Glossary

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Ability-Mediating Design

A design framework introduced by Radu-Daniel Vatavu that focuses on how interactive systems mediate and reshape users' abilities rather than adapting to fixed abilities. Its core principles are mediation (systems empower users with enhanced skills), world coverage (systems…

Ability-based design(also: ABD)

An accessibility framework that shifts the design focus from disability (what users cannot do) to ability (what users can do), arguing that interactive systems should adapt to users' actual capabilities rather than requiring users to conform to standard interfaces. Proposed by…

Access hack(also: Accessibility workaround, Adaptive strategy, Crip hack)

A creative workaround, adaptation, or improvised solution that a disabled person develops to navigate an inaccessible tool, environment, or system. Access hacks range from physical modifications (adapting a kitchen tool for one-handed use) to digital strategies (using keyboard…

Accessible Making(also: Accessible Fabrication, Inclusive Making)

The practice and research area focused on ensuring that maker activities—including digital fabrication, crafting, and DIY projects—are accessible to people with disabilities. This encompasses three related concepts: making assistive technologies accessible (ensuring disabled…

Accessible Web Design(also: Accessible Web Authoring, Nonvisual Web Design)

Accessible web design refers both to the practice of designing webpages that meet accessibility standards (such as WCAG) and — in a second, increasingly important sense — to the practice of enabling people with disabilities to act as web designers themselves, not just as testers…

Adaptable system

A system that can be configured using prior knowledge before use, as opposed to an adaptive system which changes dynamically during use. In accessibility, adaptable systems allow users or administrators to set preferences in advance — for example, selecting a high contrast…

Adaptive content(also: Content adaptation, Adaptive hypermedia)

Content that automatically adjusts its presentation, structure, or level of detail based on the needs, preferences, or capabilities of the user or their device. In accessibility, adaptive content goes beyond responsive design (which adjusts layout) to potentially restructure…

Adaptive content complexity(also: Layered descriptions, Tiered content)

A design strategy that provides the same information at multiple levels of detail or complexity, allowing users to access content appropriate to their cognitive processing capacity, prior knowledge, or current needs. For example, a system might offer simple, medium, and detailed…

Affordance(also: Perceived affordance)

A property of an object or environment that suggests how it can be used, originally defined by psychologist James J. Gibson in 1977 as the actionable possibilities between an actor and their environment. In design, Donald Norman popularised the concept to describe how visual and…

BATE Principle(also: Beyond Accessibility to Efficiency)

A design principle for assistive technology stating that devices should not merely provide basic access to a task but should enable a person with a disability to perform that task with the same efficiency as a non-disabled person. Coined in the iCARE Reader project at Arizona…

Bespoke Accessibility(also: Personalised Accessibility, Individualized Access)

An approach to accessibility that recognises each person's access needs are unique and may conflict with those of others, requiring individually tailored rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. Bespoke accessibility goes beyond standard guidelines by acknowledging that what…

Bespoke Co-Design(also: Personalised Co-Design)

An approach to participatory design in which interventions are co-designed individually with each user rather than in group settings, allowing for highly targeted and personalised solutions. In accessibility contexts, bespoke co-design recognises that people with variable…

Bespoke Design(also: Custom Design, Bespoke Assistive Technology)

The creation of individually tailored products or solutions made to meet the specific needs of a single user, as opposed to mass-produced or universally designed items. In assistive technology, bespoke design addresses the reality that every person's combination of abilities,…

Built environment

The human-made surroundings that provide the setting for daily activity, encompassing buildings, streets, sidewalks, parks, transit systems, and all other constructed infrastructure. In accessibility, the built environment is a primary source of disabling barriers — missing curb…

Capability model(also: User capability profile)

A structured representation of an individual user's abilities across relevant dimensions such as sight, hearing, mobility, and cognition. In accessibility and adaptive interface design, capability models are used to characterize what interaction modalities and design spaces are…

Circuit Design(also: Electronic Circuit Design, Circuit Schematic Design)

The process of creating and representing electrical circuits that perform specific functions, using standard symbolic representations called schematics to show how components like resistors, capacitors, transistors, and switches are connected. Circuit design is foundational to…

Co-Making(also: Co-Fabrication, Collaborative Making)

Co-making is a participatory practice in which people with disabilities work directly with collaborators — researchers, AI assistants, peers, or family members — to build physical assistive technology together, rather than being passive recipients of devices designed and…

