Capability model

A structured representation of an individual user's abilities across relevant dimensions such as sight, hearing, mobility, and cognition. In accessibility and adaptive interface design, capability models are used to characterize what interaction modalities and design spaces are available to a given user, informing how an interface should adapt its presentation. Rather than categorizing users by disability label (blind, deaf, motor impaired), capability modeling represents abilities as ranges or profiles, acknowledging that capabilities vary in degree, may be situational or temporary, and that users may have combinations of capabilities and limitations. Capability models are a key input to self-adapting user interfaces, where the interface dynamically selects appropriate interaction metaphors and design spaces based on the modeled capabilities of the current user.