Glossary

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ABC Model(also: Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence, ABC Analysis, ABC Framework)

A behavioural-science framework, rooted in B. F. Skinner's operant conditioning, that analyses any observed behaviour as a three-part sequence: Antecedent (the situation, trigger, or context immediately before the behaviour), Behaviour (what the person actually did), and…

ADHD Rating Scale(also: ADHD-RS, ADHD-RS-IV)

A standardised assessment tool based on DSM diagnostic criteria for evaluating the frequency and severity of ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents. Completed by parents or teachers, it measures inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptom clusters. In digital health and…

AT Impact Framework(also: ATIF, Assistive Technology Impact Framework)

A multi-level conceptual framework for evaluating the impact of assistive technology interventions on quality of life, developed from longitudinal research with smartphone users with sensory disabilities in Kenya. ATIF is structured across three ecological levels: Self…

Accessibility Maturity Model(also: Accessibility Maturity, Digital Accessibility Maturity)

A framework for assessing how well an organization has integrated accessibility into its culture, processes, and outputs. Maturity models typically progress through stages from ad hoc or reactive approaches (where accessibility depends on individual champions) to embedded and…

Adaptive Behavior(also: Adaptive Skills, Adaptive Functioning)

The collection of conceptual, social, and practical skills that people learn and perform in everyday life. Conceptual skills include language, literacy, and self-direction; social skills encompass interpersonal abilities and social responsibility; practical skills involve…

Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale(also: ASRS, ASRS-v1.1, Adult ADHD Self-Rating Scale)

A short self-report screening instrument for adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder developed by the World Health Organization in collaboration with researchers from Harvard Medical School. The most widely used version, ASRS-v1.1, is an 18-item questionnaire whose first…

Aphasia Severity Rating(also: ASR Score, Aphasia Severity Rating Scale)

A clinician-administered ordinal scale, part of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination, indicating the severity of a person's aphasia on a 0-5 range where 0 indicates no usable speech or comprehension and 5 indicates minimal residual difficulties barely apparent to a…

Assistive Technology Assessment(also: AT Assessment, Assistive Technology Evaluation, AT Evaluation)

An assistive technology assessment is a systematic evaluation process to identify the most appropriate assistive technology solutions for an individual with a disability. The assessment typically considers the person's abilities, goals, environments, and tasks to recommend…

Attention Network Test(also: ANT, ANT-I, ANT-Child)

A computer-administered cognitive task developed by Fan, Posner, and colleagues that measures three functionally distinct attention networks — alerting (sustained readiness), orienting (shifting attentional focus in space), and executive control (resolving conflict between…

Audiogram(also: Hearing Test Chart, Pure-tone Audiogram)

An audiogram is a graph of a person's hearing thresholds measured across a range of frequencies — typically 250 Hz to 8 kHz — plotted separately for each ear. Thresholds are expressed in decibels hearing level (dB HL) relative to the expected threshold of a young, healthy ear,…

Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule(also: ADOS, ADOS-2)

A standardized diagnostic protocol for autism that uses structured and semi-structured social interaction tasks between an examiner and the person being assessed. First published in 1989 and designed based on a sample of children aged 6-18, it was followed by a second edition…

Automated Readability Scoring(also: ARSS, Automated Readability Scoring System, Readability Assessment)

The use of computational methods to automatically evaluate the reading difficulty level of a text. Traditional readability formulas like Flesch-Kincaid and Dale-Chall use surface features such as average sentence length, word length, and vocabulary frequency to assign…

Barrage Test(also: Cancellation Test, Visual Search Test)

A standardized neuropsychological assessment that measures selective and sustained visual attention by requiring participants to identify and mark target items among distractors on a page. Barrage tests vary in visual complexity, with more complex versions testing the ability to…

Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire(also: CAT-Q)

A 25-item self-report questionnaire developed by Hull, Mandy, Lai, Baron-Cohen and colleagues (2019) for adults to self-assess autistic masking (camouflaging) behaviours. Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale (e.g., "In social situations, I feel like I am pretending to be…

Center of Pressure(also: COP, Centre of Pressure)

The point on a surface where the total sum of pressure forces acts, used as a key measure in balance and postural stability assessment. In standing balance evaluation, COP is measured using force plates or pressure-sensing devices like the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. COP path,…

Child Behavior Checklist(also: CBCL, K-CBCL)

A standardised parent-report assessment tool used to evaluate behavioural and emotional problems in children aged 6-18. It measures internalising problems (anxiety, withdrawal, somatic complaints) and externalising problems (aggression, rule-breaking). The CBCL is widely used in…

Clinical Dementia Rating(also: CDR, CDR Scale)

