Glossary

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Practice-based Learning(also: Iterative Practice)

An approach to learning that organises instruction around short, repeatable cycles of attempting a task, receiving feedback, and refining performance, rather than around passive content consumption. Practice-based learning is well suited to embodied skills - sign language, motor…

Problem-Solving Style(also: Problem-Solving Facets, GenderMag Facets)

Problem-solving style refers to the characteristic ways individuals approach technology-mediated problem-solving tasks. In inclusive design, particularly in the GenderMag method, problem-solving style is captured across five facets: Motivations (why someone uses technology),…

Psychoacoustics

The branch of perceptual psychology that studies how humans subjectively perceive sound - loudness, pitch, timbre, spatial location, foreground/background segregation, and masking. Psychoacoustic principles underpin accessible audio design: screen reader pacing, earcon and…

Recognition-Based Authentication(also: Cognometric Authentication)

A type of graphical authentication where users authenticate by recognizing and selecting previously registered images from a set that includes decoy images. Unlike recall-based systems that require users to remember and reproduce a pattern, recognition-based systems leverage the…

Scene Description(also: SD, Visual Description)

A textual description of the visual elements in a video scene — including objects, people, settings, actions, and visual cues — that can be converted into audio through text-to-speech technology. Scene descriptions serve as the basis for audio descriptions, making video content…

Semantic feature(also: Environmental feature, Landmark annotation)

A meaningful environmental attribute associated with a specific location in a navigation system, such as a doorway, floor surface change, point of interest, or tactile ground indicator. In accessible indoor navigation, semantic features serve a dual purpose: confirming the…

Sheet Music(also: Musical Score, Written Music)

A printed or digital document that uses musical notation to represent a musical composition, showing pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and other performance instructions through standardized symbols on a staff. Reading sheet music while playing (sight-reading) is fundamental to musical…

Sight-Reading(also: Sight Reading)

The ability to read and perform music from a written score for the first time, without prior practice or memorization. Sight-reading requires simultaneously decoding musical notation and executing it on an instrument in real time, making it one of the most demanding musical…

Situational Impairment(also: Situational Disability, Situationally-Induced Impairment)

A temporary reduction in a person's ability to interact with technology caused by their environment or context rather than a permanent condition. Examples include using a phone in bright sunlight (visual), operating a device while carrying groceries (motor), or trying to hear…

Social Desirability Bias(also: Impression Management)

A type of response bias in which research participants answer questions in a way that presents themselves favorably rather than truthfully, either to project a positive self-image or to avoid judgment from the researcher. In accessibility research, social desirability bias can…

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…

Songwriting(also: Therapeutic Songwriting)

A therapeutic intervention in which a client, often collaborating with a therapist, composes original lyrics and musical elements as a way to explore emotions, reframe experiences, and build a sense of authorship over their own narrative. In music psychotherapy, songwriting is…

Speaker Focus(also: Speaker Focus Mode, Speaker View)

A video layout customization option that enlarges and centers the speaker while removing content overlays and auxiliary visual elements. Speaker Focus is designed for viewers who find pop-up graphics and overlays distracting and prefer to concentrate on the speaker body…

Speech Enhancement(also: Voice Enhancement, Speech Clarity Improvement)

Audio processing techniques that improve the clarity, intelligibility, and quality of speech in audio or video content. Speech enhancement can involve removing background noise, extending audio bandwidth, normalizing volume levels, and improving articulation clarity. For viewers…

Static Accessibility Analysis(also: Static A11y Analysis, Source Code Accessibility Analysis)

An approach to detecting accessibility issues by examining an application's source code, layout files, or configuration without actually running the application. In mobile development, this typically involves analyzing XML layout files for issues such as missing content…

Symptom Fluctuation(also: Fluctuating Symptoms, Variable Symptoms, Good Days and Bad Days)

The variation in symptom severity that people with chronic conditions or disabilities experience over time—sometimes within a single day. Symptom fluctuation means that a person's abilities and access needs may change unpredictably, making it difficult to follow fixed schedules…

Tactile Legibility(also: Tactile Readability)

The ease with which tactile information—including tactile graphics, braille, and raised-line diagrams—can be accurately perceived and understood through touch. Tactile legibility depends on factors including the distinctiveness of textures used, appropriate spacing between…

Tactile Map(also: Raised Map, Touch Map)

