Glossary

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Live Transcribe(also: Google Live Transcribe)

An Android accessibility feature developed by Google that provides real-time speech-to-text transcription, displaying spoken words as text on the smartphone screen. Live Transcribe supports over 80 languages and is designed primarily for deaf and hard of hearing users to follow…

Localization(also: Position Estimation, Indoor Localization, User Localization)

Localization is the process of determining a user's position within an environment, typically using a combination of sensors such as GPS, inertial measurement units, BLE beacons, Wi-Fi signals, or computer vision. Accurate localization is the foundational challenge for all…

Location Awareness(also: Location-Aware Computing, Location Sensing)

The ability of a computing system to determine and respond to the physical location of a user or device, typically using GPS, Wi-Fi positioning, cellular triangulation, or other sensing technologies. In assistive technology, location awareness enables context-sensitive support…

Logical Control(also: Indirect Control)

An interaction paradigm where the user accesses specific functions supported by an application indirectly, typically by selecting from a presented set of options rather than performing the action directly. Examples include scanning through a menu of commands, using keyboard…

Logical Metaphor(also: Spatial Metaphor)

A design technique for haptic feedback where the physical location of a vibration on the body is mapped to correspond with a spatial or conceptual dimension of the information being conveyed. For example, vibrations on the left, middle, and right positions of an armband can…

Lombard Effect(also: Lombard Reflex, Lombard Response)

The involuntary tendency of speakers to increase the intensity, duration, and fundamental frequency of their speech when communicating in noisy environments. Named after French otolaryngologist Étienne Lombard who first described the phenomenon in 1911, the effect involves…

Look to Speak

A free Android application developed by Google Creative Lab that enables people with speech and motor impairments to communicate by selecting images or pre-written phrases using eye movements detected by the smartphone's front-facing camera. Users navigate by looking left,…

Lookout(also: Google Lookout)

An Android accessibility application developed by Google that uses the smartphone camera and machine learning to identify objects, read text, scan documents, and describe surroundings for blind and partially sighted users. Lookout can identify currency, read food labels,…

Low Bandwidth Input(also: Limited Input, Reduced Bandwidth Input)

A category of human-computer interaction where the user can only produce a very small number of distinct signals — typically one to four — when communicating with a computer. Low bandwidth input characterizes users with severe motor and speech impairments, such as those with…

Low-Barrier Access(also: Low-Barrier Technology)

Technology or services designed to minimize obstacles to initial use, including cost, setup complexity, training requirements, and technical prerequisites. Low-barrier access is particularly important for people with temporary or newly acquired disabilities who may need…

Low-Resource Setting(also: Resource-Limited Setting, Resource-Constrained Environment)

A context characterized by limited financial resources, infrastructure, trained professionals, and technological capacity that affects the availability and sustainability of services including healthcare and assistive technology. Low-resource settings present unique challenges…

Low-Tech AAC(also: No-Tech AAC, Unaided AAC)

Augmentative and alternative communication methods that require no or minimal technology, including communication boards, picture cards, letter boards, eye-pointing frames, sign language, and gestures. Low-tech AAC is often more immediately accessible, sustainable, and…

Low-Tech Accessibility(also: Low-Tech Accommodations, Low-Tech Solutions)

Accessibility solutions that use simple, inexpensive materials and methods rather than advanced technology to support people with disabilities in completing tasks. Examples include tactile guides made from tape or magnets on equipment, raised markings for orientation, notches…

Lynx

A text-only web browser that runs in terminal or command-line environments, displaying web content as plain text without images, JavaScript, or visual formatting. Developed in 1992 at the University of Kansas, Lynx was historically significant for web accessibility because its…

MAGic

A screen magnification software program developed by Freedom Scientific that enlarges on-screen content and enhances visibility for people with low vision. MAGic can magnify the screen up to 36x, offers multiple viewing modes (full screen, lens, split screen), includes color…

MIDI Controller(also: MIDI Input Device)

A hardware device that generates MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) messages to control music software or sound modules without being a traditional musical instrument. MIDI controllers include keyboards, drum pads, wind controllers, joysticks, and purpose-built…

Machine Embroidery(also: Computerized Embroidery, Automated Embroidery)

A textile production method using computer-controlled embroidery machines to stitch patterns onto fabric based on digital design files. Machine embroidery can produce a wide variety of stitch types, textures, and densities, making it a promising medium for creating tactile…

