Glossary

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Access Intimacy

A concept coined by disability justice activist Mia Mingus describing the elusive, deeply felt connection that occurs when someone else genuinely understands and responds to your access needs. Access intimacy goes beyond formal accommodations to encompass the relational and…

Accessibility Dongle(also: Disability Dongle)

A well-intentioned but ultimately useless or impractical solution to an accessibility problem that disabled people never actually needed or asked for. Coined by Liz Jackson in 2019, the term critiques designs created without meaningful input from the disability community — often…

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…

Communities of Practice(also: CoP)

Groups of people who share a concern or passion for something they do and learn how to do it better through regular interaction. In accessibility, communities of practice form around shared experiences of navigating barriers, developing workarounds, creating accessible tools,…

Crip Epistemology(also: Cripistemology)

A framework for understanding how disability produces distinct forms of knowledge that challenge dominant, ableist ways of knowing. Rooted in crip theory and disability studies, crip epistemologies recognize that disabled bodyminds generate situated, embodied knowledge through…

Crip Time

A concept from disability studies and culture that recognizes disabled people often operate on different timescales than those imposed by ableist societal norms. Crip time encompasses the need for more time to complete tasks, the recognition that productivity fluctuates based on…

Cultural Appropriation(also: Cultural Misappropriation)

The adoption or use of elements from a minority culture by members of a dominant culture without proper understanding, acknowledgment, or respect for their original meaning and significance. In disability and accessibility contexts, this can occur when hearing researchers or…

Cure Narrative(also: Cure Rhetoric, Fix-It Mentality)

A dominant cultural narrative that frames disability as a problem to be eliminated, cured, or overcome through medical intervention, technology, or personal determination. Cure narratives position the non-disabled state as the default ideal and disability as a departure that…

Deaf Community(also: Deaf World, Signing Community)

A cultural and linguistic community of people who are Deaf or hard of hearing and who share a common language (typically a sign language), cultural values, traditions, and social norms. The Deaf community is distinguished from the broader population of people with hearing loss…

Deaf Culture(also: Deaf Community Culture)

The shared cultural identity, values, social norms, language, art, literature, and history of Deaf people who communicate primarily through sign language. Deaf culture (with a capital "D") views deafness not as a disability or medical condition to be fixed, but as a cultural and…

Disability Aesthetics

A discourse related to reclaiming the visibility of disability in mainstream art, particularly visual and performance arts, through the depiction of disabled bodies as both beautiful and inspiring. Unlike disability art, disability aesthetics does not necessarily carry a social…

Disability Art(also: Disability Arts)

Artistic work created by disabled artists that is specifically informed by their experience of disability, often rooted in the social dynamics of identity, disability culture, and the struggle for disability justice and equality. Disability art is distinct from art therapy…

Disability Culture(also: Crip Culture)

Disability culture encompasses the shared experiences, values, art, language, humor, and traditions that have developed among people with disabilities as a distinct social group. It includes disability art, literature, music, film, and performance, as well as communal practices…

Disability Pride(also: Disability Identity Pride)

The acknowledgment and embracing of disability as a valued part of personal identity rather than something to hide, overcome, or be ashamed of. Disability Pride is rooted in the social model of disability, which locates barriers in society rather than in individuals. In…

Disability Representation(also: Disability Portrayal, Disability Media Representation)

How disabled people and disability are depicted, described, and constructed in media, marketing, technology, research, and public discourse. Disability representation encompasses visual imagery, language choices, narrative framing, and the selection of whose voices and…

Disabled Joy(also: Disability Joy, Crip Joy)

Disabled joy refers to the positive experiences, pleasures, and sources of happiness that arise from or are connected to living as a disabled person. This includes pride in disability identity, the richness of disability community and culture, the creativity born of adapting to…

Embodied Critique(also: Embodied Feedback, Body-Based Critique)

A method of expressing critical feedback through physical bodies and bodily actions rather than relying solely on spoken or written language. Embodied critique draws on disability cultures where communication frequently extends beyond verbal or textual modes, recognizing that…

Identity-First Language(also: IFL)

Language that places the disability or condition before the person (e.g., "autistic person," "deaf person," "disabled person"), in contrast to person-first language ("person with autism," "person with a disability"). Many autistic self-advocates prefer identity-first language…

Institutional Ableism(also: Systemic Ableism, Structural Ableism)

Prejudice and discrimination against people with disabilities that is embedded in the policies, practices, norms, and culture of organizations and institutions, rather than manifesting solely through individual attitudes. In higher education, institutional ableism appears in…

Late Diagnosis(also: Adult Diagnosis, Delayed Diagnosis)

Receiving a formal diagnosis of a condition significantly later than when symptoms first appeared, often in adulthood for conditions typically identified in childhood. Late diagnosis of ADHD and autism is common, particularly among women, people of color, and those who developed…

Micro-Culture(also: Communication Micro-Culture, Subculture)

A distinct set of communication norms, practices, and shared understandings that develop within a specific community or group of individuals. In AAC communication, micro-culture refers to the unique "listener-feedback dialect" that AAC users form—blending device output with…

Mutual Aid

Mutual aid is a practice of collective care in which community members voluntarily share resources, support, and assistance based on principles of solidarity and reciprocity rather than charity. In disability communities, mutual aid networks play a critical role in filling gaps…

Neurodiversity Movement(also: Neurodiversity Paradigm)

A social movement and intellectual framework that regards neurological differences—including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other conditions—as natural and valuable forms of human diversity rather than disorders or deficits to be cured. The neurodiversity movement, originating from…

Power Dynamics(also: Power Differentials)

The imbalance of influence, authority, or social status between individuals or groups that shapes their interactions and relationships. In accessibility research and practice, power dynamics between researchers or designers without disabilities and participants with disabilities…

Self-Diagnosis(also: Self-Identification, Self-Dx)

The process of identifying oneself as having a condition or disability based on personal research and self-assessment rather than through formal clinical evaluation. Self-diagnosis is particularly prevalent and controversial in ADHD and autism communities, where diagnostic…

Self-Disclosure(also: Personal Disclosure, Identity Disclosure)

The act of voluntarily revealing personal information about oneself, including disability status, health conditions, professional credentials, or lived experiences. In online disability communities, self-disclosure serves multiple functions: it builds trust and community…

Social Acceptability(also: Social Acceptance, Technology Stigma)

The degree to which the use of an assistive technology or interaction technique is perceived as socially appropriate by both the user and those around them. Social acceptability is a critical but often underestimated factor in assistive technology adoption. Users may reject…

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