Accessibility and inclusion
Makes WCAG 2.2 AA the minimum for every page, workspace, figure and alert, requires disability-disaggregated data where risk is reported, and runs the accessibility horizontal review on each edition, grounded in the CRPD and the Sendai Framework‘s inclusion commitments. Each artefact of the area carries a UNI (Unique Nexus Identifier).
- Nexus Standards: NS-0, NS-5, NS-13.
- Open standards: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2; WAI-ARIA 1.2; EN 301 549 Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services; EPUB Accessibility 1.1; Washington Group Short Set on Functioning.
- Data and feeds: WHO Global Health Observatory OData API; UN SDG Global Database API (disability disaggregation).
- Couples with: Visualisation, figures and maps; Alerting and messaging; Open standards development.
- Nexus Standards
- 3
- NS-0, NS-5, NS-13
- Open standards
- 5
- named, never copied
- Data and feeds
- 2
- listed for reference
- Couplings
- 3
- with other areas
- UNI
- requested · allocation in progress
- Status
- Proposednot yet in the catalogue
- Last reviewed
- area profile
Nexus Standards (2026). Accessibility and inclusion: area brief, Communities, Learning and Contribution programme. Proposed. https://nexustandards.com/communities/accessibility-and-inclusion/. Last reviewed 17 October 2026.
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Scope and boundaries
An area of the Communities, Learning and Contribution programme (cross-cutting capabilities). The area profile sets out 4 matters in scope and 2 matters addressed by other areas.
In scope 4
- WCAG 2.2 AA conformance targets for the portal, workspaces and documents
- Accessible alerts and figures
- Disability disaggregation with the Washington Group question sets
- Accessibility statement and reporting route
Out of scope 2
- Assistive technology product design
- Legal accessibility determinations
Jurisdictions Application in each jurisdiction is a national decision, taken by the National Standards Council (NSC) with the competent national authorities.
Foundation, referenced and implementing layers
The standards architecture of this context, from the foundation standards to the open standards referenced (grouped by type of relation) and the services and data sources that build on them.
The interactive view requires JavaScript; the sections below present the same records.
The service pipeline
A request reaches the service with an explicit context; inputs are identified (NS-1) and validated against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2; the service processes them and writes records with provenance; results are published, resolved and monitored, and a correction flows back through the same path. Nexus Standards applied: NS-5, NS-13, NS-0. 8 operations in 5 phases, built from the area profile: the rows carry its own data sources, indicators, open standards, couplings and, where listed, hazards, and each operation names the rules it implements (11). Records and artefacts are cited by UNI (Unique Nexus Identifier) and version.
Standards · codify and correct
Standard lifecycle
Standard lifecycle · NS-13 track · Contribution channels · IETF track · W3C track · OGC track · OASIS track · ISO and IEC stages · Conformance · Record lifecycle · Routing · Monitoring.
Cycle findings become change proposals, the Global Standards Council adopts after a public last call, and each country decides its own adoption.
01 Route missions
- 01Route missions to standards and profilesStep · Nexus StandardsNexus Standards routes each candidate mission to the standards and profiles that apply.
02 Profiles and conformance
- 02Compose mission profilesStep · Nexus StandardsNexus Standards composes mission profiles and records any national adoption the missions depend on.
- 03Validate build outputs against the profilesStep · Nexus StandardsNexus Standards validates build outputs against the composed profiles and records the evidence.
- 04Monitor conformance and record sealed evidenceStep · Nexus StandardsDuring Action Week Nexus Standards monitors conformance and logs deviations.
03 Proposals and review
- 05Deviations and corrections become change proposalsStep · Nexus StandardsDeviations become change proposals, and the correction is recorded as a change to the evidence.
- 06Cycle findings become change proposalsStep · Nexus StandardsFindings from a cycle become change proposals: method and correction findings from Reports (F06) and docket items from Nexus…
- 07Draft and revise in the openStep · Committees and working groupsTechnical committees and working groups draft and revise the standards in the open process of NS-13.
- 08Review toward a council decisionStep · Nexus StandardsNexus Standards moves change proposals through review toward a council decision.