A map designed to be read by touch, using raised lines, textures, braille labels, and other tactile elements to represent geographic or spatial information for blind and visually impaired users. Tactile maps can represent indoor spaces (floor plans), outdoor areas (campus maps,…

Technology Repertoire(also: Assistive Technology Repertoire, Tool Repertoire)

The collection of tools, technologies, and strategies that a disabled person uses in coordination to address access barriers in their daily life. Repertoires are not static lists but dynamic ecosystems where tools interact, complement each other, and serve different purposes…

Telemedicine(also: Telecare, Remote Healthcare)

The delivery of healthcare services remotely using telecommunications technology, enabling diagnosis, consultation, treatment, and monitoring without in-person visits. For people with disabilities, telemedicine can reduce barriers to healthcare access including transportation…

Touch-Free Interaction(also: Contactless Interaction, No-Touch Interface)

Interaction with digital systems without physically touching any device surface, achieved through gestures, voice, eye tracking, brain-computer interfaces, or proximity sensors. Touch-free interaction is important for accessibility because touchscreens present significant…

Understandability(also: Understandable, Comprehensibility)

The quality of information or interface elements being cognitively accessible — meaning a user can not only perceive the content but also internalise its meaning and know how to act on it. Understandability is one of the four principles of WCAG 2.0, requiring that information…

Usability Barrier

A type of access barrier where a task can technically be completed but not with the desired qualities such as speed, ease, accuracy, or comfort. Unlike failure point barriers, the task is possible, but the experience of completing it is unsatisfactory. For example, a web page…

Video Accessibility(also: Accessible Video)

The practice of making video content usable by people with diverse abilities, including providing captions for deaf and hard of hearing viewers, audio descriptions for blind viewers, transcripts, appropriate pacing, clear visual design, and chapter markers for navigation. For…

Video Chapters(also: Chapter Markers, Video Segments, Timestamps)

Navigational markers within a video that divide content into labeled sections, allowing viewers to jump directly to specific topics or segments. Video chapters function like a table of contents for video content. For viewers with ADHD, chapters are particularly valuable because…

Video Customization(also: Video Personalization, Adaptive Video)

The ability for viewers to modify the visual and auditory presentation of video content to suit their individual needs and preferences. Video customization for accessibility can include adjusting layout (removing or emphasizing visual elements), modifying backgrounds, changing…

Video Summarization(also: Video Summary, Video Condensation)

The process of creating a shortened version of a video that captures its key content, either through extractive methods (selecting key segments) or abstractive methods (generating new condensed content). Video summarization is an emerging accessibility tool that can make…

Virtual Collaboration(also: remote collaboration, virtual teamwork)

Working together across distance using digital tools—synchronous meetings on platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet, and asynchronous channels like shared documents, Slack, and issue trackers. For accessibility, virtual collaboration can remove physical barriers…

Voice Input(also: Voice Control, Voice Command, Speech Input)

An input modality that allows users to control devices, enter text, or issue commands using spoken language, typically processed through speech recognition technology. Voice input is an essential accessibility feature for people who cannot use traditional input devices such as…

Voice user interface(also: VUI, Conversational interface, Voice interface)

A human-computer interaction paradigm that uses speech as the primary input and audio output as the primary feedback channel. Voice user interfaces range from simple command-and-response systems to conversational agents with natural language understanding. VUIs offer significant…

Wheelchair Basketball

An adaptive version of basketball played by athletes using sport-specific wheelchairs. The game follows similar rules to standing basketball with modifications for wheelchair use, including a classification system that assigns point values to players based on their functional…

Wheelchair Rugby(also: Murderball, Quad Rugby)

A competitive adaptive sport for athletes with impairments affecting all four limbs, originally designed for athletes with quadriplegia. Played on an indoor court, it combines elements of rugby, basketball, and handball. The sport is known for its physicality, with…

Wheelchair Sports

Athletic activities played by athletes who use wheelchairs, either due to mobility impairments or as part of the sport's rules. Common wheelchair sports include basketball, rugby, tennis, racing, and fencing. Competitive wheelchairs are highly customized for each athlete based…

XR Accessibility User Requirements(also: XAUR)

A W3C document that provides accessibility guidelines and user requirements specifically for extended reality (XR) applications, including virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. XAUR identifies the diverse needs of users with disabilities in XR environments and…