Glossary

Search results

SMOG(also: SMOG Index, SMOG Grade, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook)

A readability formula developed by G. Harry McLaughlin in 1969 that estimates the years of education needed to understand a text, based on the number of polysyllabic words (three or more syllables) in a fixed sample of sentences. SMOG is widely used in healthcare communication…

Safe Walking Technology(also: Safe Walking Aids, Walking Safety Devices)

Assistive technologies designed to help people with cognitive impairments, particularly dementia, walk safely outdoors. These devices typically combine GPS tracking, navigation assistance, fall detection, and emergency communication features. Safe walking technology aims to…

Safety Check-in(also: Wellness Check-in, Check-in Call)

A safety check-in is a brief remote-communication exchange — most often a phone call, text, or app-based 'ping' — whose primary purpose is to confirm the safety and wellbeing of a person at a distance, rather than to exchange substantive information. The pattern is common in…

Sans-Serif Font(also: sans serif, grotesque font)

A typeface that lacks the small projecting lines (serifs) at the ends of letter strokes. Sans-serif fonts like Arial, Helvetica, and Verdana are generally recommended for screen readability and are often preferred for users with dyslexia. Research shows sans-serif fonts lead to…

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…

Scaffolding(also: Instructional Scaffolding, Cognitive Scaffolding)

A support strategy that provides temporary, structured assistance to help a learner accomplish tasks they cannot yet perform independently. In digital accessibility, scaffolding can take the form of progressive disclosure, step-by-step guidance, contextual help, or adaptive…

Scenario-Based Evaluation(also: Path-Based Testing, User Journey Testing)

An accessibility evaluation approach that assesses the complete user experience across a sequence of steps needed to accomplish a task, rather than testing individual pages in isolation. For example, evaluating an e-commerce checkout means testing every step from product search…

Schema(also: Script, Mental Schema, Cognitive Schema)

A cognitive framework or mental model that organises knowledge about a typical sequence of events in a familiar situation. In accessibility and AAC design, schemas are used to structure interfaces so that prestored messages or navigation options mirror the expected progression…

Schizophrenia(also: Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders)

A chronic psychiatric condition characterized by disturbances in thought, perception, emotion, and behavior, including symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, reduced emotional expression, and cognitive difficulties with memory, attention, and…

Scotopic Sensitivity(also: Irlen Syndrome, Visual Stress, Meares-Irlen Syndrome)

A visual-perceptual condition in which certain wavelengths of light cause discomfort, distortion, or difficulty when reading. People with scotopic sensitivity may experience text appearing to shimmer, move, or blur on the page, particularly with high-contrast black text on white…

Selective Attention(also: Focused Attention)

The cognitive ability to focus on a specific stimulus or task while filtering out irrelevant distractions. In accessibility and inclusive design, understanding selective attention is critical for creating interfaces that minimize cognitive overload, reduce visual clutter, and…

Self-Motivation

Self-motivation is the internal capacity to initiate and sustain tasks without relying on external rewards or pressure. In accessibility contexts, self-motivation is relevant to executive function and is often reduced for people with ADHD, depression, chronic fatigue, and…

Self-Regulated Learning(also: SRL, Self-Directed Learning)

The process by which learners actively manage their own cognition, motivation, and behavior to achieve learning goals. Self-regulated learning involves planning approaches, monitoring comprehension, adjusting strategies when needed, and evaluating outcomes. Research shows that…

Self-Regulation(also: Self-Management, Behavioral Regulation)

The ability to monitor and manage one's own emotions, behavior, and cognitive processes to achieve goals. Self-regulation encompasses emotional regulation, attentional control, and behavioral inhibition. In accessibility contexts, designing for self-regulation means creating…

Self-Scaffolding

Self-scaffolding is a process in which learners independently create their own support structures to achieve objectives they would not have reached without that support. Unlike traditional scaffolding, which is provided by teachers or designed into tools, self-scaffolding…

Semantic Accessibility

An approach to web accessibility that focuses on the predictability and consistency of user interface behavior, layout, and interaction patterns rather than the underlying code. Semantic accessibility ensures that similar elements appear in the same locations across pages, menus…

Semantic Relatedness(also: Semantic Similarity, Semantic Association)

