Glossary

Search results

3D Printed Tactile Model(also: 3D tactile model, Tactile 3D model, 3D-printed accessibility model)

A physical, three-dimensional object produced by additive manufacturing (for example fused deposition modelling or stereolithography) that is designed to be explored by touch rather than sight. 3D printed tactile models are used in accessibility contexts to convey information…

Active Exploration(also: User-Directed Exploration)

An interaction paradigm in non-visual interfaces where users physically control their navigation through information, discovering content by directing a pointer, stylus, or finger across a surface or through a virtual space. In contrast to passive exploration, where the entire…

Chemical Markup Language(also: CML)

An XML-based markup language for representing chemical information including molecular structures, reactions, spectra, and other chemical data in a machine-readable format. CML encodes atoms, bonds, and molecular properties in a structured text format that can be processed by…

Entity-Relationship Diagram(also: ER Diagram, ERD)

A type of relational diagram used in software engineering and database design to model the conceptual structure of a system by representing entities (objects or concepts), their attributes (properties), and the relationships between them. ER diagrams are widely used by system…

Flowchart

A type of node-link diagram used to represent a process, workflow, or algorithm as a sequence of steps connected by directional arrows. Flowcharts use conventional shape vocabularies (rectangles for process steps, diamonds for decisions, ovals for start/end) so that structure is…

Graph(also: Node-Edge Diagram, Network Diagram)

A data structure and visual representation consisting of nodes (vertices) connected by edges (links) that represent relationships between entities. In computer science and mathematics, graphs are used to model networks, hierarchies, flowcharts, and many other relational…

Graphic Transcription(also: Image Transcription, Accessible Graphic Transcription)

The process of converting visual graphics (charts, maps, floor plans, diagrams) into formats accessible to blind and visually impaired users, such as tactile graphics, audio descriptions, or interactive multimodal representations using sonification and speech. Graphic…

Height-Field Surface(also: Surface plot, Heightfield plot, 2.5D surface)

A type of 3D data visualisation in which a scalar value (for example, elevation, intensity, pressure, or probability) is plotted over a two-dimensional domain, producing a continuous surface that can be rendered as a mesh, contour map, or draped cloth. Height-field surfaces are…

Intention-Based Description(also: Intention-Based Graph Description, Purpose-Driven Description)

An approach to generating accessible descriptions of visual content (particularly graphs and data visualisations) that focuses on communicating what the creator intended to convey rather than exhaustively describing every visual element. In graph accessibility, intention-based…

Node-Link Diagram

A visual representation in which discrete entities (nodes) are drawn as shapes such as circles or boxes and relationships between them are drawn as connecting lines or arrows (links/edges). Node-link diagrams are the default visualization for trees, graphs, flowcharts,…

Non-Visual Drawing(also: Blind Drawing, Drawing Without Sight)

The practice of creating graphical representations — such as diagrams, shapes, charts, or illustrations — without relying on visual feedback. Non-visual drawing can be accomplished through tactile methods (using raised line drawing kits or embossing tools), audio-tactile methods…

Passive Exploration(also: System-Directed Presentation)

An interaction paradigm in non-visual interfaces where a complete representation of information is presented to the user all at once, rather than being discovered through user-directed navigation. In the context of accessible graphics and data visualisation, passive exploration…

Raised-Line Drawing(also: Raised-Line Picture, Tactile Line Drawing, Embossed Line Drawing)

A raised-line drawing is a tactile representation of a visual image created by producing elevated lines on a surface that can be felt by touch, enabling blind and visually impaired people to perceive graphical information through their fingertips. Raised-line drawings can be…

Reference Sonification(also: Audio reference tone, Origin tone)

A sonification design pattern in which a fixed, recognisable audio tone represents a known landmark - typically the origin of a coordinate system or another anchor point - and can be re-played on demand so that a user exploring a non-visual data space can re-orient themselves…

Relational Diagram(also: Relational Information Display, RID)

A graphical representation that depicts items (nodes) and the relationships (links) between them using a two-dimensional spatial layout. Common forms include entity-relationship diagrams, flowcharts, state diagrams, network diagrams, and mind maps. Relational diagrams encode…

Volumetric Symbol(also: 3D Symbol, Volumetric Icon)

A small three-dimensional object used on a tactile or audio-tactile map to represent a category of place or facility — for example, a distinct shape for a restroom, elevator, information desk, or exhibition entrance. Research on tactile cartography has shown that blind map users…

16 results.