Glossary

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Digital Disability Divide

The gap between people with and without disabilities in both access to and effective use of information and communication technologies. The term extends the broader concept of the digital divide to emphasise that merely providing connectivity or devices is insufficient when…

Digital Divide(also: Digital Gap, Digital Inequality)

The gap between people who have effective access to digital technologies and those who do not, encompassing differences in internet connectivity, device ownership, digital skills, and the ability to meaningfully use technology. The digital divide disproportionately affects older…

Digital Immigrant(also: Digital Non-Native)

A person who grew up before the widespread adoption of digital technology and has had to learn digital skills later in life, as opposed to a digital native who grew up immersed in technology. In accessibility research, older adults are often characterized as digital immigrants…

Grey Digital Divide(also: Gray Digital Divide, Age-Related Digital Divide)

The gap in technology adoption, usage, and digital skills between older adults and younger populations. While older adults may be interested in using technology for communication, health management, and entertainment, they often face barriers including interface complexity,…

Human Infrastructure

A concept from ICT4D (Information and Communication Technologies for Development) research describing the complex web of people, social relationships, environments, and aspirations that shapes how technology is used in a given context. Developed by Sambasivan and Smyth, human…

ICT4D(also: Information and Communication Technologies for Development, ICTD)

A field of research and practice focused on how information and communication technologies can be designed, deployed, and used to support social and economic development, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. ICT4D examines the unique social, cultural, and…

Infrastructural precarity(also: Digital infrastructure barriers)

The condition of unreliable, inconsistent, or inadequate technological infrastructure that shapes and constrains how people — particularly disabled people and those in the Global South — can access and use digital technologies. Infrastructural precarity encompasses unreliable…

Intermediated Technology Use(also: Intermediated Interaction, Assisted Technology Use)

A pattern of technology interaction where a person accesses technology through the assistance of another person (an intermediary) rather than using it directly themselves. This occurs when barriers such as cost, literacy, disability, or lack of access prevent direct use. Common…

Negativity bias in online communities(also: Online negativity bias)

The tendency for negative experiences and opinions to be disproportionately represented in online discussion forums and social media communities compared to the broader population's experiences. In disability-related online spaces, negativity bias can result from several…

Offline Access(also: Offline Mode, Disconnected Access, Offline-First)

The ability to use digital content, applications, or services without an active internet connection. Offline access is an important accessibility consideration because it ensures that users in areas with unreliable, expensive, or nonexistent connectivity — including many rural…

Telecommunication equity(also: Communication equity, Functional equivalence)

The principle that people with disabilities should have access to telecommunications services that are functionally equivalent to those available to people without disabilities. For deaf users, this means video calling capabilities (for sign language) should be treated as…

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