The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) is a five-point staging scale used to characterise the severity of dementia, originally developed by Hughes and colleagues at Washington University in 1982. A clinician rates the person across six domains — memory, orientation, judgement and…

Clock Drawing Test(also: CDT)

The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is a brief cognitive screening task in which a person is asked to draw a clock face, place the numbers, and set the hands to a specified time (commonly "ten past eleven"). Performance is scored on dimensions such as contour, number placement, and…

Cognitive Assessment(also: Neuropsychological assessment, Cognitive testing)

Structured evaluation of cognitive abilities — attention, memory, executive function, language, visuospatial processing, and more — using standardized tasks, questionnaires, or interactive assessments. Cognitive assessments support clinical diagnosis, screening for decline or…

Cognitive Interviewing

A qualitative research technique used to explore how survey respondents understand and mentally process assessment questions. Cognitive interviewing involves asking participants to think aloud as they interpret and answer questions, revealing misunderstandings, ambiguities, and…

Comprehensive Attention Test(also: CAT)

A computer-based, clinically validated battery for assessing multiple attention capacities in children and adolescents. It measures sub-components including visual and auditory selective attention, sustained attention, inhibition-sustained attention, and interference-selective…

DSM-5(also: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV, DSM)

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, is the standard classification system used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. The current edition (DSM-5-TR,…

Digital Phenotyping(also: Active Digital Phenotyping, Passive Digital Phenotyping, Behavioral Phenotyping)

The use of data from digital devices (smartphones, computers, wearables) to quantify behavioral and physiological characteristics relevant to health or ability. Passive digital phenotyping collects data unobtrusively during natural device use (e.g., analyzing typing patterns or…

Digitized Assessment(also: Digitised Assessment, Digital Hiring Assessment, Computer-Based Employment Assessment)

A computer-based hiring test used by employers to evaluate candidates' personality, cognition, skills, or judgement. Common formats include personality inventories, gamified cognitive tasks (balloon-inflating risk tests, Flanker attention tasks, arithmetic mini-games),…

Dyslexia Screening(also: Dyslexia Assessment, Reading Disability Screening)

The process of identifying individuals who may be at risk for dyslexia, typically through standardized tests that assess reading fluency, phonological awareness, rapid naming, and other cognitive indicators associated with the condition. Traditional screening requires trained…

Emotional Intelligence Test(also: EI Test, I-EQ Test, Emotional Intelligence Assessment)

A hiring assessment that asks candidates to identify emotions in photographs of faces or to judge appropriate emotional responses in social scenarios. Emotional-intelligence tests are particularly inaccessible to blind and low-vision candidates, who may be unable to interpret…

Error Taxonomy(also: Error Classification, Error Typology)

A systematic classification of the types of errors that users or learners commonly make, organised into categories based on the nature, source, or linguistic level of the error. In accessibility and educational technology, error taxonomies are used to build intelligent systems…

Farnsworth D-15 Test(also: D-15 Color Test, Farnsworth Dichotomous Test)

The Farnsworth D-15 test is a clinical assessment used to evaluate color perception by asking a person to arrange 15 colored caps in order of hue. The pattern of errors reveals the type and severity of color vision deficiency, distinguishing between protan (red), deutan (green),…

Flesch Reading Ease(also: Flesch Readability Score, Flesch Score, FRE)

A readability formula developed by Rudolf Flesch in 1948 that rates text on a 100-point scale based on average sentence length and average number of syllables per word. Higher scores indicate easier-to-read text: scores of 60-70 are considered suitable for a general audience,…

Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test(also: FAST)

A brief, standardized assessment tool used to screen for the presence and severity of aphasia in stroke survivors and others with acquired language impairments. The FAST evaluates four language areas: comprehension, expression, reading, and writing, providing scores out of 30.…

Functional Assessment(also: Functional Capability Assessment, FA)

A systematic process for evaluating an individual's ability to perform specific tasks or activities, focusing on what a person can actually do rather than their medical diagnosis. In assistive technology contexts, functional assessment measures physical, cognitive, or sensory…

Functional Capacity(also: Functional Ability)

The maximum level at which a person can perform a given physical or cognitive activity under standardised conditions. Functional capacity represents what a person is capable of doing, as opposed to what they typically do in daily life (functional performance). In assistive…

Functional Classification(also: Sport Classification, Player Classification)

A system used in adaptive and Paralympic sports to group athletes into categories based on their physical functional abilities rather than their specific medical diagnosis. In wheelchair basketball, players are assigned a classification from 1.0 (least trunk mobility) to 4.5…

Functional Independence(also: Functional Autonomy, Independent Functioning)

