Glossary

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Haptic Input(also: Haptic Interaction, Touch Input)

Haptic input refers to interaction methods that use the sense of touch to communicate information between a user and a computer system. This includes devices such as data gloves, force-feedback controllers, and touch-sensitive surfaces that detect hand movements, gestures, and…

Haptic Interface(also: Haptic Device, Tactile Interface, Touch Interface)

An interface that communicates with users through the sense of touch, using vibrations, forces, or textures to convey information. Haptic interfaces can range from simple vibration motors in mobile devices to sophisticated force-feedback controllers and custom tactile displays.…

Haptic Magnetism(also: Force Attraction, Haptic Gravity)

A technique used in haptic interfaces where virtual attractive forces pull a haptic device (such as a stylus) toward nearby virtual objects, simulating a magnetic or gravitational effect. In accessible virtual environments, haptic magnetism helps blind users discover and reach…

Haptic Music Technology(also: Vibrotactile Music Systems, Haptic Music Interfaces)

Technologies that convey musical information through touch, typically using vibrotactile feedback to transmit sound properties such as rhythm, frequency, and amplitude to the body. Haptic music technology includes wearable devices like vibrotactile vests and jackets that allow…

Haptic Perception(also: Tactile Perception, Touch Perception)

The ability to perceive and interpret information through the sense of touch, including the detection of texture, shape, temperature, pressure, and vibration. Haptic perception is a primary information channel for blind and low vision people and is central to the use of…

Haptic Pointing Device(also: Force Feedback Mouse, Haptic Mouse, Force Feedback Pointing Device)

An input device that combines the pointing functionality of a mouse or stylus with the ability to generate physical forces that the user can feel through their hand. Unlike a standard mouse that provides no tactile information about screen content, a haptic pointing device can…

Haptic Technology(also: Haptics, Touch Technology)

Technology that creates tactile experiences through the application of forces, vibrations, or motions to the user, enabling interaction through the sense of touch. Haptic technologies range from simple vibration motors in smartphones to sophisticated force-feedback devices and…

Haptic Toolkit(also: Tactile Prototyping Toolkit)

A collection of physical materials designed to enable hands-on design and prototyping through touch rather than vision. In accessible design research, haptic toolkits are developed specifically for blind and low vision participants to create lo-fi prototypes of devices and…

Haptic User Interface(also: Haptic UI, Haptic Interface)

A user interface that communicates information through the sense of touch, enabling users to interact with virtual or digital objects by feeling their physical properties such as shape, texture, weight, temperature, and vibration. Haptic user interfaces typically employ…

Haptic Virtual Reality(also: Haptic VR, Feelable Virtual Environment)

Haptic virtual reality refers to virtual environments that incorporate touch-based feedback, allowing users to feel virtual textures, shapes, and objects through force-feedback devices. Unlike visual-only VR, haptic VR provides tactile and kinaesthetic information — resistance,…

Haptic Wearable(also: Haptic Wearable Device, Wearable Haptic Technology)

A body-worn electronic device that communicates information through touch sensations such as vibration, pressure, or temperature changes. In accessibility contexts, haptic wearables can serve as assistive technologies that convey information through tactile channels when visual…

Haptics(also: Haptic Technology, Haptic Feedback)

Technology that creates tactile sensations through vibrations, forces, or motions to simulate touch and physical interaction with digital content. In accessibility, haptics enables people who are blind or have low vision to perceive spatial information, navigate interfaces, and…

Head Control(also: Head-Controlled Interface, Head Mouse, Head Pointer)

An alternative computer input device that translates head movements into cursor movements on screen, enabling people who cannot use their hands or arms to operate a computer. Head control systems typically use ultrasonic sensors, infrared tracking, or camera-based systems to…

Head Pointer(also: Head Mouse, Head Tracking Device)

An assistive technology input device that translates head movements into cursor movements on screen, allowing people who cannot use their hands or arms to control a computer. Head pointers can be physical devices (a stick or stylus mounted on a headband used to press keys) or…

Head Pointing(also: Head-Controlled Pointing, Head Mouse)

Head pointing is an alternative input method that maps head movements to cursor position on a computer screen, enabling hands-free mouse control. The user moves their head to direct the cursor, with the system translating head orientation or position into screen coordinates.…

Head Pose Estimation(also: Head Orientation Detection, Gaze Direction Estimation)

A computer vision technique that determines the orientation or direction a person's head is facing, typically classifying whether someone is looking towards or away from the camera. In accessibility contexts, head pose estimation can help blind users determine whether a passerby…

Head Tracking(also: Head Movement Tracking, Head-Controlled Input, Head Tracker)

