Glossary

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IAccessible2(also: IA2)

An open accessibility API specification originally developed by IBM and donated to the Linux Foundation. IAccessible2 extends Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) to support the richer semantic information needed by Web 2.0 applications, including WAI-ARIA roles, states, and…

IBM Home Page Reader(also: Home Page Reader, HPR)

IBM Home Page Reader (HPR) was a pioneering voice browser developed by IBM that provided audio-based web browsing for people with visual disabilities. Unlike screen readers that operate as an overlay on top of a visual browser, Home Page Reader was a self-contained browser that…

IC2D(also: Integrated Communication 2 Draw)

A drawing application developed at UC Berkeley that enables blind and visually impaired users to create, explore, and label graphical images using a keyboard-operated grid-based auditory interface. IC2D uses a recursive 3x3 grid mapped to the telephone numpad for spatial…

IDE Accessibility(also: Accessible IDE, Development Environment Accessibility)

IDE accessibility refers to making integrated development environments — the software applications used for writing, testing, and debugging code — usable by developers with disabilities. IDEs like Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ, and Eclipse present significant accessibility…

Icon-Based Communication(also: Symbol-Based Communication, Picture-Based Communication)

Icon-based communication is a form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in which users select graphic symbols or icons representing words, phrases, or concepts to construct messages. These systems are commonly used by individuals with severe speech impairments who…

Idiosyncratic Gesture(also: Personalised Gesture, Idiosyncratic Movement)

A body-based communicative movement whose form and meaning are specific to one individual (and often to one communication partner), rather than drawn from a shared vocabulary like American Sign Language. Idiosyncratic gestures are central to unaided AAC for many people with…

Image Captioning(also: Automatic Image Description, AI Image Description)

A computer vision task in which an AI model generates a natural language description of the content of an image. In accessibility contexts, image captioning technology enables visually impaired users to understand visual content by converting images into text that can be read…

Image Description App(also: Visual assistance app, AI visual description app)

A smartphone or wearable application that captures an image of the user's surroundings and returns a spoken or textual description of its content, aimed primarily at blind and low-vision users. Early crowdsourced systems such as VizWiz (2010) relied on remote human workers;…

Image Enhancement(also: Image Pre-Compensation, Visual Enhancement)

Image enhancement in the context of accessibility refers to techniques that modify digital images or on-screen content to improve their visibility and usability for people with visual impairments. Methods include contrast adjustment, edge highlighting, color remapping,…

Image Recognition(also: Image Classification, Computer Vision Recognition)

The use of computer vision algorithms to identify and classify objects, text, faces, scenes, and other visual content in images or video. In accessibility applications, image recognition enables tools that describe visual content to blind and low vision users, such as smartphone…

Image Retrieval(also: Content-Based Image Retrieval, CBIR, Visual Search)

A computer vision technique that searches a database of images to find ones similar to a query image based on visual features rather than text metadata. In accessibility applications, image retrieval enables systems that can identify specific product instances (like a particular…

Image Stitching(also: Photo Stitching, Panoramic Stitching)

A computer vision technique that combines multiple overlapping photographs into a single wider or panoramic image. In accessibility contexts, image stitching enables blind users to capture more visual information from their environment than a single photo can provide, creating…

Image-to-3D Generation(also: Image-to-3D Conversion, 2D-to-3D Generation)

An AI-powered process that converts two-dimensional images into three-dimensional digital models suitable for manipulation, rendering, or physical fabrication via 3D printing. In assistive technology design workflows, image-to-3D generation serves as the second stage of an…

Imagined Device(also: Imaginary Device, Imagined Input Device)

An input device that exists only in the user's imagination, with no physical form, operated through gestures that draw on mental models of a real counterpart such as a smartphone, remote control, or joystick. Imagined devices are typically enacted on or around the body - for…

Imagined Voluntary Movement-Related Potentials(also: IVMRPs, Motor Imagery Potentials)

Electrical brain signals generated when a person imagines performing a voluntary movement without actually executing it. These potentials, detectable via EEG electrodes placed over motor cortex areas, are similar in pattern to the signals produced during actual movement. IVMRPs…

Immersive Reader(also: Reading Mode, Reader View)

A built-in feature in web browsers, learning management systems, and productivity applications (such as Microsoft Immersive Reader) that simplifies the visual presentation of content by stripping away page clutter and presenting text in a clean, customizable format with options…

