Glossary

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Glanceability(also: Glanceable, At-a-Glance Access)

Glanceability refers to the ability of a user to quickly extract key information from a document, interface, or data display with minimal effort. In the context of accessibility, glanceability describes how readily a screen reader user can skim and navigate through content using…

HHS Usability Guidelines(also: Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines, Usability.gov Guidelines)

A comprehensive set of evidence-based web design and usability guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines cover areas including homepage design, page layout, navigation, scrolling, headings, links, text appearance, content…

Haptic Experience Model(also: HX Model, HX)

A framework proposed by Kim and Schneider for evaluating user experience with haptic technologies along five perceptual-experiential dimensions: autotelics (the pleasantness of the sensation), realism (fidelity to the depicted phenomenon), harmony (fit with accompanying…

Heat Map(also: Heatmap, Attention Map, Gaze Map)

A data visualization technique that uses colour intensity to represent the distribution and density of user attention or interaction on a page or interface. In eye tracking research, heat maps aggregate fixation data from multiple users, with warmer colours (red, orange)…

Heuristic Evaluation(also: Expert Review, Heuristic Review)

A usability inspection method in which a small group of expert reviewers evaluate a user interface against a set of established design principles or heuristics. Originally developed by Jakob Nielsen, the method is widely used in accessibility assessment where experts review…

Heuristic evaluation(also: Expert review, Usability inspection)

A usability and accessibility evaluation method where trained evaluators systematically assess an interface against a set of recognized principles or guidelines (heuristics) to identify potential problems. In accessibility contexts, heuristic evaluation applies principles from…

Immersive Virtual Reality(also: IVR, Immersive VR)

A form of virtual reality that uses head-mounted displays (HMDs) with near-full field of view, positional tracking, and often gesture-based controllers to create a sense of being physically present in a virtual environment. Unlike desktop VR or 360-degree video, immersive VR…

Information Architecture(also: IA)

The structural design of information environments, encompassing the organization, labeling, navigation, and search systems that help users find and manage information effectively. In digital accessibility, information architecture plays a critical role in ensuring that content…

Information Foraging(also: Information Foraging Theory)

A theoretical framework from cognitive science that models how people search for and navigate to information, drawing an analogy to animal foraging behaviour. Users assess "information scent" — cues like link text, headings, and page structure — to decide whether to continue…

Information Scent(also: Information Smell)

A concept from information foraging theory that describes the strength of cues in a user interface that indicate whether a particular path (link, button, menu item) will lead to desired information or functionality. Strong information scent means users can easily predict what…

Interaction Logging(also: Event Logging, User Interaction Logging, UI Event Logging)

The automated capture and recording of user interface events — such as clicks, keystrokes, focus changes, touch gestures, and scrolling — during a person's interaction with a digital system. In accessibility research and evaluation, interaction logging is valuable for…

Interface Personalisation(also: Interface Personalization, UI Personalisation, Adaptive Interface)

The ability for users to configure and customise the user interface of a digital system to match their individual needs, preferences, and abilities. In accessibility contexts, interface personalisation allows users to adjust settings such as text size, colour schemes, audio…

Intergenerational Design(also: Cross-Generational Design)

A design approach that considers the needs, preferences, and interaction patterns of users across different age groups and generations. Intergenerational design aims to create products and experiences that facilitate meaningful engagement between younger and older users rather…

Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation refers to engaging in an activity for its inherent satisfaction rather than for external rewards or consequences. In accessibility and inclusive design, understanding intrinsic motivation is crucial for creating technologies that people genuinely want to…

Laddering Method(also: Laddering Technique, Laddering Interview)

A qualitative-quantitative research method used in user experience research to understand why users value certain product features. Rooted in Means-End theory, the technique involves asking participants what they liked or disliked about an experience, then probing with follow-up…

Learnability

A usability attribute measuring how easy it is for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter a design. High learnability means new users can quickly become productive with a system. For accessibility, learnability is particularly important because users with…

Link Annotation(also: Link Augmentation, Link Labelling)

The practice of adding supplementary information to hyperlinks to help users make informed navigation decisions before clicking. In web accessibility, link annotations may include the accessibility level of the target page, the file type and size of linked documents, or…

