Glossary

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Screen Reader(also: Screen Reading Software)

An assistive technology application that converts digital text and interface elements into synthesized speech or braille output, enabling people who are blind or have low vision to interact with computers, smartphones, and other digital devices. Screen readers interpret the…

Screen Reader Navigation(also: Keyboard Navigation with Screen Reader, Sequential Navigation)

The methods by which blind and visually impaired users move through digital content using a screen reader, primarily via keyboard shortcuts and gestures rather than a mouse or visual scanning. Screen reader navigation is fundamentally one-dimensional and sequential—users…

Screen Reader Output(also: Screen Reader Speech)

The audio or braille output generated by screen reader software as it interprets and conveys on-screen content to blind and low vision users. Screen reader output quality significantly impacts reading comprehension and efficiency, as the linearization of visual content into…

Screen Reader Plugin(also: Screen Reader Add-on, Screen Reader Script, Screen Reader Extension)

A small piece of code that extends or modifies the functionality of a screen reader application. Screen reader plugins can make inaccessible applications accessible, customize the screen reader's behavior for specific software, add new keyboard shortcuts, and provide additional…

Screen Reader Plugin(also: Add-on, Extension, Script)

A small piece of software that extends or modifies the functionality of a screen reader. Plugins allow users to customize their screen reader experience, make partially accessible applications more usable, add keyboard shortcuts, receive custom audio feedback, and interface with…

Screen Reader Proxy

An interface that sits between an automated agent or testing tool and an application, translating programmatic inputs (swipe, double-tap, type) into genuine screen reader gestures and capturing the resulting announcements as structured transcripts. Unlike driving an app via its…

Screen Reader Rotor(also: VoiceOver Rotor, Rotor Control)

A virtual control in screen readers like VoiceOver that allows users to change navigation settings and access different options by performing a rotation gesture on the touchscreen. The rotor lets users switch between navigation modes (headings, links, words, characters) and…

Screen Reader User(also: SRU)

A person who uses screen reader software as their primary means of accessing digital content, typically someone who is blind or has low vision. Screen reader users interact with web content through audio output and keyboard or gesture-based navigation, experiencing pages…

Screen Reader/2(also: IBM Screen Reader/2, SR/2)

Screen Reader/2 was an early screen reader developed by IBM for the OS/2 operating system, first released in the early 1990s. It was one of the pioneering commercial screen readers, providing blind and visually impaired users with text-to-speech and audio output to access…

Screen Recognition

A computer vision feature in Apple's VoiceOver screen reader that automatically interprets the pixels of a graphical user interface to identify and label interactive elements when applications have not properly implemented accessibility APIs. Screen Recognition analyses the…

Screen magnifier(also: Screen magnification software, Zoom software)

Assistive software that enlarges a portion of the screen display to make content visible for people with low vision. Users navigate the magnified view by panning with the mouse or keyboard, seeing only a fraction of the full screen at any time. Popular screen magnifiers include…

Screen reader

An assistive technology application that converts digital text and interface elements into synthesized speech or braille output. Screen readers enable blind and low-vision users to interact with computers, smartphones, and web content. Common screen readers include JAWS, NVDA,…

Screen-Free Editing(also: Screenless Editing, Eyes-Free Editing)

Text editing that does not require visual interaction with or physical contact with a device screen. Screen-free editing approaches use alternative input methods such as mid-air gestures, voice commands, or wearable device controls to manipulate text. This is particularly…

Screenless Interaction(also: Screen-Free Interaction, Displayless Interaction)

Interaction with digital systems that does not require a visual display, enabling users to operate devices while untethered from screens. For people who are blind, screenless interaction eliminates the need to hold and touch a phone screen to find visual affordances they cannot…

See-Through Display(also: Optical See-Through Display, Transparent Display, OST Display)

A display technology that allows users to view digital content overlaid on the real world by projecting images onto a transparent or semi-transparent surface. Unlike opaque (occlusive) displays that block the user's view of the environment, see-through displays preserve direct…

Seeing AI

A free AI-powered app developed by Microsoft for blind and low vision users that uses computer vision and AI to describe the visual world. Features include reading short text, documents, and handwriting; identifying products via barcodes; recognizing people and their emotions;…

Selection Keyboard(also: On-Screen Keyboard, Scanning Keyboard, Virtual Keyboard)

A text entry interface where characters are displayed in a grid on screen and users select them by navigating a cursor or highlight to the desired character using an alternative input device such as a joystick, switch, or eye tracker. Selection keyboards are commonly used by…