04 Council decision
- 09Public last callStep · Global Standards CouncilThe Global Standards Council adopts by a two-thirds majority after a ninety-day last call.
- 10Global adoption of a standardDecision · Global Standards CouncilThe Global Standards Council decides the adoption of each standard after public last call.
05 Publish and identify
- 11Assign a UNI and publishStep · Secretariat (GCRI Canada)Nexus Standards assigns UNIs and deposits publications under the publisher’s process.
- 12A UNI identifies and never certifiesRecord · Nexus StandardsEvery object of the programme year carries one identifier, a UNI under NS-1, so that it can be cited, versioned and resolved.
- 13Publish the year’s adopted changesStep · Nexus StandardsAt renewal Nexus Standards publishes the year’s adopted changes and national adoption status.
06 National adoption and application
- 14National adoption by the National Standards CouncilDecision · National Standards CouncilEach country’s National Standards Council decides national adoption: adopt as is, adopt with a profile (NS-16), adapt, or reference only.
- 15Adopted standards reach courses and editionsStep · Nexus StandardsEach adopted standard or profile becomes a course module in Risk Academy (F09), and standards are applied in Reports editions (R1).
- 16Adoption is final for each jurisdictionStandard · National Standards CouncilAdoption is final for each jurisdiction, and the GSC has no veto over a national decision. No global body holds a veto.
- 17National adoption recordsRecord · Nexus StandardsComposed mission profiles and national adoption records go to the Foundry at readiness preparation (F08).
Nexus Standards · Nexus Standards (institution) · National Standards CouncilAn outline of the designed programme cycle, not a record of operation: no cycle has run and every programme is at service level R0. Every Nexus Standard is at the PROPOSED stage and nexustandards.com governs the text and status of each one. A UNI identifies and never certifies; a validator report is evidence for review, not a conformance claim.
The operations, as a table
| Step | Phase | Operation | Who | Decision rule | Record | Implements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Request | Request (start). The service covers: WCAG 2.2 AA conformance targets for the portal, workspaces and documents, Accessible alerts and figures and Disability disaggregation with the Washington Group question sets. | a client, a person or a machine | the context is explicit in the request or on the record, never inferred | a request naming its context and inputs | NS16-R20 |
| 02 | Request | Identify inputs (step). Every input is resolved before it is used; an unresolved input is a typed refusal. | the service | inputs are cited by UNI and version | inputs resolved to their UNIs and versions | NS1-R5, NS2-R2, NS0-P12 |
| 03 | Validation | Validate Web (gate). Open standards of this area: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, WAI-ARIA 1.2, EN 301 549 Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services and EPUB Accessibility 1.1. | the service’s validator | validated against the open standard’s own schema or validator where one exists | a validation run against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 and WAI-ARIA 1.2 | NS14-R2 |
| 04 | Processing | Process (model). Processing is reproducible from the inputs, the method version and the configuration. | the service | the method and version are recorded with the result | Accessible alerts and figures | NS12-R1 |
| 05 | Processing | Write records (record). Results are written append-only; a correction adds a version. | the service | every result carries what it was derived from | result records with provenance and a record UNI | NS0-P7, NS1-R3 |
| 06 | Publication | Publish and resolve (step). Results are discoverable and citable by UNI. | the service | writes return the allocated UNI; citations resolve | results reachable through the resolver, with the X-Nexus-UNI header | NS1-R5, NS2-R5 |
| 07 | Monitoring | Monitor (exercise). Data sources the service reads: WHO Global Health Observatory OData API and UN SDG Global Database API (disability disaggregation). Data sources are listed for reference; live data is displayed once licence review is complete. | the monitoring service | monitoring records are observations with record UNIs | observations of availability, drift and WCAG 2.2 SC 1.4.3 | NS11-R4 |
| 08 | Monitoring | Correction (end). Products that used a corrected record are listed and recomputed. | the data steward | a correction never overwrites; dependent results are replayed | a correction record that reaches every dependent result | NS1-R3, NS2-R4 |
Table.Operations in walking order; each row names the phase, the operation, its actor, its decision rule, the record it leaves and the rule identifiers it implements. The table shows the process as specified; it does not report the status of any standard, proposal or record. Sources: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 · WAI-ARIA 1.2 · NS-5: Figure, map and visualisation standard · NS-13: Standards development process.
