Glossary

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Technology Abandonment(also: Device Abandonment, Technology Discontinuance)

The phenomenon where users stop using a technology or assistive device after initial adoption, often due to poor usability, lack of perceived benefit, inadequate training, or misalignment with actual needs and routines. Technology abandonment rates are particularly high among…

Technology Acceptance(also: Technology Adoption, TAM)

The process by which individuals evaluate, adopt, and integrate new technology into their routines, often modeled through frameworks like the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) which emphasizes perceived usefulness and ease of use as key predictors. For accessibility, technology…

Technology Acceptance Model(also: TAM)

A theoretical framework originally developed by Fred Davis in 1989 that explains how users come to accept and use a technology. TAM posits that technology adoption depends on two primary factors: perceived usefulness (the degree to which a person believes the technology will…

Technology Adoption(also: AT Adoption, Technology Uptake)

The process by which individuals begin using and integrating new technology into their daily routines. In accessibility contexts, technology adoption encompasses the decision to acquire assistive technology, the learning curve involved in using it effectively, and sustained use…

Technology Amplification Theory(also: Technology as Amplifier)

A theory proposed by Kentaro Toyama positing that technology amplifies existing human intent and capacity rather than creating new capabilities from scratch. In the context of assistive technology and disability services, this theory argues that introducing digital tools into…

Technology Dependency(also: Tech Dependency, Digital Dependency)

The state of relying on technology to perform tasks that one might otherwise accomplish independently, or the risk that technology use persists beyond the original need. In disability and accessibility contexts, technology dependency raises complex questions: reliance on…

Technology Ecosystem(also: Tech Ecosystem)

The interconnected network of hardware, software, services, infrastructure, professionals, and support systems that collectively determine whether a technology can be effectively used and sustained. In assistive technology contexts, the technology ecosystem extends well beyond…

Technology Repertoire(also: Assistive Technology Repertoire, Tool Repertoire)

The collection of tools, technologies, and strategies that a disabled person uses in coordination to address access barriers in their daily life. Repertoires are not static lists but dynamic ecosystems where tools interact, complement each other, and serve different purposes…

Technology Transfer(also: Tech Transfer)

The process of moving research findings, inventions, and prototype technologies from the laboratory to commercial availability and widespread use. In assistive technology, technology transfer is a critical but often challenging step — many promising devices developed in research…

Technology acceptance(also: User acceptance, Technology adoption)

The degree to which individuals are willing to embrace, use, and integrate a new technology into their practices, influenced by perceived usefulness, ease of use, social norms, trust, and prior experience. In accessibility contexts, technology acceptance is shaped by additional…

Technology discoverability(also: AT discoverability, Product findability)

The ease with which users can find, evaluate, and select appropriate technologies that meet their specific needs. In disability and accessibility contexts, discoverability is a persistent challenge: stakeholders often navigate an information-poor environment where fragmented…

Technology interdependence(also: Technological interdependence, Multi-tool strategy)

The strategic use of multiple complementary technologies in combination to accomplish tasks that no single tool can fully support. For people with disabilities, technology interdependence is particularly relevant in complex real-world activities like travel, where different…

Tele-rehabilitation(also: Telerehab, Remote Rehabilitation, Virtual Rehabilitation)

Tele-rehabilitation is the delivery of rehabilitation services remotely using information and communication technology, enabling therapy and cognitive training to occur in a person's home or community setting rather than exclusively in clinical facilities. For people with…

Telecoil(also: T-Coil, Telephone Coil, Induction Coil)

A small copper coil inside a hearing aid or cochlear implant processor that picks up magnetic signals and converts them to sound. Telecoils allow hearing device users to receive audio directly from telephones, loop systems, and other compatible devices while reducing background…

Telecommunications Device for the Deaf(also: TDD, TTY, Text Telephone)

A specialized device that enables text-based telephone communication for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. TDDs transmit typed text over telephone lines using acoustic coupling or direct connection, requiring compatible devices at both ends of the conversation. While TDDs…

Telehealth(also: Telepractice, Telemedicine, Virtual Healthcare)

The delivery of healthcare services, clinical assessments, and therapeutic interventions remotely using telecommunications technology such as videoconferencing, phone calls, and digital platforms. Telehealth expanded dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic and has become an…

Teleoperation(also: Remote Operation, Telerobotics)

Teleoperation is the remote control of a physical system — a robot, manipulator, vehicle, or surgical instrument — by a human operator at a distance, typically using force-feedback haptic devices that let the operator feel contact and resistance from the remote environment.…

