6.1.1 Implementation of internal identifier
The internal identifier, a unique instance number, and an internal representation of the state of the icon should
be implemented as a software identifiable property of all icons.
NOTE 1 This will allow software to recognize the purpose of the user interface object, action, or attribute regardless of
how it is rendered.
NOTE 2 This identifier can be used to assist in the translation of user interface objects, actions, and attributes from one
form of rendering to another to support accessibility.
NOTE 3 It is not intended that internal identifiers be presented to the user.
6.1.2 Consistent internal identifiers
Internal identifiers should be used, wherever available from international or national icon standards.
NOTE Internal identifiers are used to identify the function the icon performs both within standards and within
programs. They are not intended to be presented to end users.
6.1.3 Specification of internal identifiers
Where standardized internal identifiers are not available for a particular icon, the developer should specify an
internal identifier for the particular icon.
NOTE This identifier can be used to assist in the translation of icon labels and descriptions from one form of
rendering to another in order to support accessibility.
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6.1.4 Specification of unique instance numbers
The assignment and specification of unique instance numbers should be done by the developer of the
application that implements the icon, with a different instance number being assigned to each instance within
the application.
6.1.5 Specification of internal representations of states
Where standardized internal representations of states are not available for a particular icon, the developer
should specify a set of internal representations of states to be used for all instances of the icon.
6.2 Comprehensibility of icons
All available icons should be comprehensible within the environment for which they are intended. When first-
time comprehension is not a usability requirement, then icons should be learnable.
6.3 Discriminability of icons from each other
All icons within an application should be discriminable from each other.
NOTE In applications where multiple icons might have the same label (e.g. in an application used within a Web
browser), icons can be made discriminable from each other by making the context of the icon explicit.
6.4 Discriminability of icons from adjacent objects
Icons should be distinguishable from other adjacent objects including backgrounds.
6.5 Consistency of state information
The value of the state of an icon should be consistent regardless of the format (internal, textual, or graphical)
used to present it.
6.6 Discriminability of states of icons
The graphical representation of the current state (including but not limited to: available, selected, unavailable)
of an icon should be clearly discriminable from that used to represent other states of the icon.
EXAMPLE 1 When an icon is selected, the icon graphic is replaced by a visually distinctive var
...