No clear or inclusive process for retiring standards

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Standards can be withdrawn without clear rules, public consultation, or timely communication.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Without a transparent and inclusive process, standards may be removed too soon, kept for too long, or withdrawn without people knowing.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• No clear or transparent criteria for deciding when a standard is outdated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• No clear public notice that a standard is being withdrawn
• People continuing to use an outdated standard without knowing
• Policies or contracts still referring to a withdrawn standard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