A measure of how closely related two words or concepts are in meaning, encompassing various types of relationships including synonymy, hyponymy, meronymy, and general topical association. In assistive technology, semantic relatedness is used to improve word prediction and…

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…

Sensory Integration(also: Sensory Processing, SI)

The neurological process of organizing sensory information from the body and environment to produce appropriate responses. Sensory integration dysfunction (also called sensory processing disorder) occurs when the brain has difficulty processing and responding to sensory input,…

Sensory Overload(also: Sensory Overwhelm, Overstimulation)

A state in which the brain receives more sensory input than it can effectively process, leading to stress, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and in severe cases, meltdowns or shutdowns. Sensory overload can be triggered by excessive visual complexity, noise, crowds, bright or…

Sensory Processing Sensitivity(also: SPS, Sensory Processing Differences)

Sensory Processing Sensitivity refers to differences in how an individual perceives, filters, and responds to sensory input across modalities such as vision, sound, touch, taste, and proprioception. It is commonly elevated in autistic people, but also occurs in people with ADHD,…

Sensory overload(also: Sensory overstimulation, Overstimulation)

A state in which the brain receives more sensory input than it can effectively process, leading to feelings of overwhelm, distress, anxiety, or shutdown. Sensory overload is particularly common among autistic individuals and people with sensory processing differences, but can…

Serious Game(also: Serious Games, Applied Game)

A game designed for a primary purpose beyond entertainment, such as education, training, health intervention, or cognitive rehabilitation. In accessibility and healthcare contexts, serious games are used to support people with conditions like ADHD by targeting specific cognitive…

Shared Reality(also: Shared Realities)

Shared reality is the experience of a common inner state - thoughts, feelings, or perceptions about an object or situation - between two or more people, established through communication and mutual acknowledgement. In dementia care and accessibility research, sustaining shared…

Short-Form Video Content(also: SFVC, Short-Form Content, SFC)

Brief video content, typically 15–60 seconds long, presented in portrait orientation and consumed via infinite vertical scroll on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels, and Douyin. The format has become an important information and community…

Short-Term Memory(also: STM, Immediate Memory)

The cognitive system that temporarily holds small amounts of information (typically 7±2 items) for brief periods, usually less than 30 seconds without rehearsal. Short-term memory is distinct from working memory, which involves actively manipulating information. Many cognitive…

Simplified Interface(also: Reduced Complexity Interface, Easy Mode)

A user interface design that intentionally reduces the number of features, options, and interaction steps to make a product or service accessible to users who would be overwhelmed by a standard interface. Simplified interfaces typically remove non-essential functionality,…

Skimming(also: Scanning, Speed Reading, Content Skimming)

Skimming is a speed-reading technique in which a reader quickly glances through text to get the general idea or gist without reading every word. Sighted readers skim by scanning headlines, bold text, first sentences of paragraphs, and visually prominent content. For blind and…

Social Playware(also: Interactive Playware, Technology-Mediated Play)

Intelligent hardware and software systems designed to create playful interactive experiences that encourage learning, social interaction, and communication between users. In accessibility and therapeutic contexts, social playware is used to promote social skills development in…

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…

Social Stories(also: Social Narratives)

Short, structured narratives developed by Carol Gray that describe social situations, expected behaviors, and appropriate responses in a clear, visual format. Social stories are widely used as therapeutic and educational tools for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and…

Social cognition(also: Social perception, Theory of mind)

The set of cognitive processes involved in understanding and responding to social information, including recognising emotions, interpreting intentions, understanding sarcasm and figurative language, taking others' perspectives, and navigating social norms. Social cognition can…

Soft Key(also: Softkey, Context-sensitive Key)

A soft key is a physical button on a device whose labelled function changes depending on the current application or screen — typically indicated by an on-screen label positioned next to the button. Soft keys let hardware designers fit more commands into a limited number of…

Somatosensory(also: Somatosensation, Bodily Sensation)

Relating to the sensory system that processes touch, pressure, temperature, pain, and body position (proprioception). The somatosensory system is crucial for accessibility technologies that bypass vision or hearing, including Braille reading, tactile graphics, vibrotactile…

Spatial Awareness(also: Spatial Cognition, Environmental Awareness)

