Glossary

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ABC Notation(also: ABC Text, ABC Music Notation)

A shorthand ASCII text format for representing music notation using plain characters that can be read directly by screen readers. In ABC notation, pitch is represented by letters (A-G for different octaves), rhythm by numbers and fractions, and musical elements like key…

Accessible Fitness Technology(also: Inclusive Exercise Technology, Adaptive Fitness Tech)

Technologies designed to enable people with disabilities to engage in physical exercise independently and effectively. Accessible fitness technology spans audio-based exercise games, haptic workout guides, accessible gym equipment, VR exergames, and wearable activity trackers…

Accessible Programming(also: Accessible Software Development, Inclusive Coding)

Accessible programming encompasses the tools, practices, and accommodations that enable people with disabilities to write, test, debug, and maintain software code. Challenges for disabled developers include inaccessible development environments, difficulty navigating code…

Accessible VR Gaming(also: Accessible Virtual Reality Games, Inclusive VR Gaming)

The design and development of virtual reality games and experiences that can be independently played and enjoyed by people with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, or have motor impairments. Accessible VR gaming requires…

Aesthetic Blindness

Aesthetic blindness is a myth and misconception rooted in ableism that assumes blind people cannot perceive, appreciate, or create beauty because beauty is rendered solely through visual means. This assumption has historically led to the exclusion of blind and low vision people…

Assistive Drone(also: Assistive UAV, Assistive Quadcopter)

A small unmanned aerial vehicle configured to assist a person with a disability — most often a blind or low-vision user — with tasks such as locating objects, navigating unfamiliar environments, scanning distant signage, and previewing walking-path conditions. Compared to…

Audio Description(also: AD, Descriptive Video, Video Description)

A narration track added to video content that describes important visual information for people who are blind or have low vision. Audio descriptions are inserted during natural pauses in dialogue and other audio, conveying key visual elements such as actions, scene changes,…

Audio Guide(also: Audio Tour, Audio Description Tour, Museum Audio Guide)

A portable or installed audio system that provides spoken descriptions, narratives, or contextual information about exhibits in a museum, gallery, or cultural venue. Audio guides range from traditional handheld devices with numbered stops to smartphone apps with…

Audio-Haptic Feedback Layering(also: Multimodal Feedback Layering)

A design technique for managing multiple concurrent non-visual feedback signals by strategically prioritizing, staggering, and adjusting audio and haptic cues to prevent sensory overload. Techniques include audio cutting (interrupting lower-priority sounds when urgent cues are…

BLV(also: Blind and Low Vision, B/LV)

Abbreviation for "blind and low vision," an umbrella term referring to people with a range of visual conditions including total blindness, legal blindness, and various forms of low vision. The term is widely used in accessibility research and practice to describe the user…

Beauty Accessibility(also: Accessible Beauty, Inclusive Beauty)

The design and practice of making beauty and personal grooming products, tools, services, and information accessible to people with disabilities. Beauty accessibility encompasses tactile and braille product labeling, non-visual makeup application techniques, accessible beauty…

Blindness(also: Blind, Total Blindness, Complete Vision Loss)

A condition characterised by the complete or near-complete absence of functional vision, ranging from no light perception to minimal light awareness that cannot be used for practical tasks. Blind individuals typically rely on non-visual senses and assistive technologies such as…

Board Game Accessibility(also: Tabletop Game Accessibility)

The practice of making physical board games, card games, and tabletop games playable by people with disabilities. Most commercial board games rely heavily on visual information — printed text, colors, visual textures, and spatial layouts — making them inaccessible to blind and…

Body Awareness(also: Body Schema, Body Image)

The understanding of one's own body including its structure, posture, position in space, and relationship to the environment. Body awareness encompasses both the physical sense of where body parts are (proprioception) and the cognitive understanding of body shape, proportions,…

Chart Question Answering(also: Chart QA, ChartQA, Visual Question Answering for Charts)

The task of answering natural-language questions about a data visualization, typically a chart provided as an image or structured specification. A chart question answering system must identify the chart type, extract the underlying data, interpret axes and legends, and answer…

Clock Face Method(also: Clock Position Method, Clock Face Orientation, Clock Method)

A technique for describing the spatial position of objects relative to a person by using the positions on an analog clock face. For example, an item directly in front of a person is at 12 o'clock, to the right is at 3 o'clock, directly behind is at 6 o'clock, and to the left is…