An assistive technology input method that translates natural head movements into computer cursor control or other input actions. Head tracking systems use cameras, infrared sensors, or depth sensors to detect head position and orientation, allowing users with limited or no hand…

Head Wand(also: Head Pointer, Head Stick, Mouth Stick)

A head wand is an assistive input device consisting of a pointer attached to a headband or held in the mouth, allowing people with limited or no hand and arm function to operate a keyboard, touchscreen, or other controls using head movements. Head wands are commonly used by…

Head-Mounted Display(also: HMD, VR Headset, AR Headset)

A wearable device worn on the head that places a display in front of the user's eyes to present virtual or augmented content. HMDs range from fully immersive VR headsets (like Meta Quest) that replace the visual environment to AR glasses that overlay digital information on the…

Head-Mounted Display (HMD)(also: HMD, Head-Mounted Display, Smart Glasses)

A display device worn on the head that places visual content in front of one or both eyes. Head-mounted displays include AR smart glasses (like Vuzix Blade), VR headsets, and mixed reality devices. In accessibility applications, HMDs can present captions, sign language…

Head-based Pointing(also: Head Tracking, Head Mouse, Head-controlled Input)

An alternative input method that allows users to control an on-screen cursor by moving their head, typically tracked via a camera, infrared sensor, or inertial measurement unit. Head-based pointing is particularly valuable for people with motor impairments who cannot use…

Head-mounted display(also: HMD, Smart glasses, Head-worn display)

A wearable device that positions a display in front of one or both eyes, either overlaying digital content onto the real world (optical see-through) or replacing the visual field with a camera-captured and digitally processed view (video see-through). For people with low vision,…

HeadMaster(also: HeadMaster Plus)

An early head-pointing assistive technology device developed by Prentke Romich Company that translates head movements into mouse cursor movements on screen. The HeadMaster uses an ultrasonic sensor worn on the head (typically mounted on a headband or glasses) to track head…

Heading Navigation(also: Navigate by Headings)

A screen reader navigation strategy that allows users to jump between heading elements (h1-h6) on a webpage, bypassing intermediate content to quickly find sections of interest. Heading navigation is one of the most important strategies for efficient screen reader use, but its…

Health Monitoring(also: Remote Patient Monitoring, Health Surveillance)

The continuous or periodic collection of health-related data using sensors, wearables, or smart home technology to track an individual's wellbeing and detect problems. Health monitoring systems may track vital signs (heart rate, blood pressure), activity levels, medication…

Hearable(also: Smart Earbud, Smart Earphone)

A class of in-ear or over-ear wearable devices that combine audio playback with one or more sensors and on-device computing - microphones for ambient audio capture, inertial sensors, biosensors, and machine-learning accelerators - enabling features beyond passive listening.…

Hearcon(also: 3D Earcon)

An extension of the earcon concept that adds three-dimensional spatial audio properties to non-speech audio cues used in computer interfaces. While earcons are abstract synthesized sounds that represent interface events or objects, hearcons position these sounds in 3D space…

Hearing Aid(also: Hearing Aids)

An electronic device worn in or behind the ear that amplifies sound to assist people with hearing loss. Modern hearing aids include digital signal processing, directional microphones, and connectivity features like Bluetooth. While hearing aids improve access to speech and…

Hearing Aid(also: HA, BTE, Behind-the-Ear)

An electronic device worn in or behind the ear that amplifies sound for individuals with hearing loss. Modern hearing aids include features such as Bluetooth connectivity, directional microphones, and noise reduction. Behind-the-ear (BTE) models are among the most common styles.…

Heuristic Transcoding(also: Rule-based Transcoding)

Heuristic transcoding is the automated transformation of web content to improve accessibility, device compatibility, or readability using a fixed set of predefined rules that inspect the page structure, media types, or visual characteristics — for example, rules that strip small…

High-Tech AAC(also: Electronic AAC, Speech-Generating Device)

Augmentative and alternative communication systems that use electronic or digital technology to support communication, including speech-generating devices, tablets with AAC software, smartphones with communication apps, and eye gaze systems. High-tech AAC can offer sophisticated…

Histogram of Oriented Gradients(also: HOG)

A feature descriptor technique used in computer vision for object detection that counts occurrences of gradient orientations in localized portions of an image. HOG captures edge and texture information by dividing the image into cells and computing gradient direction histograms.…

HoloLens(also: Microsoft HoloLens)

A self-contained, wearable mixed reality headset developed by Microsoft that overlays interactive holograms onto the user's real-world environment. HoloLens uses spatial mapping, gaze tracking, gesture recognition (air-tap), voice commands, and a physical clicker for…