The understanding of one's surrounding environment and one's own position within it. In accessibility contexts, spatial awareness encompasses multiple dimensions: the scale and shape of an area, one's position and orientation within it, the presence and arrangement of objects,…

Spatial Cognition(also: Spatial Understanding, Spatial Awareness)

The mental processes involved in perceiving, storing, recalling, and reasoning about spatial relationships, layouts, and environments. Spatial cognition enables people to form mental maps, navigate through spaces, and understand the arrangement of objects. For people who are…

Spatial Learning(also: Spatial Cognition, Environmental Learning)

The process of acquiring and integrating information about an environment into cognitive maps — mental representations of spatial relationships between places, paths, and landmarks. For sighted individuals, spatial learning occurs largely through casual visual observation. For…

Spatial Navigation(also: Spatial Orientation, Spatial Wayfinding)

The cognitive process of determining and following a route from one location to another, involving the ability to remain oriented, recall routines, recognize landmarks, and make decisions at choice points such as intersections and turns. Spatial navigation relies on a…

Spatial Representation(also: Spatial Mental Model)

A cognitive structure that encodes information about the layout, distances, and relationships between locations in an environment. For blind and partially sighted people, spatial representations are built from non-visual sensory information including tactile exploration,…

Spatial Understanding(also: Spatial Cognition, Spatial Awareness)

The ability to comprehend and reason about the positions, sizes, shapes, and relationships of objects in three-dimensional space. Spatial understanding presents a significant accessibility challenge for blind and low-vision users, who must construct mental representations of…

Specific Learning Disability(also: SLD, Learning Disability, Learning Disorder)

A neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the brain's ability to receive, process, store, or respond to information, resulting in significant difficulties with reading, writing, or mathematics that are not attributable to intellectual disability, sensory impairment, or lack of…

Speech Disfluency(also: Disfluent Speech, Non-Fluent Speech)

Any interruption to the normal flow of speech, including repetitions of sounds or words, prolongations of sounds, blocks (involuntary pauses), interjections, and revisions. While everyone experiences occasional disfluency, persistent speech disfluency conditions such as…

Speed Dial(also: One-touch Dialing, Quick Dial)

Speed dial is a mobile or landline phone feature that lets a user place a call to a preset contact by pressing one or two assigned digits rather than entering a full phone number. Originally introduced as a convenience feature, speed dial functions as a meaningful accessibility…

Speed-Comprehension Trade-off(also: Speed-Accuracy Trade-off in Reading)

An empirical pattern in readability research: typographic, layout, and presentation choices that increase reading speed often reduce comprehension accuracy, and vice versa. For example, sans-serif faces and shorter line lengths tend to support faster reading but may yield lower…

Spell Checker(also: Spellchecker, Spelling Checker)

Software that identifies and suggests corrections for misspelled words in text. Standard spell checkers often fail to catch errors made by people with dyslexia because dyslexic spelling errors differ from typical misspellings — they may include real-word substitutions (e.g.,…

Split Attention(also: Split-Attention Effect, Divided Attention)

A cognitive phenomenon in multimedia learning where users must divide their visual attention between multiple information sources presented simultaneously. In accessibility contexts, this is particularly challenging for Deaf and Hard of Hearing viewers of captioned videos, who…

Split Attention Effect(also: Split Attention)

A cognitive load phenomenon in multimedia learning where learners must divide visual attention between two or more sources of information that should be integrated - for example captions at the bottom of the screen and a diagram in the centre. The cost of switching and mentally…

Split-Attention Effect(also: Split Attention)

A cognitive load phenomenon that occurs when learners or viewers must divide their visual attention between multiple sources of information that are physically or temporally separated. In captioned media, the split-attention effect occurs when viewers must read captions while…

Stepper(also: Step Indicator, Wizard Stepper)

A UI pattern that breaks a multi-step process — such as checkout, registration, or booking — into numbered or labeled stages with a visual progress indicator. Steppers reduce cognitive load by showing users where they are, what they have completed, and what remains, and are…

Stimulus Over-Selectivity(also: Over-Selective Attention, Tunnel Vision Attention)

A phenomenon where an individual attends to a limited subset of available stimuli while ignoring other relevant cues in their environment. Stimulus over-selectivity is commonly observed in autistic individuals and people with intellectual disabilities, and has significant…