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…

AI-Generated Content(also: AIGC)

An umbrella term for text, images, audio, video, and other media produced by generative AI systems — especially large language models and diffusion-based text-to-image or text-to-video models — in response to user prompts. AIGC is widely used in creative tooling (backdrop…

ATAG(also: Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines)

A W3C standard that provides guidelines for making authoring tools—such as content management systems, HTML editors, and website builders—both accessible to authors with disabilities and capable of producing accessible content. ATAG 2.0, published in 2015, is organized into two…

Accessible Content Creation(also: Accessible Authoring)

The design of tools, workflows, and processes that enable people with disabilities to create original content — including visual illustrations, documents, presentations, and multimedia — independently and with full creative control. Traditional content creation tools often rely…

Alt Text Authoring(also: Alt Text Writing, Image Description Authoring)

The process of composing alternative text descriptions for digital images, undertaken by content authors, developers, or dedicated accessibility specialists. Research has identified several barriers to effective alt text authoring, including authors not knowing what to include,…

Artboard(also: Canvas, Slide Canvas, 2-D Canvas)

An artboard is a two-dimensional digital workspace used in presentation software (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote), graphic design tools, and whiteboard applications where objects like text boxes, shapes, images, and connectors can be placed at arbitrary positions. Artboards…

Audio Description Authoring(also: AD Authoring, AD Creation, Description Writing)

The process of writing and producing audio descriptions for video content, live performances, or other visual media. AD authoring involves watching content, identifying key visual elements, writing concise and objective descriptions, timing them to fit within available gaps, and…

Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG)(also: ATAG, ATAG 2.0)

A W3C Web Accessibility Initiative standard that provides guidelines for designing authoring tools — such as content management systems, website builders, and code editors — that are both accessible to authors with disabilities and capable of producing accessible web content.…

Born Accessible(also: Born-Accessible, Accessibility-First)

An approach to content creation where accessibility is designed in from the beginning rather than retrofitted afterward. Born accessible content is created with accessibility requirements as core specifications, ensuring that people with disabilities can access it immediately…

Content Domestication(also: Media Domestication)

The process of translating or adapting media content to meet the specific needs of a target audience during production rather than through post-hoc modifications. Originating from media studies and audiovisual translation, content domestication in accessibility involves…

Creativity Support Tools(also: CST, Creative Support Software)

Creativity support tools (CSTs) are software applications and systems designed to help people engage in creative activities such as writing, drawing, music production, photography, video editing, graphic design, and programming. In the context of accessibility, CSTs present…

Forking(also: Content Forking, Branching)

A collaborative mechanism borrowed from software version control where a user creates a copy of an existing work to modify independently while preserving the original. In audio description authoring, forking allows describers to duplicate an existing set of descriptions—whether…

Gamification(also: Games with a Purpose, GWAP)

The application of game design elements — such as points, levels, leaderboards, and time challenges — to non-game tasks in order to increase engagement and motivation. In accessibility, gamification has been used to crowdsource tasks that are difficult to automate, such as…

Ideational Convergence(also: Creative Homogenization)

A phenomenon where the use of generative AI tools leads to a narrowing of creative diversity, as multiple users producing content with the same AI system tend to converge on similar outputs. In audio description, ideational convergence risks flattening the variety of descriptive…

Inclusive Imagery(also: Inclusive Representation, Disability-Inclusive Media)

Visual content that authentically and respectfully represents people with disabilities and other marginalized groups. Inclusive imagery goes beyond accessibility (having alternative text) to address how disability is depicted—avoiding stereotypes, tragedy narratives, and…

Narrative Style(also: Descriptive Style, AD Voice)

The distinctive approach a describer takes when writing audio descriptions, encompassing choices about language formality, emotional tone, level of interpretation, detail density, and pacing. Narrative style in audio description ranges from strictly objective and impersonal to…

Prosumer(also: Producer-Consumer, Prosumer Content Creator)

A person who both produces and consumes content, particularly on the web. Prosumers are not formally trained in web design or development but are responsible for creating and managing user-generated content shared online — such as blog posts, newsletters, community websites, and…

Speech Gap(also: Dialogue Gap, Audio Gap)

A pause or silence between spoken dialogue in a video or film where audio descriptions can be inserted without overlapping with the original soundtrack. Identifying speech gaps is a critical first step in audio description production, as descriptions must fit within these…

Story Completer

A design role for generative AI in storytelling, proposed by Niu, Clements, and Kim (2026), in which AI systems complete and enrich stories authored by human creators rather than generating full storylines or automating creative decisions. The concept is framed in contrast to AI…

Tactile Authoring(also: Tactile Graphic Authoring, BLV Authoring)

The creation of tactile graphics — raised-line drawings, swell-paper images, or refreshable-display renderings — by or with blind and low-vision authors, rather than exclusively by sighted experts. Tactile authoring tools include moldable materials, 3D printing pens,…

User-Generated Content(also: UGC, Prosumer Content)

Web content created and published by non-technical users through platforms like blogs, social media, wikis, and content management systems, rather than by professional web developers. The rise of user-generated content in Web 2.0 has created a significant accessibility…

Visual Interpretation Services(also: VIS, Remote Sighted Assistance, Visual Assistance Services)

Visual interpretation services are technology platforms that connect blind and low vision users with sighted assistants (either human volunteers or paid professionals) who provide real-time visual descriptions through video calls or image sharing. Services like Aira and Be My…

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