Magnetic Prototyping

A prototyping technique that uses magnetic elements on magnetic boards to create quickly reconfigurable physical designs. In accessible design for blind users, magnetic prototyping is particularly effective because elements snap into place with satisfying tactile feedback, can…

Magnification(also: Screen Magnification, Visual Magnification)

The enlargement of visual content to make it more readable for people with low vision. Magnification can be achieved through optical means (magnifying glasses, telescope magnifiers), electronic means (screen magnifiers, CCTV), or digital means (software zoom, pinch-to-zoom).…

Magnification Factor(also: Zoom Level, Magnification Level, Zoom Factor)

The ratio by which screen content is enlarged when using a screen magnifier. A magnification factor of 2x means the content appears twice its original size, but only one quarter of the original screen area is visible at any given time. Choosing an appropriate magnification…

Magnification inset(also: Magnified inset view, Zoom inset)

A user interface element that displays a magnified view of a specific region of content within a smaller window overlaid on the original view. Unlike full-screen magnification, an inset preserves the surrounding context while enlarging the area of interest. For low-vision users,…

Makers Making Change(also: MMC)

Makers Making Change is a Canadian non-profit program (part of the Neil Squire Society) that connects volunteer makers with people with disabilities to design, 3D-print, and distribute low-cost, open-source assistive technology. It hosts a library of freely downloadable AT…

Makerspace(also: Fab Lab, Fabrication Laboratory, Hackerspace)

A collaborative workspace equipped with tools and technology for designing and fabricating physical objects, typically including 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, and electronics workbenches. University and community makerspaces have become important sites for assistive…

Makey Makey

A small electronic invention kit that uses alligator clips to connect everyday conductive objects — fruit, foil, playdough, drawn pencil lines — to a computer, which sees them as keyboard presses or mouse clicks. Created by Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum at the MIT Media Lab,…

Making(also: Maker Movement, Maker Culture)

Making refers to the practice of creating, building, or fabricating physical objects, often using tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, and electronics. In accessibility contexts, making encompasses both creating accessible maker tools and developing do-it-yourself assistive…

Manipulative(also: Math Manipulative, Educational Manipulative, Tactile Manipulative)

A physical object used in education to help students learn abstract concepts through hands-on exploration and manipulation. In mathematics, common manipulatives include blocks, counters, fraction tiles, and geometric shapes. For students who are blind or have low vision,…

Manual Wheelchair(also: Self-propelled wheelchair)

A wheelchair propelled by the user pushing on handrims attached to the rear wheels, or by an attendant pushing from behind. Manual wheelchairs are the most common type of wheelchair used for personal mobility and become deeply integrated into users' identities and daily…

Mapping by Demonstration

A personalisation technique for gestural and sensor-based interfaces in which the system learns the relationship between user input (movement, breath, gaze) and output (sound, visuals, commands) from examples the user provides, rather than from designer-authored rules. The…

Markov Decision Process(also: MDP)

A mathematical framework for modelling decision-making in situations where outcomes are partly random and partly under the control of a decision-maker. In accessibility and assistive technology, Markov decision processes and their extension, partially observable Markov decision…

Markov Logic Networks(also: MLN, MLNs)

A machine learning framework that combines first-order logic with probabilistic graphical models to handle uncertainty in rule-based reasoning. In assistive technology contexts, MLNs enable context-aware systems to make intelligent decisions by weighing multiple factors—such as…

Matching Person and Technology(also: MPT Model)

A framework for understanding assistive technology adoption that considers the match between a person's characteristics (preferences, needs, lifestyle), the environmental context, and the technology's features. Developed by Marcia Scherer, the MPT model frames AT adoption as a…

Material Experience(also: Material Aesthetics, Material Interaction)

The multidimensional way people perceive, interpret, and emotionally respond to the physical materials of objects they interact with. The materials experience framework categorizes these experiences into four levels: sensorial (immediate physical sensations from touching,…

Math-to-Speech(also: Mathematical Speech Generation, Math Speech)

The process of converting mathematical notation into spoken language that can be rendered by text-to-speech engines or read aloud by screen readers. Math-to-speech is significantly more complex than reading ordinary text because mathematical expressions are two-dimensional,…