The ability to perform daily living activities without assistance from others, encompassing both basic self-care tasks (eating, dressing, bathing) and more complex instrumental activities (shopping, managing finances, using transportation). Functional independence is assessed…

Functional Limitation(also: Functional Restriction)

A restriction or lack of ability to perform a physical or cognitive action in the manner or within the range considered typical. In the context of accessibility and rehabilitation, functional limitations are the specific constraints on what a person can do — such as limited grip…

Gait Analysis(also: Gait Assessment, Walking Analysis)

The systematic study of human locomotion using observation, measurement, and analysis of body mechanics during walking. Gait analysis measures parameters such as stride length, step duration, joint angles, stance and swing phase timing, and symmetry between left and right legs.…

Game-Based Assessment(also: Gamified assessment, Serious-game assessment)

The use of purpose-built games or playful interactive experiences to measure cognitive, behavioral, or skill-based constructs that would traditionally be assessed through structured tests or questionnaires. Game-based assessments embed validated task parameters (e.g.,…

Goldmann Perimetry(also: Goldmann Visual Field Test, Kinetic Perimetry)

Goldmann perimetry is a clinical technique for mapping the visual field — the total area a person can see while fixating on a central point. The test uses a moving stimulus of controlled size and brightness projected onto a white hemispherical bowl, with the examiner tracking…

Goodness of Pronunciation(also: GOP, GOP Score)

A computational measure used in automatic speech recognition to assess how closely a spoken utterance matches expected pronunciation patterns. GOP scores are calculated by comparing phone sequences from unrestricted ASR against forced alignment to the actual word sequence. In…

Gross Motor Function Classification System(also: GMFCS)

A standardized five-level classification system used to describe the gross motor function of children with cerebral palsy, based on self-initiated movement with emphasis on sitting, walking, and mobility. Level I indicates the highest function (walking without limitations),…

Home Accessibility Audit(also: Home Safety Assessment, Indoor Accessibility Assessment, HSSAT)

A systematic evaluation of a residential space to identify barriers to access, safety hazards, and opportunities for modification to support people with disabilities, older adults, or families with young children. Audits typically use standardized checklists — such as the Home…

House-Brackmann Scale(also: H&B Scale, House-Brackmann Grading System)

The House-Brackmann Scale is a clinical grading system used to assess the degree of facial nerve dysfunction in facial palsy. It ranges from Grade I (normal function) to Grade VI (total paralysis), evaluating voluntary movement of the forehead, eye closure, and mouth. While…

Individual-Technology Fit(also: ITF, User-Technology Match)

A framework for matching individual users with the most appropriate assistive technology based on their personal characteristics and the technology's requirements. In brain-computer interface contexts, ITF considers factors like age, education, caffeine consumption, and video…

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living(also: IADL, IADLs)

Complex daily tasks that require higher-order cognitive and organizational skills beyond basic self-care. IADLs include managing finances, shopping, preparing meals, housekeeping, using transportation, managing medications, and using communication devices. The Lawton IADL Scale…

Ishihara Test(also: Ishihara Colour Test, Ishihara Plates)

A widely used clinical screening test for red-green colour vision deficiencies, consisting of a series of circular plates made up of coloured dots arranged in a mosaic pattern. Each plate contains a number or shape formed by dots of certain colours set against a background of…

Lexile Score(also: Lexile Measure, Lexile Level)

A standardised measure of text complexity and reading ability, expressed on the Lexile scale (roughly 0L to 1600L+). A Lexile text measure reflects sentence length and word frequency; a Lexile reader measure reflects the reader's ability. For accessibility, Lexile scores provide…

LogMAR(also: Logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution)

A standardised scale for measuring visual acuity based on the logarithm (base 10) of the minimum angle of resolution, used in the Bailey-Lovie eye chart and widely adopted in clinical vision research. A logMAR value of 0.0 corresponds to 20/20 (6/6) vision, with higher values…

Manual Muscle Testing(also: MMT, Muscle Strength Testing)

Manual muscle testing (MMT) is a clinical assessment technique used by occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and other healthcare professionals to evaluate the strength of individual muscles or muscle groups. The examiner applies resistance to the patient's movement and…

Mini-Mental State Examination(also: MMSE, Mini-Mental State Exam, Folstein Test)

A widely used brief screening tool for cognitive impairment, originally developed in 1975. The MMSE assesses orientation, memory, attention, language, and visuospatial skills through a series of questions and tasks, yielding a score out of 30. Scores below 24 typically indicate…

Mini-VLAT(also: Miniature VLAT)

A 12-item short-form version of the Visualization Literacy Assessment Test developed by Pandey and Ottley that preserves reliability while reducing participant burden. Each chart type from the original VLAT is represented by a single question, making it well-suited for…