Standards that apply
The area profile lists 3 Nexus Standards. Each is a proposed standard under development.
- 01
NS-5 · Figure, map and visualisation standard (with the UI/UX kit)
Status: proposed · 5 requirements stated. Read NS-5.
- 02
NS-13 · Standards development process (open proposals, review, versioning, adoption)
Status: proposed · 5 requirements stated. Read NS-13.
- 03
NS-0 · Constitution and principles
Status: proposed · 12 requirements stated. Read NS-0.
How a shock travels through this system
A system model of this area built from the registry: 4 systems, 4 sectors, 5 controls, 2 feeds, 2 indicators. Select the components to include, choose an initiating hazard and run the scenario. Stress propagates through the hazard relations of the Nexus Hazard Standard (NHS-1), the exposure of each system, the recorded couplings and the sectors that carry the loss; adopted standards dampen transmission and live data sources support detection. All parameters are stated assumptions that the reader can adjust; results are illustrative scenario outputs for exercises and training, not forecasts or risk assessments.
Systems and couplings
- Accessibility and inclusion
- Visualisation, figures and maps Coupling
- Alerting and messaging Coupling
- Open standards development Coupling
Controls
NS-5Figure, map and visualisation standard (with the UI/UX kit)NS-13Standards development process (open proposals, review, versioning, adoption)NS-0Constitution and principlesNRS-A7Accessibility, plain language and translation of standardsNRS-D2Society, inclusion and human development risk
Observation
- WHO Global Health Observatory OData API (listed for reference)
- UN SDG Global Database API (disability disaggregation) (listed for reference)
- Contrast (minimum)
- Proportion of persons victim of harassment, by disability status (disaggregation example)
Open standards referenced
5 open standards, each with its relation as recorded in the register under NS-14. Hover over or focus a relation for its definition.
Routing, monitoring and verification tools
Verification console
Test suites, conformance statements and attestations for each standard, as recorded in the registry.
Available · draft in the browserProfile composer
Combine standards and clauses into a draft profile with citations, in YAML or JSON; nothing is submitted.
Each console computes from the registry and states its reasoning; decisions remain with the competent bodies.
Systemic couplings
3 couplings link this area to other areas and programmes, each with the mechanism of the link.
- Visualisation, figures and mapsSpace and Earth ObservationFigures require text alternatives, data tables and non-colour encodings before publication.
- Alerting and messagingEarly Warning and Anticipatory ActionAlert candidates must carry accessible formats and plain-language text so persons with disabilities are reached.
- Open standards developmentFoundations and GovernanceNo edition reaches the Proposed stage without the accessibility horizontal review.
Data sources
2 data sources named in the area profile, each with provider, licence, update frequency and delivery path.
Data sources are listed for reference; live data is displayed once licence review is complete.
- Live
- 0
- on completion of licence review
- Listed in the data register
- 1
- licence terms recorded
- Proposed for the register
- 1
- licence terms to be recorded
- Delivery
- 0 governed service · 0 plugin · 0 browser · 0 snapshot · 2 listed for reference
- proposed paths in order of preference: governed data service, plugin, direct browser read, build-time snapshot; sources whose terms do not permit reuse are listed for reference only
WHO Global Health Observatory OData APIfor reference.
WHO · per release
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
listed for referencelisted in the data register.
UN SDG Global Database API (disability disaggregation)for reference.
UN Statistics Division · annual with updates
United Nations terms of use (non-commercial unless the portal states otherwise)
listed for referenceproposed for the data register.
Indicators
The area profile names 2 indicators, each with its framework and code.
Indicator names and codes are given as published by their stewards.
Restricted compatibility profiles
Standards whose text is not openly available are named and linked only. Any compatibility profile is kept on protected pages until an arrangement with the issuing body is in place.
The working group may identify restricted standards relevant to this area; they are listed here by name and link.
Working group charter
A proposed charter for this area, open to institutions and experts.
Maintain the accessibility review and inclusive risk data practice.
