ULSE Researchers Develop Process to Evaluate Gender-Responsiveness in Standards

Today, UL Standards & Engagement published the report, Leveraging Publicly Available Data on Virtual Reality Headsets for Gender-Responsive Standards Development, which sets forth a methodology that standards development organizations can use to evaluate existing voluntary consensus standards for their ability to address safety hazards experienced by male and female users alike.

The methodology involves three parts: 

1. A text-based analysis of an organization’s standards catalog for anthropometric requirements
2. An examination of publicly available medical data
3. An investigation of research articles

In the report, the methodology is applied to UL 8400, the Standard for Safety for Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality Technology Equipment, as a pilot analysis. Through the analysis, researchers determined that female users of VR, AR, and MR headsets might be more prone to safety issues such as improper fitting, discomfort, and/or cybersickness. Findings are currently being reviewed by the ULSE technical committee responsible for maintenance of the standard.

The methodology is intended to be scalable for other SDOs — allowing them to apply it in the development and revision of gender-responsive standards. Authors of the report note that members of the standards community have expressed frustration in attempts to update voluntary consensus standards for gender-responsiveness without the data to support such efforts.

“This report was made partly in response to those concerns,” the researchers write. “It also demonstrates a process by which gender-related insights can be drawn from freely available sources, and serves as a viable proof-of-concept for other SDOs seeking to initiate gender-responsiveness.”

For more information on the methodology to evaluate gender-responsiveness in standards, download the report here.