Telepresence Robot(also: Telepresence Device, Remote Presence Robot)

A remotely controlled robot equipped with a mobile base, camera, microphone, and speaker that enables a user to navigate, observe, and interact with people and environments from a distance. Telepresence robots extend the concept of video conferencing by adding mobility and…

Telepresence robot(also: Telepresence, Remote presence robot)

A mobile robotic device that enables a remote user to have a physical presence in a distant location, typically featuring a screen displaying the user's face, a camera, microphone, speaker, and wheels for navigation. In educational and workplace accessibility contexts,…

Telescopic Magnifier(also: Bioptic Telescope, Telescopic Glasses)

A small telescope mounted in or attached to eyeglasses that provides magnification for viewing distant or intermediate-distance objects. Telescopic magnifiers are used by people with low vision for tasks like reading sheet music, watching performances, or reading signs. While…

Tension-Informed Design(also: Designing with Tensions)

A design framework that identifies and centres the tensions—competing demands, trade-offs, and misalignments—that arise when introducing new technology into established professional practices. Rather than treating adoption barriers as obstacles to eliminate, tension-informed…

Terminal Buffer(also: Accessible Terminal Buffer, Terminal Output Buffer)

A text-based area in a terminal or command-line interface that stores and displays the output of executed commands. In accessibility contexts, an accessible terminal buffer allows screen reader users to navigate terminal output line by line and character by character using…

Text Entry(also: Text Input, Text Generation)

The process of entering text into a computer or communication device, encompassing the full range of input methods from standard keyboards to alternative approaches used in assistive technology such as on-screen keyboards, word prediction, scanning, switch-based input, eye…

Text Entry Rate(also: Typing Speed, Characters Per Minute, CPM)

A measure of how quickly a user can input text using a given method, typically expressed in words per minute (WPM) or characters per minute (CPM). One word is conventionally defined as five characters including spaces. For standard QWERTY keyboards, professional typists achieve…

Text Generation Rate(also: TGR, Text Entry Rate, Text Entry Speed)

The speed at which a user produces text, typically measured in words per minute (WPM) or characters per second. Text generation rate is a key performance metric in assistive technology evaluation because it captures the overall efficiency of a text entry system, accounting for…

Text Gloss(also: Text Glosses)

In Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), a text label or annotation associated with a visual symbol (such as an icon or pictogram) on a communication device. The text gloss serves two purposes: it provides a written description to help communication partners…

Text Scaling Assistive Service(also: TSAS, Font Size Scaling)

An Android platform service that allows users to increase or decrease the size of text displayed across applications. Text Scaling Assistive Service is critical for users with low vision who need larger text to read content comfortably. Apps that fail to support TSAS properly…

Text Simplification(also: Automatic Text Simplification, Content Simplification)

The process of transforming complex written text into simpler, more understandable versions while preserving the essential meaning. Text simplification can be performed manually by content authors following plain language guidelines, or automatically using natural language…

Text Spotting(also: Scene Text Detection)

A computer vision technique that detects and localizes text within images in real time, without actually performing OCR recognition. Text spotting algorithms identify where text appears in a camera frame, its boundaries, and orientation. In accessibility applications, text…

Text-Mode Browser(also: Text Browser, Terminal Browser, Console Browser)

A web browser that renders web pages as text only, without displaying images or graphical layout, typically running in a command-line terminal or console environment. The most well-known text-mode browser is Lynx, developed at the University of Kansas in the early 1990s.…

Text-Only Browser(also: Text Browser, Text-Based Browser)

A web browser that renders pages as plain text without images, styling, or complex layouts, displaying only the textual content and link structure. Examples include WebbIE, Lynx, and Links. Text-only browsers are used by some people with visual impairments as an alternative to…

Text-to-Speech(also: TTS, Speech Synthesis, Screen Reading)

Technology that converts written text into spoken audio output, using either pre-recorded speech segments or synthesized voices. Text-to-speech is a foundational accessibility technology used by screen readers for blind users, by people with learning disabilities like dyslexia,…

Text-to-Speech(also: TTS, Speech Synthesis)

Technology that converts written text into spoken audio output. Text-to-speech is a fundamental component of many assistive technologies, including screen readers, audio description tools, and communication devices for people with speech disabilities. Modern TTS systems use…

Text-to-speech(also: TTS, Speech synthesis)

Technology that converts written text into spoken audio output. Text-to-speech is the primary output method used by screen readers to convey digital content to blind and low-vision users. The quality and naturalness of TTS voices has improved significantly with neural speech…