Self-Adaptive System(also: Self-Adapting System, Adaptive Interface)

A software or hardware system that automatically monitors user behaviour and adjusts its configuration or interface to better suit the user's needs without requiring explicit manual intervention. In accessibility, self-adaptive systems can detect changes in a user's motor…

Self-Monitoring(also: Self-Recording, Self-Observation)

Self-monitoring is the practice of systematically observing and recording one's own behavior, emotions, or activities, typically as part of a broader self-management or behavioral intervention program. In accessibility and disability contexts, self-monitoring tools —…

Self-Voicing Browser(also: Self-Voicing Web Browser, Talking Browser, Self-Talking Browser)

A self-voicing browser is a web browser that includes built-in text-to-speech capabilities, allowing it to read web content aloud without requiring a separate screen reader application. Unlike traditional screen readers that operate as standalone assistive technology layered on…

Self-Voicing Interface(also: Self-Voicing, Self-Voicing Application)

A software application or interface that includes its own built-in speech output capability, rather than relying on a separate screen reader to interpret and voice its content. Self-voicing interfaces generate speech directly, giving them greater control over what is spoken and…

Self-adapting user interface(also: Adaptive user interface, Adaptive UI)

A user interface that dynamically modifies its presentation, interaction modalities, or behaviour in response to changing conditions such as user capabilities, environmental factors, device characteristics, or content requirements. Unlike adaptable interfaces (which users…

Self-localization(also: Indoor Localization, Position Estimation)

The process by which a system or device determines its own position within an environment, typically using a combination of sensors, maps, and reference points. In assistive technology for blind and visually impaired users, self-localization is a critical component of indoor…

Semantic Compaction(also: Minspeak)

A method of encoding language for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) that maps concepts onto sequences of multi-meaning icons. Each icon is deliberately ambiguous, and meaning is resolved when icons are combined into sequences called iconic sentences. For example,…

Semantic Description(also: SD, Navigational Semantic Description)

A formal representation of the meaningful structure and navigational relationships within a complex document component such as an HTML table, frame, or XML fragment. Semantic descriptions capture what groups of content mean and how they relate to each other, going beyond…

Semantic Disambiguation(also: Word Sense Disambiguation)

Semantic disambiguation is the process of determining the intended meaning of a word, symbol, or input when multiple interpretations are possible. In accessibility and assistive technology contexts, semantic disambiguation is important in communication aids, predictive text…

Semantic Enrichment(also: Semantic Annotation, Semantic Markup Enhancement)

Semantic enrichment is the process of adding meaningful structural and contextual information to content that may lack it in its original representation. In the context of web accessibility, this often involves augmenting presentation-oriented markup with data attributes or…

Semantic Hierarchy(also: Semantic Tree, Component Hierarchy)

A structured, tree-based representation of a complex object that organizes its components by meaning and relationship rather than by raw data. In accessible 3-D modeling, a semantic hierarchy breaks down a model into named, meaningful parts (e.g., "snowman body" containing…

Semantic Model(also: Semantic Tree, Semantic Web Model)

An abstract representation of a web page that captures the meaning and relationships of its content, rather than its raw HTML structure. Unlike the Document Object Model (DOM), which represents syntactic elements, a semantic model groups related elements into meaningful entities…

Semantic Navigation(also: Semantic Navigation Framework, Structured Navigation)

An approach to organizing digital content into a meaningful hierarchical structure that users can navigate through logically ordered elements rather than by spatial position. In the context of accessible data visualizations, semantic navigation frameworks arrange chart…

Semantic Network(also: Semantic Web, Associative Network)

A knowledge representation structure in which concepts are represented as nodes and the relationships between them as links or edges. In accessibility and AAC contexts, semantic networks model how words and concepts are associated in the human mind, enabling vocabulary tools to…

Semantic Transcoding(also: Annotation-driven Transcoding, Ontology-based Transcoding)

Semantic transcoding is the transformation of web content using explicit semantic information about the structure, role, or meaning of page elements — typically supplied through external annotations, ontologies, microformats, or ARIA. Because the transformation uses real…

Sensorimotor Rhythm(also: SMR, Sensorimotor Cortical Rhythm)

Oscillatory electrical brain activity recorded over the sensorimotor cortex, the brain region responsible for planning and executing voluntary movements. Sensorimotor rhythms include mu rhythms (8-12 Hz) and beta rhythms (18-26 Hz), which change in amplitude when a person…

Sensory Aid(also: Sensory Assistive Device)