Co-design(also: Co-creation, Cooperative design)

A design methodology that actively involves end users, stakeholders, and communities as equal partners throughout the design process, going beyond consultation to shared decision-making and creative collaboration. In accessibility and disability research, co-design is valued for…

Code-Based Modeling(also: Programmatic Modeling, Scripted 3-D Modeling)

An approach to creating 3-D models by writing code rather than using visual direct manipulation interfaces. Code-based modeling tools like OpenSCAD allow users to define shapes, transformations, and boolean operations through programming languages. This approach is inherently…

Collaborative Ideation(also: Group brainstorming, Co-ideation)

The joint process by which a group generates, refines, clusters, and converges on ideas, typically alternating between divergent and convergent thinking. Collaborative ideation is a cornerstone of design, research, and creative practice and is commonly supported by digital…

Color Theory(also: Colour Theory)

A body of principles and guidelines for understanding how colors interact, combine, and affect perception. In accessibility contexts, color theory is important for ensuring sufficient contrast ratios, avoiding color-only information encoding, and designing for color vision…

Color Universal Design(also: CUD, Colour Universal Design)

A set of guidelines and principles developed to ensure that colour use in designs, products, and environments is accessible to people with all types of colour vision, including those with colour vision deficiency. Color Universal Design emphasizes selecting colour palettes that…

Colour contrast ratio(also: Contrast ratio, Luminance contrast ratio, Color contrast)

A numerical measure of the perceived brightness difference between a foreground colour (typically text) and its background, expressed as a ratio ranging from 1:1 (no contrast, identical colours) to 21:1 (maximum contrast, black on white). WCAG defines minimum contrast ratios to…

Colours of Confusion(also: Confusion Colors, Confusable Colours, Metameric Pairs)

Pairs or sets of colours that appear distinct to people with typical colour vision but appear identical or nearly identical to people with a specific type of colour vision deficiency. These colour pairs are predicted by CVD colour models and underlie CVD simulation tools.…

Constructive Solid Geometry(also: CSG)

A technique in 3-D modeling that creates complex shapes by combining simpler geometric primitives (cubes, spheres, cylinders) using boolean operations such as union, difference, and intersection. CSG is the foundational approach used by code-based modeling tools like OpenSCAD.…

Context Engineering(also: Context management)

The practice, in LLM-based systems, of deliberately selecting, structuring, and injecting the information an AI model sees on each call — beyond just the user's latest message — so that outputs are grounded, relevant, and aligned with the user's actual situation. Typical context…

Contrast Ratio(also: Color Contrast Ratio, Luminance Contrast Ratio)

A numerical measure of the difference in perceived brightness between two colors, expressed as a ratio ranging from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (maximum contrast, black on white). WCAG 2.2 requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (Level…

Crip technoscience(also: Crip tech, Critical disability technoscience)

A framework from disability studies, articulated by Aimi Hamraie and Kelly Fritsch, that positions disabled people as expert knowledge-makers and innovative technologists rather than passive recipients of assistive solutions designed by non-disabled professionals. Crip…

Culturally Grounded Design(also: Culturally Responsive Design, Culture-Centered Design)

A design approach that centers the cultural values, epistemologies, and practices of a specific community throughout the technology development process. Rather than adapting mainstream designs for different cultural contexts, culturally grounded design starts from community…

Culturally-Situated Design(also: Culturally-Embedded Design, Culturally-Responsive Design)

An approach to technology design that treats culture — including national identity, religion, ethnicity, language, geo-politics, and community traditions — as central to user needs and design decisions rather than as a surface localisation concern. Culturally-situated design…

Curb cut(also: Curb ramp, Dropped kerb, Pram ramp)

A small ramp built into the curb of a sidewalk at intersections and pedestrian crossings, providing a smooth transition between the sidewalk and the street. Originally mandated for wheelchair users under disability rights legislation such as the ADA, curb cuts have become a…

DIY assistive technology(also: DIY-AT, Maker assistive technology, Open-source AT)

Assistive devices and tools created or customised by end users, volunteers, or makers using accessible fabrication methods such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and off-the-shelf components. DIY-AT offers advantages over commercial assistive technology including lower cost,…

Deaf Tech(also: Deaf-Centered Technology)