Home Automation(also: Domotics, Smart Home Automation)

The use of technology to automatically control household systems and appliances such as lighting, heating, ventilation, security, and entertainment. Home automation systems use sensors, timers, and programmable rules to operate devices without manual intervention. For people…

Home Page Reader(also: IBM Home Page Reader, HPR)

A talking web browser developed by IBM Japan in the late 1990s, designed specifically for blind and low-vision users. Home Page Reader combined a web rendering engine with the ProTalker text-to-speech synthesiser and exposed navigation commands through the numeric keypad,…

Human Activity Recognition(also: HAR, Activity Recognition)

A field of machine learning and ubiquitous computing that uses sensor data — typically from accelerometers, gyroscopes, and other sensors in smartphones, smartwatches, or other wearable devices — to automatically identify and classify physical activities performed by a person.…

Human Augmentation(also: Body Augmentation, Augmentative Technology)

Technologies that extend or enhance human physical or cognitive capabilities beyond their current state, including robotic exoskeletons, prosthetic limbs, sensory substitution devices, and brain-computer interfaces. In disability and accessibility contexts, human augmentation…

Human Computation(also: Crowdsourced Computing)

A computational approach that harnesses human intelligence to perform tasks that computers cannot easily accomplish alone. In accessibility contexts, human computation powers services like remote sighted assistance for blind users, crowd-powered captioning to improve ASR…

Human Cooperation (Accessibility)(also: Cooperative Shared Control)

In the context of accessible gaming and assistive technology, human cooperation refers to arrangements in which a disabled user (the pilot) and another person (the copilot) jointly operate a single system — for example by splitting game controller inputs between two pads so they…

Human Interface Device(also: HID, Input Device, Peripheral)

Any device used to facilitate interaction between a human and a computer, including keyboards, mice, trackballs, joysticks, touchscreens, switches, and eye-tracking systems. The USB HID standard defines a protocol for these devices that enables plug-and-play compatibility. For…

Human Machine Interface(also: HMI, Human-Computer Interface)

The point of interaction between a human user and a machine, encompassing all hardware and software through which users control and receive feedback from a system. In accessible design, HMIs must support multiple modalities—visual, auditory, and haptic—to accommodate users with…

Human-Machine Interface(also: HMI, Human-Computer Interface)

The point of interaction between a human user and a machine, system, or device, encompassing the hardware and software through which users communicate with and control technology. In the context of accessible design, HMIs include physical controls (buttons, levers, keypads),…

Human-Powered Accessibility(also: Human Computation for Accessibility, Crowd-Powered Assistive Technology)

An approach to assistive technology that uses remote human workers — whether paid crowdworkers, volunteers, or trained agents — to provide accessibility services that automated systems cannot yet deliver reliably. Examples include providing real-time visual descriptions for…

Human-Robot Interaction(also: HRI)

The interdisciplinary field studying how humans and robots communicate, collaborate, and coexist. In accessibility contexts, HRI research explores how robots can be designed to support people with disabilities in workplaces, homes, and public spaces — including collaborative…

Humanoid Robot(also: Humanoid)

A robot whose physical form approximates a human body, typically with a head, torso, two arms, and (in bipedal designs) two legs. Humanoid robots are studied in accessibility research as embodied demonstrators that can present gestures, postures, and movement sequences in ways…

Humming Interface(also: Control-by-Humming, Hum-Based Interface)

A human-computer interaction method that uses hummed pitch patterns as control signals for operating devices. In a humming interface, a pitch detection algorithm analyses the user's hummed input, segments it into discrete notes based on pitch contour (rising, falling, or flat),…

IAccessible2(also: IA2)

An open accessibility API specification originally developed by IBM and donated to the Linux Foundation. IAccessible2 extends Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) to support the richer semantic information needed by Web 2.0 applications, including WAI-ARIA roles, states, and…

IBM Home Page Reader(also: Home Page Reader, HPR)

IBM Home Page Reader (HPR) was a pioneering voice browser developed by IBM that provided audio-based web browsing for people with visual disabilities. Unlike screen readers that operate as an overlay on top of a visual browser, Home Page Reader was a self-contained browser that…

IC2D(also: Integrated Communication 2 Draw)

A drawing application developed at UC Berkeley that enables blind and visually impaired users to create, explore, and label graphical images using a keyboard-operated grid-based auditory interface. IC2D uses a recursive 3x3 grid mapped to the telephone numpad for spatial…

IDE Accessibility(also: Accessible IDE, Development Environment Accessibility)

IDE accessibility refers to making integrated development environments — the software applications used for writing, testing, and debugging code — usable by developers with disabilities. IDEs like Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ, and Eclipse present significant accessibility…