MathJax

An open-source JavaScript display engine that renders mathematical notation written in LaTeX, MathML, or AsciiMath in web browsers. MathJax is significant for accessibility because it produces output that can be read by screen readers, supports keyboard navigation of…

MathPlayer

A software plugin developed by Design Science that enables the rendering and text-to-speech reading of mathematical expressions encoded in MathML within web browsers and other applications. MathPlayer works with screen readers and text-to-speech tools like Read & Write Gold to…

MathSpeak(also: MathSpeak Rules)

A set of rules and conventions for verbally describing mathematical notation in a standardized, unambiguous way that can be understood by people who cannot see the visual representation of formulas. MathSpeak provides consistent patterns for reading mathematical expressions…

Meal Assistance Technology(also: Dining Assistance Technology, Food Accessibility Technology)

Assistive technologies designed to help people with disabilities identify, locate, and consume food independently during mealtimes. For people with visual impairments, these systems may use computer vision to recognize dishes, voice interfaces to provide information about food…

MediaPipe

An open-source framework by Google for building multimodal machine learning pipelines, commonly used for real-time face, hand, and body tracking. In accessibility applications, MediaPipe Holistic extracts 3D landmarks from the user's body and hands via webcam, while MediaPipe…

Medical Maker(also: Clinician-Maker)

A healthcare professional who also engages in fabrication and making activities, bridging the gap between clinical expertise and maker culture. Medical makers combine knowledge of patient safety, rehabilitation, and medical requirements with hands-on skills in 3D printing,…

Medical Making(also: Clinical Making)

The practice of clinicians — particularly occupational therapists, physical therapists, and physicians — creating custom assistive devices for their patients using digital fabrication tools such as 3D printers and CAD software. Medical making extends traditional splinting and…

Medical model of disability(also: Medical model)

A framework that views disability as a problem residing in the individual, caused by disease, trauma, or health condition, and requiring medical intervention to "fix" the person. In this model, a blind person is defined by their lack of sight, and solutions focus on treating or…

Medicalised Aesthetic(also: Medical Model Design, Clinical Aesthetic)

A design approach in assistive technology that prioritises clinical functionality over personal style, resulting in devices that visually signal disability through neutral, institutional-looking form factors such as plain plastic casings and uniform designs. Research with AAC…

Medication Adherence(also: Treatment Adherence, Medication Compliance)

Medication adherence is the degree to which a patient takes medication as prescribed — at the correct dose, frequency, and duration. It is a significant challenge in chronic disease management, with non-adherence rates estimated at 50% globally. Poor adherence contributes to…

Memory Aid(also: Memory Wallet, Memory Book, External Memory Aid)

A tool or device that supports memory function by providing external cues, reminders, or stored information that a person can reference. For people with dementia or other cognitive impairments, memory aids may include wallets with photos and captions, communication boards,…

Memory Cue(also: Memory Prompt, Recall Cue, Retrieval Cue)

Any stimulus — such as a photograph, sound, object, location, or verbal prompt — that triggers the recollection of a past experience or piece of information. In assistive technology for people with episodic memory impairment, memory cues are used to help individuals recall…

Mercator

A research screen reader system developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology by W. Keith Edwards and Elizabeth Mynatt for the X Window System on Unix workstations. Mercator pioneered the approach of providing access to graphical user interfaces at the semantic level —…

Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses(also: Ray-Ban Meta, Meta Smart Glasses)

Consumer smart glasses produced through a partnership between Meta and Ray-Ban that integrate cameras, speakers, and microphones into a conventional eyewear form factor. When paired with Meta's Live AI feature, these glasses enable hands-free, voice-activated interaction with…

Metaverse

The metaverse refers to a persistent, interconnected network of virtual and mixed-reality spaces where users can interact, collaborate, and engage with digital content and each other in real time. It extends XR concepts — virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality —…

Micro Assistive Technology(also: Micro-AT, Accessibility Plugins)

Small, single-feature assistive technology components that address specific accessibility needs, analogous to browser plugins or app add-ons in mainstream software. Unlike full assistive technology suites, micro-AT focuses on individual enhancements that can be developed by…

Micro-Prompting(also: Step Prompting, Task Segmentation)

An assistive technology approach that breaks complex multi-step tasks into individual sub-steps, presenting each step one at a time to guide users through completion. Originally developed to support people with acquired brain injury and dementia in daily activities like meal…