A framework and design orientation for technologies created by, with, and centering Deaf communities. Deaf Tech emphasizes participatory design, cultural relevance, and alignment with Deaf epistemologies and practices, rather than positioning Deaf users as end-consumers of…

DeafSpace(also: Deaf Space, Deaf architecture)

A set of architectural and environmental design principles developed by architect Hansel Bauman in collaboration with the Deaf community at Gallaudet University, grounded in the sensory and spatial experience of deaf people. DeafSpace addresses five core elements: space and…

DeafSpace(also: Deaf Space, Deaf Geography)

A design philosophy and set of architectural and spatial principles developed from understanding how deaf people experience and navigate physical and digital environments. DeafSpace considers factors like visual access, lighting, spatial orientation, and the need for…

Design Fixation(also: Fixation Effect)

A cognitive phenomenon in the design process where exposure to existing examples or initial solutions constrains creative thinking, causing designers to replicate or only minimally modify those examples rather than exploring original alternatives. In AI-assisted design, fixation…

Design Probe(also: Technology Probe, Design Provocation)

A research method in which a functional or semi-functional prototype is deployed with participants not primarily to test usability, but to provoke discussion, elicit design insights, and explore future possibilities. Design probes are deliberately open-ended, encouraging…

Design Saviorism

A problematic dynamic in design practice where nondisabled designers position themselves as rescuers of disabled people, seeking praise while attempting to fix something that is not broken. Design saviorism perpetuates power imbalances by centering the designer's perspective…

Design System(also: Component Library, UI Kit)

A collection of reusable components, patterns, guidelines, and assets that together define the visual language and interaction standards for a product or organization. Design systems typically include UI components, typography, color palettes, icons, illustrations, and…

Design for All(also: DfA, Design pour Tous)

A European design philosophy that aims to create products, environments, and services usable by the widest possible range of people without adaptation or specialized design. Originating from the European Institute for Design and Disability (now Design for All Europe), this…

Design for Social Accessibility(also: Social accessibility framework, DSA)

A design framework that extends traditional accessibility approaches by addressing not only the functional usability of technology but also the social contexts and implications of its use. Design for Social Accessibility is built on three tenets: incorporating users with and…

Design justice

A framework that centers the perspectives and leadership of people most affected by design outcomes, challenging traditional design processes that often reinforce existing power structures. Coined and developed by Sasha Costanza-Chock, design justice draws on social movement…

Design probe(also: Technology probe, Cultural probe)

A research methodology in human-computer interaction where a prototype or artefact is deployed with participants not primarily to test usability, but to provoke reflection, surface unanticipated needs, and explore a design space. Unlike usability testing, which evaluates how…

Design space(also: Interaction modality)

A medium, physical or abstract, through which a user and a device exchange information. The visual design space uses sight (screens, displays), the sonic design space uses hearing (speech, earcons, music), and the haptic design space uses touch (braille displays, vibration,…

Design space properties

The characteristics of information within a design space, classified by the type of cognitive processing they require. Direct properties relate to perception and automatic processing — colour, brightness, and pitch are perceived immediately without conscious effort. Indirect…

Design space structure

A framework characterising how raw information is organised within a design space. Nesbitt classifies information conveyed through sensory channels as nominal (categorical, such as labels), quantitative (measurable, subdivided into temporal, spatial, and geographical), and…

Diegetic Prototype(also: Diegetic Prop)

A research and design method that uses modified versions of real-world content to demonstrate potential future interventions or technologies within a familiar context. In accessibility research, diegetic prototypes allow participants to experience and evaluate proposed…

Digital Living Media(also: Living Media Interface, Biotic Design)

Systems that combine living organisms with electronic components as part of a digital interface. In accessibility contexts, digital living media have been explored as motivational tools for children with disabilities, where the growth of a living organism (such as a mushroom…

Earcon(also: Auditory icon)

A brief, distinctive sound used in a user interface to convey information, status, or feedback non-visually. Earcons serve a similar function to visual icons but through the auditory channel. In accessible interfaces, earcons can augment or replace visual cues — for example, a…

Ecological Metaphor(also: Ecological Validity, Ecological Mapping)

A design principle in sonification and auditory display where the mapping between data and sound aligns with users' real-world sensory and cognitive experience. For example, mapping obstacle distance to pulse rate (like sonar or parking sensors), height to pitch (higher…