Glossary

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Short-Term Memory(also: STM, Immediate Memory)

The cognitive system that temporarily holds small amounts of information (typically 7±2 items) for brief periods, usually less than 30 seconds without rehearsal. Short-term memory is distinct from working memory, which involves actively manipulating information. Many cognitive…

Simplified Interface(also: Reduced Complexity Interface, Easy Mode)

A user interface design that intentionally reduces the number of features, options, and interaction steps to make a product or service accessible to users who would be overwhelmed by a standard interface. Simplified interfaces typically remove non-essential functionality,…

Skimming(also: Scanning, Speed Reading, Content Skimming)

Skimming is a speed-reading technique in which a reader quickly glances through text to get the general idea or gist without reading every word. Sighted readers skim by scanning headlines, bold text, first sentences of paragraphs, and visually prominent content. For blind and…

Social Playware(also: Interactive Playware, Technology-Mediated Play)

Intelligent hardware and software systems designed to create playful interactive experiences that encourage learning, social interaction, and communication between users. In accessibility and therapeutic contexts, social playware is used to promote social skills development in…

Social Proof

A psychological and behavioural phenomenon in which people rely on the choices, ratings, and reviews of others as evidence when making decisions under uncertainty. In digital accessibility contexts, social proof becomes especially load-bearing for users who cannot independently…

Social Stories(also: Social Narratives)

Short, structured narratives developed by Carol Gray that describe social situations, expected behaviors, and appropriate responses in a clear, visual format. Social stories are widely used as therapeutic and educational tools for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and…

Social cognition(also: Social perception, Theory of mind)

The set of cognitive processes involved in understanding and responding to social information, including recognising emotions, interpreting intentions, understanding sarcasm and figurative language, taking others' perspectives, and navigating social norms. Social cognition can…

Soft Key(also: Softkey, Context-sensitive Key)

A soft key is a physical button on a device whose labelled function changes depending on the current application or screen — typically indicated by an on-screen label positioned next to the button. Soft keys let hardware designers fit more commands into a limited number of…

Somatosensory(also: Somatosensation, Bodily Sensation)

Relating to the sensory system that processes touch, pressure, temperature, pain, and body position (proprioception). The somatosensory system is crucial for accessibility technologies that bypass vision or hearing, including Braille reading, tactile graphics, vibrotactile…

Spatial Awareness(also: Spatial Cognition, Environmental Awareness)

The understanding of one's surrounding environment and one's own position within it. In accessibility contexts, spatial awareness encompasses multiple dimensions: the scale and shape of an area, one's position and orientation within it, the presence and arrangement of objects,…

Spatial Cognition(also: Spatial Understanding, Spatial Awareness)

The mental processes involved in perceiving, storing, recalling, and reasoning about spatial relationships, layouts, and environments. Spatial cognition enables people to form mental maps, navigate through spaces, and understand the arrangement of objects. For people who are…

Spatial Learning(also: Spatial Cognition, Environmental Learning)

The process of acquiring and integrating information about an environment into cognitive maps — mental representations of spatial relationships between places, paths, and landmarks. For sighted individuals, spatial learning occurs largely through casual visual observation. For…

Spatial Navigation(also: Spatial Orientation, Spatial Wayfinding)

The cognitive process of determining and following a route from one location to another, involving the ability to remain oriented, recall routines, recognize landmarks, and make decisions at choice points such as intersections and turns. Spatial navigation relies on a…

Spatial Representation(also: Spatial Mental Model)

A cognitive structure that encodes information about the layout, distances, and relationships between locations in an environment. For blind and partially sighted people, spatial representations are built from non-visual sensory information including tactile exploration,…

Spatial Understanding(also: Spatial Cognition, Spatial Awareness)

The ability to comprehend and reason about the positions, sizes, shapes, and relationships of objects in three-dimensional space. Spatial understanding presents a significant accessibility challenge for blind and low-vision users, who must construct mental representations of…

Specific Learning Disability(also: SLD, Learning Disability, Learning Disorder)

A neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the brain's ability to receive, process, store, or respond to information, resulting in significant difficulties with reading, writing, or mathematics that are not attributable to intellectual disability, sensory impairment, or lack of…

Speech Disfluency(also: Disfluent Speech, Non-Fluent Speech)