Clock-Based Directional Audio(also: Clock-Face Audio Cueing, Clock Position Audio)

A spatial orientation system that communicates direction to users by referencing positions on a clock face (e.g., "3 o'clock" for right, "12 o'clock" for directly ahead), often combined with distance estimates. In accessible VR and gaming contexts, clock-based directional audio…

Depth Estimation(also: Monocular Depth Estimation, Depth Prediction)

The computer vision task of predicting the distance from the camera to each point in a scene, producing a depth map in which each pixel carries a distance value. Monocular depth estimation uses a single RGB image (no stereo cameras or LiDAR) and typically relies on deep learning…

Embodied Expertise(also: Embodied Knowledge, Tactile Expertise)

Skilled knowledge that resides in the body through practiced physical routines, muscle memory, and sensory awareness rather than in explicit cognitive rules or visual information. In accessibility research, embodied expertise describes the sophisticated tactile and kinesthetic…

Embodied Exploration

An approach to virtual environment interaction in which the user builds understanding of a space by physically walking, turning, reaching, and sweeping rather than by teleporting or using controller-based locomotion. Embodied exploration is particularly important for blind and…

Embosser(also: Braille Embosser, Tactile Graphics Embosser)

A device that creates raised (embossed) output on paper or other materials, used to produce braille text and tactile graphics for people who are blind or have low vision. Braille embossers function similarly to printers but press dots upward into heavy paper to create tactile…

Extended Audio Description(also: Extended Description)

A form of audio description in which the video playback is paused to allow time for a description that would not otherwise fit within natural gaps in the audio track. Extended audio descriptions are used when the density of dialogue or other important audio leaves insufficient…

Figure Accessibility(also: Chart Accessibility, Graph Accessibility)

The practice of making visual figures, charts, graphs, and diagrams in documents and publications accessible to people who cannot see them, particularly blind and low vision users. Figure accessibility encompasses multiple approaches including descriptive alt text, data tables,…

Human-Powered Accessibility(also: Human Computation for Accessibility, Crowd-Powered Assistive Technology)

An approach to assistive technology that uses remote human workers — whether paid crowdworkers, volunteers, or trained agents — to provide accessibility services that automated systems cannot yet deliver reliably. Examples include providing real-time visual descriptions for…

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…

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…

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…

Kinesthetic Awareness(also: Kinesthesia, Movement Awareness)

The conscious perception of body position, movement, and muscle tension derived from internal sensory receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints. For sighted people, kinesthetic awareness is reinforced by visual feedback — watching their own movements and observing others. People…

Last-Few-Metres Problem(also: Last Few Meters Problem)

The difficulty that blind and low-vision pedestrians face in the final short distance (roughly the last several metres) of a trip, where GPS accuracy degrades, building entrances are ambiguous, and digital navigation apps leave users in the general vicinity of a destination…

Meal Assistance Technology(also: Dining Assistance Technology, Food Accessibility Technology)

Assistive technologies designed to help people with disabilities identify, locate, and consume food independently during mealtimes. For people with visual impairments, these systems may use computer vision to recognize dishes, voice interfaces to provide information about food…

Mixed-Visual Ability(also: diverse visual abilities, mixed-visual-ability team)

Mixed-visual ability refers to teams or workplace settings that include members with a range of visual abilities, including sighted individuals, people with low vision, and people who are blind. The concept emphasizes that visual ability is not binary and that effective…

Mobile Virtual Reality(also: Mobile VR, Smartphone VR)

Virtual reality systems delivered through a smartphone and consumer-grade accessories (wireless headphones, simple hand-held mounts) rather than a dedicated head-mounted display and PC rig. For accessibility, mobile VR is significant because it uses devices that blind and…

Mobility and Orientation Trainer(also: MOT, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, O&M Specialist)

A qualified professional who teaches orientation and mobility (O&M) skills to blind and partially sighted people, enabling safe and independent travel. MOTs assess individual needs and deliver personalized training that progresses from indoor navigation to outdoor route…

Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity(also: MVPA)

A classification of exercise intensity used in public health guidelines that encompasses physical activity raising heart rate to 60-80% or more of heart rate reserve. MVPA is the threshold recommended by health organizations for meaningful health benefits including…

Monarch(also: Monarch Tactile Display, Dynamic Tactile Device)