The vOICe(also: vOICe)

One of the earliest and most widely studied visual-to-auditory sensory substitution devices, developed by Peter Meijer in 1992. The vOICe converts camera images into sound by scanning left to right, mapping horizontal position to time, vertical position to audio frequency…

Therapeutic Play(also: Play Therapy, Therapeutic Gaming)

The use of play activities, games, toys, or interactive technology as a medium for achieving therapeutic or rehabilitative goals in children. Unlike recreational play, therapeutic play is structured or guided by a therapist to target specific objectives such as exercising…

Therapeutic VR(also: VR Therapy, Virtual Reality Therapy, VR-Based Intervention)

The use of virtual reality technology for therapeutic purposes, including rehabilitation, mental health treatment, skills training, and cognitive development. Therapeutic VR leverages immersive environments to create controlled, repeatable scenarios that support goals such as…

Thermal Embosser(also: Thermal Swell Paper Printer)

A device that produces tactile graphics by heating speciality swell paper (also called microcapsule paper) to raise areas printed with dark ink or toner. The microcapsules embedded in the paper expand when exposed to heat, creating a raised surface that can be felt by touch.…

Thermo Pen(also: Thermal Pen, Heat Pen)

A specialized drawing instrument that produces heat at its tip, used in conjunction with swell paper (microcapsule paper) to create instant raised-line tactile graphics. When the thermo pen is drawn across swell paper, the heat causes the microcapsules in the paper to expand…

Thermoform(also: Vacuum-Formed Plastic, Thermoform Duplicator)

A method of producing tactile images and braille copies by heating a thin sheet of plastic and vacuum-forming it over a master copy (typically an embossed original) to create a durable raised-line reproduction. Thermoform machines heat plastic sheets and use vacuum pressure to…

Thermoforming(also: Vacuum Forming, Thermoform)

A manufacturing process used to create tactile graphics by heating a plastic sheet and pressing it over a mould to form a raised surface. In accessibility contexts, thermoforming is one of several methods for producing tactile maps and diagrams for people who are blind or have…

Thermotactile Feedback(also: Thermal Feedback, Thermal Haptic Feedback, Thermotactile Display)

Thermotactile feedback is a form of haptic communication that conveys information through controlled temperature changes on the skin, using heating or cooling elements such as Peltier thermoelectric modules. In accessibility, thermotactile feedback offers an alternative to…

Tiger Embosser(also: ViewPlus Tiger, Tiger Braille Printer)

A brand of Braille embosser manufactured by ViewPlus Technologies that produces both Braille text and tactile graphics by pressing raised dots onto thick paper. Unlike traditional Braille embossers that only produce text, Tiger embossers can render graphical images with multiple…

Time Management

The ability to plan and control how time is allocated to specific activities. In the context of accessibility and assistive technology, time management support helps individuals with cognitive impairments organise and complete daily tasks by providing structured reminders,…

Time-Lapse Photography

A photographic technique that captures a series of still images at set intervals over a period of time. In accessibility contexts, time-lapse photography has been explored as an alternative to video capture for making visual content available to people with visual disabilities.…

Time-of-Flight Camera(also: TOF Camera, ToF Sensor, Depth Camera)

A type of camera sensor that measures the distance to objects by calculating the time it takes for emitted light (typically infrared) to travel to a surface and reflect back. Time-of-Flight cameras produce 3D depth maps of their environment in real time, making them useful in…

Tongue Display Unit(also: TDU, BrainPort, Tongue Electrotactile Display)

A sensory substitution device that presents visual or spatial information through an array of electrodes placed on the tongue. The tongue is ideal for electrotactile stimulation because it has a very high density of nerve endings, low and consistent electrical impedance due to…

Tool Substitution(also: Adaptive Tool Use, Alternative Tool Use)

The practice of using a different tool than what is specified or expected to accomplish a task, common among people with disabilities who adapt their approaches based on available resources, physical capabilities, or personal preference. In non-visual cooking, BLV individuals…

Tooltip(also: Form Field Tooltip, Accessible Name (PDF))

In PDF forms, a tooltip is the programmatic label associated with a form field that assistive technologies read aloud when the user reaches that field. Unlike HTML, PDF does not have a native label-to-field association, so the tooltip carries the accessible name. Best practice…

Total Communication

An approach to communication that incorporates all available modes and channels—including speech, gesture, facial expression, drawing, writing, pointing, props, and physical aids—rather than relying on a single modality. Total communication is particularly relevant for people…