Any interruption to the normal flow of speech, including repetitions of sounds or words, prolongations of sounds, blocks (involuntary pauses), interjections, and revisions. While everyone experiences occasional disfluency, persistent speech disfluency conditions such as…

Speed Dial(also: One-touch Dialing, Quick Dial)

Speed dial is a mobile or landline phone feature that lets a user place a call to a preset contact by pressing one or two assigned digits rather than entering a full phone number. Originally introduced as a convenience feature, speed dial functions as a meaningful accessibility…

Speed-Comprehension Trade-off(also: Speed-Accuracy Trade-off in Reading)

An empirical pattern in readability research: typographic, layout, and presentation choices that increase reading speed often reduce comprehension accuracy, and vice versa. For example, sans-serif faces and shorter line lengths tend to support faster reading but may yield lower…

Spell Checker(also: Spellchecker, Spelling Checker)

Software that identifies and suggests corrections for misspelled words in text. Standard spell checkers often fail to catch errors made by people with dyslexia because dyslexic spelling errors differ from typical misspellings — they may include real-word substitutions (e.g.,…

Split Attention(also: Split-Attention Effect, Divided Attention)

A cognitive phenomenon in multimedia learning where users must divide their visual attention between multiple information sources presented simultaneously. In accessibility contexts, this is particularly challenging for Deaf and Hard of Hearing viewers of captioned videos, who…

Split Attention Effect(also: Split Attention)

A cognitive load phenomenon in multimedia learning where learners must divide visual attention between two or more sources of information that should be integrated - for example captions at the bottom of the screen and a diagram in the centre. The cost of switching and mentally…

Split-Attention Effect(also: Split Attention)

A cognitive load phenomenon that occurs when learners or viewers must divide their visual attention between multiple sources of information that are physically or temporally separated. In captioned media, the split-attention effect occurs when viewers must read captions while…

Stepper(also: Step Indicator, Wizard Stepper)

A UI pattern that breaks a multi-step process — such as checkout, registration, or booking — into numbered or labeled stages with a visual progress indicator. Steppers reduce cognitive load by showing users where they are, what they have completed, and what remains, and are…

Stimulus Over-Selectivity(also: Over-Selective Attention, Tunnel Vision Attention)

A phenomenon where an individual attends to a limited subset of available stimuli while ignoring other relevant cues in their environment. Stimulus over-selectivity is commonly observed in autistic individuals and people with intellectual disabilities, and has significant…

Stimulus Overselectivity(also: Tunnel Vision, Attentional Overselectivity)

A phenomenon observed in some individuals with autism where attention is focused on a limited subset of available sensory information while other relevant stimuli are neglected. Sometimes described as a form of "tunnel vision," stimulus overselectivity means a person may attend…

Stress Process Model(also: Pearlin Stress Process Model)

A theoretical framework developed by Leonard Pearlin and colleagues (1981) that describes how stressors, mediators, and outcomes interact dynamically over time to shape psychological wellbeing. In caregiving research, the model is widely used to understand how primary stressors…

Structural Abstraction(also: Formula Abstraction, Expression Collapsing)

Structural abstraction is an accessibility technique that simplifies complex visual structures — particularly mathematical formulas — by initially collapsing sub-expressions into symbolic summaries and allowing users to progressively expand and explore them at their own pace.…

Subitizing

The rapid, accurate perception of the number of items in a small group without counting, typically for quantities up to about four or five. Subitizing is considered a core numerical ability that contributes to number sense development. Individuals with dyscalculia often have…

Support Network(also: Support Worker, Support Person, Circle of Support)

The caregivers, family members, support workers, teachers, and peers who assist a person with a disability in daily life and in participating in research or design activities. In inclusive co-design with people with intellectual or cognitive disabilities, support networks often…

Survey Knowledge(also: Configurational Knowledge, Map-like Knowledge)

Survey knowledge is a type of spatial understanding that provides an overview or mental map of an environment, including the relationships between landmarks, streets, and points of interest. Unlike route knowledge, which gives sequential turn-by-turn directions, survey knowledge…

Sustained Attention(also: Vigilance, Continuous Attention)

The ability to maintain focus on a task or stimulus over an extended period of time. Sustained attention is a core executive function that can be impaired in conditions such as ADHD, traumatic brain injury, and various neurodevelopmental disorders. Designing for sustained…

Symbol Communication(also: Symbol-Supported Communication)