Immersive Video(also: Immersive Media, VR Video)

Video content viewed through head-mounted displays or surrounding screens that creates a sense of being present within the recorded environment. Immersive video includes 360-degree video captured with omnidirectional cameras and computer-generated virtual reality content. In…

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…

Impulse Engine(also: Impulse Engine 3000)

The Impulse Engine 3000 was a force-feedback haptic device manufactured by Immersion Corporation in the 1990s, used for research into haptic interfaces and virtual reality. The device featured a probe that users manipulated in three degrees of freedom (forward/backward, up/down,…

In-Situ Intervention(also: in-context intervention, just-in-time intervention)

An in-situ intervention is a technological or design feature that is invoked within a user's existing workflow and context, rather than requiring them to switch to a separate application or interrupt their current task. In accessibility research, in-situ interventions are…

Inception-v3(also: Inception v3)

A deep convolutional neural network architecture developed by Google for image recognition, introduced in 2015. It uses "inception modules" that apply multiple convolution filter sizes in parallel to efficiently capture features at different scales, balancing recognition…

Indirect Text Entry(also: Indirect Selection, Indirect Text Composition)

A text input method where the number of available input controls (such as switches or keys) is significantly smaller than the number of characters that can be entered. The user selects characters through an intermediary process such as scanning, where the system cycles through…

Individual Sign Language Recognition(also: ISLR, Word-Level Sign Recognition, Isolated Sign Recognition)

A machine learning task focused on recognizing individual signs from a sign language, translating single signs independently without considering surrounding context. Unlike continuous sign language recognition which attempts to interpret flowing signed sentences, ISLR identifies…

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…

Indoor Localization(also: Indoor Positioning, Indoor Positioning System, IPS)

The problem of determining the precise location of a person or device inside a building, where GPS signals are weak or unavailable. Indoor localization is foundational for accessible wayfinding systems aimed at blind and low-vision travellers, who need to know their position…

Indoor Navigation(also: Indoor Wayfinding, Indoor Positioning)

Technologies and systems that help users find their way within indoor environments such as museums, shopping centers, airports, and public buildings where GPS signals are unreliable. Indoor navigation systems for blind and low vision users may use Bluetooth beacons, Wi-Fi…

Indoor Positioning(also: Indoor Localization, Indoor Location)

Technology that determines a person's location within an indoor environment where GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable. Indoor positioning systems use various technologies including BLE beacons, Wi-Fi signal strength, RFID tags, ultra-wideband radio, and computer vision.…

Indoor Positioning System(also: IPS)

A technology system that determines the location of people or objects inside buildings where GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable. Indoor positioning systems use various technologies including Wi-Fi fingerprinting, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, ultra-wideband (UWB),…

Indoor Wayfinding(also: Indoor Navigation Wayfinding)

The process of navigating within enclosed spaces such as buildings, airports, shopping centers, and hospitals. Indoor wayfinding presents unique accessibility challenges because GPS signals are unavailable indoors, and traditional wayfinding cues like signs and maps are visually…

Indoor navigation(also: Indoor wayfinding, Indoor positioning)

Technologies and design strategies that help people orient themselves and find their way within buildings and enclosed spaces such as airports, hospitals, and shopping centres. Unlike outdoor navigation which relies on GPS, indoor navigation often uses Bluetooth beacons, Wi-Fi…

Inertial Sensing(also: IMU sensing, Inertial measurement)

The use of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers — often built into smartphones and wearable devices — to measure motion, orientation, and direction of movement. In accessibility applications, inertial sensing enables dead reckoning for indoor navigation where GPS is…

Inertial Sensor(also: IMU, Inertial Measurement Unit)

A sensor device that measures acceleration, rotation, and orientation using accelerometers and gyroscopes, often combined with magnetometers. In assistive technology, inertial sensors are used to track the direction a user is facing and the movements of their head or body,…

Inertial measurement unit(also: IMU)

A sensor device that combines accelerometers, gyroscopes, and sometimes magnetometers to measure and report body movement, orientation, and gravitational forces. IMUs are widely used in assistive technology and accessibility research for gesture recognition, body pose…

Information Appliance(also: Smart Appliance, Dedicated Device)

