Glossary
Terms used in accessibility research and practice. Each entry has a definition, common aliases, and category tags.
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- Visual Schedule(also: Picture Schedule, Activity Schedule)
- A visual representation of a sequence of activities or steps that an individual is expected to complete, using pictures, symbols, photographs, or written words arranged in chronological order. Visual schedules are widely used in educational and therapeutic settings for autistic…
- Visual Supports(also: Visual Aids, Visual Cues)
- Pictures, symbols, photographs, written words, objects, or other visual items used to support communication, learning, and behaviour in individuals with developmental disabilities, particularly autism. Visual supports leverage the strong visual processing abilities common among…
- Visual dispersion(also: Visual splitting, Divided visual attention)
- The cognitive challenge faced by deaf and hard of hearing people when they must simultaneously monitor multiple visual information sources, such as an instructor, presentation slides, a sign language interpreter or captions, and their own notes. Because deaf individuals receive…
- Visual guidance(also: Visual cueing, Visual highlighting)
- Assistive techniques that direct a user's visual attention to relevant content through highlights, outlines, magnification, or other visual cues. For people with low vision, visual guidance systems can compensate for reduced visual acuity or restricted visual fields by making…
- Visualization Literacy(also: Data Visualization Literacy, Graphical Literacy, Graph Literacy)
- The ability to read, interpret, and extract meaningful insights from visual data representations such as charts, graphs, maps, and infographics. Visualization literacy encompasses skills like identifying trends, making comparisons, understanding scales and axes, and critically…
- Vocational Training(also: Vocational Education, Job Training, Occupational Training)
- Vocational training is education focused on developing practical skills and knowledge required for specific occupations or trades. In accessibility contexts, vocational training for people with disabilities is a critical pathway to economic independence and social inclusion, yet…
- Web-Based Learning(also: WBL, Online Learning, E-Learning)
- An educational approach that delivers instructional content and learning experiences through web browsers and internet-connected platforms, encompassing everything from static course websites to interactive simulations and learning management systems. Web-based learning has…
- Weed-Out Course(also: Gateway Course, Gatekeeper Course, Barrier Course)
- A course in higher education, typically in STEM fields, that is perceived as intentionally rigorous to filter out students who are deemed unlikely to succeed in a given discipline. Courses like organic chemistry, calculus, and physics are commonly labelled as weed-out courses.…
- YouTube Accessibility(also: Video Platform Accessibility)
- The degree to which YouTube and similar video platforms can be effectively used by people with disabilities, including availability of captions, audio descriptions, screen reader compatibility, and keyboard navigation. For teachers with vision impairments in India, YouTube…
- Zone of Proximal Development(also: ZPD)
- A concept from educational psychologist Lev Vygotsky describing the range of tasks that a learner can perform with the assistance of a more competent individual (scaffolding) but cannot yet perform independently. The ZPD lies between the zone of actual development (what the…