Link Preview(also: Link Destination Preview, Link Target Preview)

Information about the content or nature of a hypertext link's destination page, provided to users before they follow the link. Link previews help users make informed navigation decisions, reducing the costly trial-and-error of following links to discover their content and then…

Loss Aversion

A cognitive bias in which people experience the pain of losing something more intensely than the pleasure of gaining something of equal value. In the context of technology accessibility and aging, loss aversion significantly influences older adults' adoption of digital tools,…

Means-End Chain(also: MEC, Means-End Theory)

A theoretical framework and analytical output from Laddering research that maps how product attributes lead to functional and psychosocial consequences, which in turn connect to personal values. A chain might show: "Nature scenery (attribute) → Feeling of calm (functional…

Mental Model(also: Cognitive Model, User Mental Model)

A user's internal representation of how a system, interface, or environment works, built through experience and interaction. In web accessibility, mental models are critical because screen reader users build spatial mental models of webpage layouts even without seeing them,…

Multimodal(also: Multimodal Interaction, Multimodal Interface)

Relating to communication or interaction that uses multiple sensory channels or modes simultaneously, such as vision, hearing, touch, and speech. In accessibility, multimodal approaches are essential for making information available to people who cannot access one or more…

Narrative Engagement(also: Story Engagement)

A multidimensional construct used in media studies and HCI research to capture how deeply a viewer is drawn into a story, including narrative understanding, attentional focus, narrative presence (the feeling of being inside the story world), and emotional engagement with…

Narrative Immersion(also: Story Immersion, Narrative Presence)

A psychological state in which the audience becomes deeply absorbed in a story world, perceiving the mediated content as if it were an unmediated reality. In accessible media, narrative immersion encompasses spatial presence (feeling present in the story environment), content…

Notification Fatigue(also: Alert Fatigue, Information Overload)

Notification fatigue is a state in which users become desensitized to or overwhelmed by frequent alerts, notifications, or information delivery from a device or system, causing them to ignore or tune out important messages. In accessibility contexts, notification fatigue is a…

Novice User(also: Beginner User, First-Time User)

A user who is new to a particular system, task, or interface and has not yet built a mental model of its structure or vocabulary. Novice users typically benefit from menu-driven interfaces, prominent help, progressive disclosure, and forgiving interaction patterns that allow…

PANAS(also: Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, PANAS Scale)

PANAS (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule) is a validated psychological instrument for measuring emotional states, consisting of two 10-item scales measuring positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). Positive affect terms include enthusiastic, interested, determined,…

Passive notification(also: Automatic notification, Push notification)

Information delivered to a user automatically without requiring active input, triggered by context such as location, time, or system state. In assistive navigation for people with visual impairments, passive notifications are preferred because users' hands and attention are…

Perceived Accessibility(also: Subjective Accessibility, Accessibility-in-Use)

Perceived accessibility refers to the subjective quality by which users experience the accessibility of a website or application, as opposed to its objective compliance with accessibility standards. Research has shown that guideline-conformant websites can still be perceived as…

Personalized accessibility(also: Customizable accessibility, Adaptive accessibility)

An approach to accessibility that allows users to configure assistive features according to their individual needs, preferences, and abilities rather than providing a single fixed accommodation. Personalized accessibility recognizes that disabilities — particularly conditions…

Physical Agency(also: Bodily Agency, Sense of Agency)

The feeling of control and ownership over physical actions and their effects in the world. In assistive technology contexts, physical agency refers to a users sense of directly controlling objects and receiving sensory confirmation of their actions. Traditional AT designs often…

Positive Design(also: Design for Subjective Well-Being)

A design framework, articulated by Desmet and Pohlmeyer, that explicitly targets human flourishing by attending to three components of subjective well-being: pleasure (positive affect in the moment), personal significance (pursuit of meaningful goals), and virtue (acting in line…

Preference Customization(also: User Preference Configuration, Personalization Settings)

The ability for users, particularly those using assistive technologies, to configure how they receive and interact with digital content based on their individual needs, preferences, and context. In accessibility, preference customization goes beyond basic assistive technology…

Privacy by Default(also: Privacy by Design, Default Privacy Settings)