Institutions and experts are invited to charter this working group under NS-13 by filing a public change record. National Working Groups (NWGs) contribute national inputs and field exercises through their National Nexus Consortium (NNC).
- Accessibility horizontal review checklist
- Accessible alert and figure profiles
- Disaggregation guidance
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative liaison sought
- Washington Group on Disability Statistics liaison sought
- Disability-inclusive DRR Network liaison sought
Evidence, recognition and capital pathways
What each institution of the ecosystem draws from this area: The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI Canada), as Secretariat, for evidence; The Global Risks Forum (GRF) for recognition; and The Global Risks Alliance (GRA) for capital.
GCRI Canada
GCRI Canada reports disaggregate by disability where the source allows and state when it does not.
The Global Risks Forum (GRF)
GRF events, pages and recognition records meet WCAG 2.2 AA and publish known issues.
The Global Risks Alliance (GRA)
GRA readiness reviews ask whether risk reduction benefits reach persons with disabilities and record the evidence gap if not.
Each institution determines under its own rules what it accepts as evidence; a pathway reading is neither an approval nor investment advice.
Intended users
The area profile identifies 4 user communities.
- Accessibility specialists
- Web and app developers
- Disability-inclusive DRR practitioners
- Statistical offices
Open research questions
2 questions identified as priorities for the working group.
- Accessible interactive maps and 3D globes for screen-reader users.
- Sparse disability-disaggregated loss data in most national databases.
Hazards, threats and sectors concerned
Hazards and threats 0
This area draws on the hazards of the areas it is coupled with.
Sectors 0
This area serves all sectors through the areas it is coupled with.
Sources
3 references from peer-reviewed and official publications cited in the area profile, linked at the publishers’ own sites.
peer-reviewedThe Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Persons with DisabilitiesInternational Journal of Disaster Risk Science · 2015- officialConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesOHCHR · 2006
- standardWeb Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2W3C · 2023
Recent research on this area
Recent peer-reviewed articles, preprints, datasets and reports on the subject of this area, retrieved at the time of reading from open scholarly metadata services (OpenAlex, Crossref, DataCite, Zenodo, arXiv, Europe PMC, OpenAIRE Graph) with search terms composed from the registry. Each work is listed with its authors, venue, year, type, open-access status and licence, and links to its DOI or landing page. Sources not yet enabled for live display on this site are listed for reference and are not queried.
Search termsaccessibility; disability inclusion; inclusive; Web Content Accessibility Guidelines; WAI-ARIAcombined with: disaster; early warning; emergency; risk communicationDerived from the title and scope of the area, the NHS-1 hazards it names and the open standards it lists.
- OpenAlexlisted for reference; not queried
- Crossreflisted for reference; not queried
- DataCitelisted for reference; not queried
- Zenodolisted for reference; not queried
arXivlisted for reference; not queried- Europe PMClisted for reference; not queried
- OpenAIRE Graphlisted for reference; not queried
No source is enabled for live display on this site yet: the sources are listed for reference and none is queried. Once the publisher of record enables a source after its terms are reviewed, recent works are listed here. Metadata and links only: title, authors, venue, year, type, open-access status and licence as each source records them; works are listed for orientation, not reviewed or endorsed.
Risk Academy courses and disciplines
1 course and 2 disciplines of Risk Academy (risksacademy.com) that teach the knowledge and methods of this area. Each course lists its level, stream and learning hours.
Courses
Disciplines
The correspondence between courses, disciplines and the Nexus Standards is maintained with Risk Academy and is subject to its academic review.
Programmes, tracks and courses for this area
GCRI Canada, The Global Risks Forum (GRF) and Risk Academy work on the subject of this area in distinct roles (research and evidence; governance, policy and convening; education and training). Each entry states why it corresponds and the step it offers; each institution sets its own terms of participation.
Research and evidence
GCRI Canada
Research programmes that produce the observations, models and assessments these records describe.
Society and Human DevelopmentStudies education and capabilities and social vulnerability.Apply to this programme Digital Public InfrastructureStudies digital inclusion.Apply to this programme therisk.globalAll programmes of GCRI CanadaGovernance, policy and convening
The Global Risks Forum (GRF)
Tracks that convene public authorities, researchers and institutions on the governance of shared risks.