A computing device designed for a specific, well-defined purpose that is communication-oriented and easy to use, in contrast to a general-purpose computer. Information appliances typically have reduced functionality and complexity compared to desktop or laptop computers, making…

Information Rate(also: Throughput, Bandwidth)

The amount of information successfully communicated per unit of time through a communication channel or interface, measured in bits per second. In HCI and assistive technology evaluation, information rate quantifies how efficiently a user can convey commands or intentions…

Information Transfer Rate(also: ITR, Data Transfer Rate)

A measure of the speed and accuracy with which a user can communicate information to a computer through an input device, typically expressed in bits per second. Information transfer rate accounts for both the size of the input vocabulary (how many possible commands exist) and…

Informed Consent

The process by which individuals are provided with clear, understandable information about how their data will be collected, used, and shared, enabling them to make voluntary decisions about participation or data sharing. In accessibility contexts, informed consent presents…

Infrared(also: IR, Infrared Communication)

A wireless communication technology that uses infrared light to transmit data over short distances, commonly used in assistive technology for line-of-sight data exchange between devices. In accessibility applications, infrared transmission has been used in systems like Talking…

Infrared Beacon(also: IR Beacon, IR Tag)

A device that transmits identification signals using infrared light, used in indoor navigation and wayfinding systems to help locate users within buildings. When a user's receiver detects the beacon's signal, the system can determine the user's position relative to known…

Infrared Emitting Diode(also: IRED, IR LED, Infrared LED)

A light-emitting diode that produces infrared radiation, used in assistive technology for motion tracking and position sensing. IREDs are commonly used in head-tracking systems, eye-tracking devices, and other assistive input methods where a camera detects the infrared light…

InftyReader(also: Infty Reader)

A specialised optical character recognition (OCR) system designed to recognise mathematical expressions in scanned documents, developed by the Infty Project (Suzuki et al.). Unlike general-purpose OCR, InftyReader can accurately parse complex mathematical notation (fractions,…

Input Adaptation(also: Input Device Adaptation, Input Modality Adaptation)

The process of automatically or manually modifying an application's user interface to work with input devices or methods it was not originally designed for. Input adaptation addresses the fact that most graphical user interfaces are designed for keyboard and mouse, yet many…

Input Rate(also: Keystroke Rate)

The speed at which a user can produce individual keystrokes or character inputs, typically measured in seconds per keystroke. Input rate varies dramatically across access methods: touch typists may achieve 0.1-0.2 seconds per keystroke, while users of switch scanning systems or…

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living(also: IADLs)

Complex everyday tasks that require higher-level cognitive and physical skills than basic self-care activities. IADLs include managing finances, shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry, using transportation, managing medications, and using communication technologies…

Integrated Control System(also: Integrated Control)

An assistive technology approach where a single input device serves multiple control functions, such as wheelchair navigation, mouse cursor control, and text entry. Integrated control systems reduce the number of separate devices a person with a disability must manage, lowering…

Intelligent Home System(also: IHS, Smart Home System, Ambient Assisted Living System)

A technology-enhanced living environment that uses sensors, actuators, and computing to monitor conditions and provide automated or voice-activated support for daily activities, particularly for older adults and people with disabilities who wish to live independently.…

Intelligent Personal Assistant(also: IPA, Virtual Assistant, AI Assistant)

A software agent that uses natural language processing and speech recognition to perform tasks, answer questions, and control devices on behalf of a user. Examples include Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri, and Microsoft Cortana. While intelligent personal assistants…

Intelligent Virtual Assistant(also: IVA, Virtual Assistant, AI Assistant)

A software-based agent that uses artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and speech recognition to understand and respond to human voice or text commands. Intelligent Virtual Assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri are embedded in smart…

Intelligent Wheelchair(also: Smart Wheelchair, Powered Wheelchair with Navigation Assistance)

A powered wheelchair augmented with sensors, computing hardware, and software algorithms to provide navigation assistance, collision avoidance, or autonomous driving capabilities. Intelligent wheelchairs range from fully autonomous systems that navigate without user input to…

Interactive 3D Printed Model(also: I3M, Interactive Tactile Model)

A 3D printed physical object augmented with technology that provides audio or other non-visual feedback when users touch or interact with specific areas. These models combine the tangible spatial information of a physical replica with digital annotations, typically using…