The use of graphic symbols — pictograms, ideograms, line drawings, or photographs — alongside or in place of text to convey meaning. Symbol communication supports people who cannot rely on spoken or written language, including many AAC users, children and adults with…

Symbol-based AAC(also: Picture-based AAC, Pictographic AAC, Picture Communication Symbols)

Symbol-based AAC refers to augmentative and alternative communication systems whose vocabulary is represented by graphic symbols, line drawings, photographs, or pictograms rather than (or alongside) written words. Users select symbols on a paper board, a dedicated…

Tactile Working Memory(also: Haptic Working Memory, Touch Working Memory)

The cognitive system responsible for temporarily storing and manipulating tactile information received through the sense of touch. Similar to visual and auditory working memory, tactile working memory has limited capacity (typically 2-5 items depending on conditions) and is…

Talking Mats

A visual communication framework that uses a textured mat and sets of picture symbols to help people express their views on topics that matter to them. Developed at the University of Stirling, Talking Mats provides a structured way for people who find it difficult to communicate…

Task Decomposition(also: Task Breakdown, Chunking Tasks)

The process of breaking a large, complex, or overwhelming task into smaller, manageable steps that can be completed sequentially. Task decomposition is a critical cognitive accessibility strategy for people with executive dysfunction, as large undifferentiated tasks create…

Task Initiation(also: Task Starting, Getting Started)

The executive function skill of beginning a task or activity, particularly when the task is complex, unstructured, or perceived as uninteresting. Task initiation is a common area of difficulty for people with ADHD and other executive function challenges. The difficulty is not…

Task Prompting(also: Task Prompting System, Cognitive Prompting)

Task prompting is an assistive technology approach that provides step-by-step instructions or cues to guide individuals with cognitive impairments through multi-step tasks. Prompts can be delivered through text, images, audio, or video on screens or mobile devices, and may be…

Task Switching(also: Context Switching, Task-Switching Cost)

The cognitive process of shifting attention from one task to another, which incurs a measurable performance cost in terms of time, accuracy, and mental effort. For individuals with ADHD and other conditions affecting executive function, task switching is particularly challenging…

Technophobia(also: Technology Anxiety, Computer Anxiety)

An irrational fear or anxiety about using technology, often manifesting as avoidance of computers, smartphones, or websites. Technophobia can stem from negative past experiences, fear of making mistakes, concerns about privacy and security, or feeling overwhelmed by rapidly…

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…

Temporal Agency

The degree of control a viewer has over the timing and pace of media content consumption. In accessibility contexts, temporal agency refers to the ability to slow down, pause, rewind, or otherwise adjust the temporal flow of audiovisual content to accommodate individual…

Text Complexity(also: Linguistic complexity, Text difficulty)

The degree to which a piece of writing demands advanced reading skills to comprehend, driven by factors such as vocabulary frequency, syntactic structure, sentence length, passage organisation, and background-knowledge assumptions. In Automatic Text Simplification and…

Text Customization(also: User Text Preferences, Text Personalization)

The ability for users to adjust the visual presentation of text content to suit their individual reading needs, including modifying font size, typeface, line spacing, letter spacing, color contrast, and background color. Text customization is frequently recommended as an…

Text Simplification(also: Plain Language Conversion, Content Simplification)

The process of rewriting text to make it easier to read and understand, typically by using shorter sentences, simpler vocabulary, and clearer structure while preserving the essential meaning. Text simplification supports cognitive accessibility for people with intellectual…

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 Skimming(also: Content Skimming, Accessible Skimming)

A reading strategy where a person quickly reviews a document to get an overview of its content, identify key points, and locate specific information without reading every word. Sighted readers skim using visual cues like headings, bold text, paragraph breaks, and spatial layout.…

Theory of Mind(also: ToM, Mentalizing, Mind Reading)

The cognitive ability to attribute mental states—beliefs, intentions, desires, emotions, knowledge—to oneself and others, and to understand that others may have mental states different from one's own. Theory of Mind deficits are associated with autism spectrum disorder and…

Time Agnosia(also: Time Blindness)

Difficulty accurately perceiving the passage of time, common in ADHD and often manifesting as losing track of hours while scrolling, underestimating how long tasks take, or chronic lateness. The ADHD community increasingly prefers the term "agnosia" over "blindness" to avoid…