Information Integrity and Public TrustStudies community information.Join this track globalriskforum.comAll tracks of The Global Risks ForumEducation and training
Risk Academy
Courses and disciplines that teach the knowledge and methods practitioners need to apply these standards.
Disaster Risk ReductionRAF-101 · Introductory · 21.5 learning hoursUnderstanding, governing and reducing disaster risk from household to planetTake this course All courses and disciplinesListed in the education and training section of this pageKey terms
- UNI
- Unique Nexus Identifier: a persistent identifier that resolves an artefact to its record.
- proposed
- A draft in the open development process that the Global Standards Council has not yet adopted. Each area profile is a proposal to the Nexus Standards registry.
- adopt
- Relation in which the external standard is used as published and values are validated against it.
- crosswalk
- Relation in which clauses of these standards are mapped to parts of the external standard by clause number, without reproducing its text.
- change record
- A public record of a proposed change under NS-13, decided by the editors with written reasons.
- attestation
- An evaluator’s recorded result for one clause and one subject under NS-11.
- liaison sought
- A liaison the working group intends to request from the issuing body; a liaison is established only when the body confirms it in writing.
Related areas
Recent research and sources
Peer-reviewed articles, preprints, reports and datasets on the subject of this area, retrieved at the time of reading from open scholarly metadata services (OpenAlex and Crossref) and listed with authors, venue, year, type and access status, with a link to each work. Curated references and related standards are listed first; recent works matched by subject follow and are listed for orientation.
Curated references
- The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Persons with Disabilities
International Journal of Disaster Risk Science · 2015 · Peer-reviewed - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2
W3C · 2023 · Standard - Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
OHCHR · 2006 · Official publication
Related standards and frameworks
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2
W3C - WAI-ARIA 1.2
W3C - EN 301 549 Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services
ETSI / CEN / CENELEC - EPUB Accessibility 1.1
W3C - Washington Group Short Set on Functioning
Washington Group on Disability Statistics
Search terms, derived from the title and scope of the area: accessibility; disability inclusion; inclusive; combined with: disaster; early warning; emergency; risk communication. With JavaScript enabled, recent works matching these terms are listed from OpenAlex and Crossref.
Questions and answers.
What is the status of the Accessibility and inclusion area?
How are data sources presented?
How can this brief be amended?
Contribute evidence from this page.
Reports is the Consortium’s quarterly publication. What you know about this subject can become evidence, a case or a correction in the next edition, credited to you and published under CC BY 4.0 where it is your own work.
- EmailGateway GW-STDSend it from this pageEvidence, a correction, a case, a method, a review, a translation or profile input. It arrives tagged with this page, so the editor who owns it receives it.
- ZenodoOpen depositDeposit it and submit to the communityPublish your own record on Zenodo with your ORCID iD, then submit it to the Reports community there. Curators review it; the DOI stays yours.
- ReportsNexus StandardsSee every way to contributeThe contribution types, how each is reviewed, what credit you receive, the licence and what is never accepted.
Never send personal data, sensitive infrastructure detail or anything you have no right to share. A contribution is reviewed before use; sending it confers no authorship or editorial rights, and sponsorship never buys a finding.
Contribute to Accessibility and inclusion
Institutions and experts are invited to propose amendments, join the working group or propose data sources. National participation is organised through each country’s National Nexus Consortium (NNC) and its National Working Groups (NWGs); competent national authorities are engaged through official channels.
Status and use. The Nexus Standards are proposed standards developed through an open process under NS-13 and published for voluntary use; they do not constitute certification, accreditation or regulatory approval, and adoption remains a decision of the Global Standards Council and, in each country, of its National Standards Council. A UNI (Unique Nexus Identifier) identifies an artefact; it does not certify it. Names of standards bodies and their standards belong to their stewards and are used only to identify the documents; no text of an external standard is reproduced here. Nexus Standards is not affiliated with, endorsed by or certified by any standards body named here.
Licences: CC BY 4.0 for standards text, registries, schemas and data; Apache-2.0 for reference code. External standards are cited by name, number and link under their own licences. Third-party data, libraries and fonts keep their own licences: see Third-party notices.