The Monarch is a multi-line refreshable tactile display developed by HumanWare and the American Printing House for the Blind, representing a significant advancement in tactile display technology. Unlike traditional single-line refreshable Braille displays that show only one row…

Movement Sonification(also: Motion Sonification)

The practice of mapping qualities of physical movement - such as speed, direction, duration, or weight - to non-verbal sound cues so that movement can be perceived auditorily. In accessibility contexts, movement sonification can convey information about body motion to blind and…

Music Haptics(also: Musical Haptics, Haptic Music)

The use of touch-based feedback — including vibrations, textures, and force — to convey musical information such as pitch, tempo, timbre, articulation, dynamics, and rhythm. Music haptics draws on the fact that haptic receptors in the skin, muscles, and joints naturally relay…

Music Pedagogy(also: Music Education, Music Teaching)

The theory and practice of teaching and learning music, including methods for instruction, curriculum design, and assessment. In accessibility contexts, music pedagogy for blind and low vision learners faces significant challenges: most music teachers have little knowledge of…

Nemeth Braille Code(also: Nemeth Code, Nemeth Mathematics Braille)

A system of Braille encoding developed by Abraham Nemeth in 1946 for representing mathematical and scientific notation, widely used in the United States and some other English-speaking countries. The Nemeth Code uses combinations of standard six-dot Braille cells with…

Nomadic Text Entry(also: Mobile Text Entry, On-the-Go Texting)

The practice of inputting text on a mobile device while moving through or actively engaging with the physical environment, as opposed to typing while stationary. For people who are blind or visually impaired, nomadic text entry presents unique challenges because it requires…

Non-Visual Cooking(also: Blind Cooking, Cooking Without Vision)

The practice of preparing food without relying on visual information, as performed by blind and low vision individuals. Non-visual cooking involves distinctive strategies including tactile exploration to locate and verify ingredients and tools, spatial memorization of kitchen…

Non-Visual Makeup(also: Blind Makeup Application, Accessible Makeup)

The practice and process of applying cosmetics without relying on visual feedback, as performed by people who are blind or have low vision. Non-visual makeup involves embodied, tactile-first strategies including finger-based product application for direct sensory feedback,…

Non-Visual Web Browser(also: Self-Voicing Browser, Audio Web Browser, Talking Browser)

A web browser specifically designed for users who cannot see the screen, providing audio-based or haptic interfaces for navigating and interacting with web content. Unlike standard screen readers that overlay existing visual browsers, non-visual browsers are purpose-built to…

Nonvisual Programming(also: Non-Visual Programming, Blind Programming)

The practice of writing, navigating, debugging, and managing software code without relying on visual display, typically using screen readers, braille displays, and audio cues. Nonvisual programmers face unique challenges with syntax highlighting, code indentation, error…

OrCam(also: OrCam MyEye, OrCam Read)

A family of wearable assistive devices made by OrCam Technologies that use a camera and on-device AI to read printed text aloud, identify faces and products, and recognize colors and banknotes for blind and low vision users. The flagship OrCam MyEye clips magnetically to the arm…

Pedestrian Detection(also: Person Detection, Human Detection)

A computer vision task that identifies and locates people in images or video frames, typically using deep learning models such as convolutional neural networks. In accessibility applications, pedestrian detection is used in wearable assistive technologies for blind and low…

Pedestrian Navigation(also: Pedestrian Wayfinding, On-Foot Navigation)

Pedestrian navigation refers to wayfinding and route-following on foot in outdoor environments, including sidewalks, crosswalks, public transit access points, and shared streets. For blind and low vision users, people with cognitive disabilities, and wheelchair users, the…

Personal Space(also: Interpersonal Distance, Personal Distance Zone)

The invisible boundary surrounding a person that they consider their own territory, the violation of which can cause discomfort or stress. Research by Edward T. Hall defined four distance zones: intimate (0-18 inches), personal (18 inches to 4 feet), social (4-12 feet), and…

Physical Guidance(also: Hands-On Guidance, Physical Assistance)

A body movement teaching technique in which an instructor physically moves or positions a student's body to demonstrate correct form, rhythm, or placement. Physical guidance is widely used in teaching dance, sports, and martial arts to blind and low vision students, as it…

Presentation Accessibility(also: Slide Accessibility, Accessible Presentations)

The practice of designing and delivering slide-based presentations so that all audience members, including those with disabilities, can access the content. Key principles include verbally describing all visual content on slides (text, images, diagrams, graphs), using nouns…