Privacy by default is a design principle requiring that systems automatically protect user privacy without requiring users to take action. In accessibility contexts, this principle is particularly important for older adults and people with cognitive disabilities who may not…

Proxemic Interaction(also: Proximity-Based Interaction, Proxemics)

An interaction design approach that uses the spatial relationship between users, devices, and objects in the environment — including distance, orientation, and movement — to trigger contextual actions and content delivery. Derived from Edward T. Hall's theory of proxemics (the…

Psychological Accessibility

A dimension of accessibility concerned with whether users find a product or service useful, appropriate, and satisfying, beyond being merely technically operable. Psychological accessibility addresses factors such as user confidence, willingness to engage with technology, and…

Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale(also: PIADS)

A 26-item self-report questionnaire designed to measure the psychosocial impact of an assistive technology device on a person's functional independence, well-being, and quality of life. PIADS assesses three subscales: competence (subjective feelings of competence, productivity,…

Remote Usability Testing(also: Remote User Study, Remote User Evaluation)

Usability testing conducted with participants in their own homes or workplaces rather than in a research lab, typically using video conferencing, screen sharing, or other remote communication tools. Remote methods became especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic and…

Representative Users(also: Target Users, Intended Users)

Study participants who share the relevant characteristics of the population for whom a technology or solution is being designed. In accessibility research, this means including people with the actual disabilities being addressed rather than substitutes like blindfolded sighted…

Restorative Environment(also: Restorative Setting)

An environment—physical or virtual—that promotes psychological recovery from mental fatigue and stress. Based on Attention Restoration Theory, restorative environments typically feature natural elements (water, vegetation, wildlife), scenic views, and low-demand fascination that…

Satisficing

A decision-making strategy where users select the first option that appears "good enough" rather than evaluating all possibilities to find the optimal choice. Coined by Herbert Simon, satisficing is common in web navigation, especially among older adults and users with cognitive…

Scenario-based design(also: SBD, Scenario-driven design)

A design methodology that uses narrative descriptions of how people interact with technology in specific contexts to drive the design process. Scenarios ground abstract requirements in concrete human experiences, helping designers anticipate real-world use situations including…

Sense of Agency(also: User Agency, Personal Agency)

The subjective experience of being in control of one's own actions and their effects on the external world. In accessible design, supporting sense of agency means ensuring users feel empowered to make choices, initiate interactions, and influence outcomes rather than being…

Sense of Control(also: Perceived control, Locus of control (task-level))

A psychological construct describing a user's subjective feeling of agency over what a system does, distinct from objective control measures such as available options or task-completion rates. In accessibility research on AI-assisted tools, sense of control has emerged as a…

Situational Limitations(also: Situational Impairments, Contextual Limitations)

Temporary constraints on a user's ability to interact with technology due to their environment, device, or circumstances rather than a permanent disability. Examples include using a mobile phone in bright sunlight (limiting screen visibility), being in a noisy environment…

Situational Trust(also: Situational Trust in Automation)

A context-sensitive form of trust in an automated system that varies moment-to-moment based on perceived system performance, environment, and the user's own capacity to intervene. Unlike dispositional or generalised trust, situational trust is recalibrated as conditions change —…

Spatial Presence(also: Sense of Presence)

Spatial presence is the subjective experience of feeling physically located within a virtual or mediated environment — the sensation of "being there" rather than merely observing content on a screen. It is a key measure of immersive technology effectiveness, assessed through…

Storyboarding(also: Storyboard)

A visual narrative technique, adapted from film, in which a sequence of sketched panels depicts how a user will interact with a product, service, or environment over time. Storyboards make abstract scenarios concrete and shareable, helping teams and co-designers discuss context,…

System Usability Scale(also: SUS)

A widely used 10-item Likert scale questionnaire developed by John Brooke in 1996 that provides a quick, reliable measure of perceived usability. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better usability. The SUS has been validated across thousands of studies,…

Technology Abandonment(also: Device Abandonment, Technology Discontinuance)

The phenomenon where users stop using a technology or assistive device after initial adoption, often due to poor usability, lack of perceived benefit, inadequate training, or misalignment with actual needs and routines. Technology abandonment rates are particularly high among…