Assistive technologies that translate sensory inputs into alternative modalities to support people with sensory disabilities in the workplace and daily life. Examples include screen readers (visual to auditory), captioning systems (auditory to visual), haptic feedback devices…

Sensory Substitution(also: Cross-Modal Substitution)

The use of one sensory modality to convey information typically perceived through another. For example, converting visual information into tactile or auditory signals for blind users, or representing sound through vibration for deaf users. Sensory substitution is a fundamental…

Sensory augmentation(also: Sensory substitution system, Sensory augmentation technology)

Technology that provides information from one sensory channel through an alternative modality accessible to the user, such as converting visual scenes to audio descriptions for blind users or translating sounds to visual or haptic alerts for deaf users. AI-powered sensory…

Sensory substitution(also: Cross-modal substitution, Sensory Substitution Device, SSD)

The technique of conveying information normally received through one sense via a different sensory channel, such as converting audio cues into vibrotactile feedback or visual signals. Sensory substitution is a foundational concept in assistive technology, enabling people who are…

Sentence Prediction(also: Phrase Prediction, Utterance Prediction)

An AAC text entry acceleration technique that suggests complete sentences or phrases based on what the user has begun typing. Unlike word prediction which completes individual words, sentence prediction allows users to select entire utterances with a single action, dramatically…

Sentence-Level Bookmark(also: In-Page Bookmark, Content Bookmark)

A type of bookmark that marks a specific position within a web page's content, rather than simply saving the page's URL. Sentence-level bookmarks allow users — particularly those using screen readers or speech-based interfaces — to jump directly to a known location within a long…

Sequential Navigation(also: Linear Navigation, Serial Navigation)

A method of accessing web content by moving through elements one at a time in the order they appear in the document structure, as opposed to visually scanning a page. Sequential navigation is the default mode for screen reader users, who use arrow keys or swipe gestures to move…

Serious Game(also: Serious Games, Applied Game)

A game designed for a primary purpose beyond entertainment, such as education, training, health intervention, or cognitive rehabilitation. In accessibility and healthcare contexts, serious games are used to support people with conditions like ADHD by targeting specific cognitive…

Serious Games(also: Applied Games, Games for Health, Therapeutic Games)

Games designed with a primary purpose beyond entertainment, such as education, training, therapy, or rehabilitation. In accessibility contexts, serious games are increasingly used for vision therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, motor skill development, and social skills training…

Shadow Speaking(also: Shadow Captioning, Respeaking)

A captioning technique where a trained human operator listens to live speech and repeats (or "respeaks") it clearly into a speech recognition system, which then generates real-time captions. The shadow speaker simplifies and normalizes the speech — removing overlapping dialogue,…

Shape Display(also: 2.5D Shape Display, Pin Display, Tactile Shape Display)

A physical computing device consisting of a grid of motorised pins that can be raised and lowered to create dynamic tactile relief surfaces. Shape displays render digital 3D content as physical topographies that users can explore by touch, providing real-time haptic feedback…

Shape-changing Interface(also: Shape-changing haptic interface, Morphing interface)

A physical interface that conveys information by changing its own shape or physical orientation — for example, a servo-driven lever that rotates to point in a specific direction, a cube whose top half turns to indicate a heading, or a surface that deforms under the user's hand.…

Shared Augmented Reality(also: S-AR, Co-Located AR, Collaborative AR)

An augmented reality setup in which multiple users share a spatially aligned view of virtual content anchored in the same physical environment. Each user wears a head-mounted display and can see and interact with the same virtual objects in real-time. In low-vision…

Shared Control(also: Collaborative Control, Shared Autonomy)

An assistive technology design approach in which control over a system is dynamically distributed between a user with a disability and an assistant (human or automated), allowing each party to manage the aspects best suited to their abilities. Unlike fully independent or fully…

Shared Movement(also: Linked Locomotion, Guided Movement)

A virtual reality interaction technique that allows one user to move through a virtual environment by attaching to or following another user's avatar, inspired by the physical sighted guide technique used by blind and low vision people. In shared movement, a user can grab a…

Shared control(also: Collaborative control, Blended control)

A control paradigm in assistive technology where input from multiple sources — such as a wheelchair user and a companion, or a user and an autonomous system — is combined to produce a single action. Shared control enables collaborative interaction that can adapt to the user's…

Shorelining(also: Trailing)

An orientation and mobility technique in which a person with a visual impairment follows a consistent surface edge — such as a wall, curb, edge of a sidewalk, or other contrasting surface — to maintain a specific orientation and navigate through an environment. The technique…