Glossary

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Accessible Tourism(also: Inclusive Tourism, Tourism for All)

The practice of ensuring that tourism destinations, products, and services are accessible to all people regardless of their physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities. Accessible tourism encompasses the entire travel chain — from trip planning and booking through transport,…

Accessible Transit(also: Accessible Public Transportation, Transit Accessibility)

The design and provision of public transportation systems — including buses, trains, subways, and associated infrastructure — that are usable by people with disabilities. Accessible transit encompasses physical accessibility (low-floor buses, ramp access, tactile platform…

Accessible Transportation(also: Inclusive Transportation, Transportation Accessibility)

Transportation systems, vehicles, infrastructure, and services designed to be usable by people with disabilities, including those with mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive impairments. Accessible transportation encompasses physical features (wheelchair ramps, tactile paving,…

Active Support

A person-centred model of support that enables people with intellectual disabilities, including those with severe and profound disabilities, to participate meaningfully in everyday activities and relationships. Active support involves providing graded levels of assistance — from…

Activities of Daily Living(also: ADLs, Daily Living Activities, ADL)

Routine tasks that people perform every day for self-care and independent functioning, including reading, cooking, grooming, dressing, and managing household items. For people with low vision, performing ADLs can be significantly impacted by reduced visual acuity, contrast…

Ageing in Place(also: Aging in Place)

The ability of older adults to live independently and safely in their own home and community for as long as possible, regardless of age, income, or ability level. Ageing in place is increasingly promoted as an alternative to institutional care, supported by technologies such as…

Aging in Place(also: Ageing in Place, Aging-in-Place)

The ability to live safely and independently in one's own home and community as one ages, regardless of age, income, or ability level. Assistive technology, including voice assistants, smart home devices, and remote health monitoring, plays an increasingly important role in…

Aging in Place

The ability of older adults to live independently and safely in their own home and community as they age, supported by appropriate services and technology. In the context of accessibility, aging in place involves designing digital tools, smart home systems, and mobile…

Aging in Place(also: Aging at Home)

The ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably regardless of age, income, or ability level. Aging in place is a preference for most older adults and involves adapting living environments, accessing supportive services, and using…

Aging in place(also: Ageing in place)

The ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably regardless of age, income, or ability level. AI-assisted aging-in-place technologies include monitoring systems, fall detection, and health tracking, but raise complex accessibility and…

Ambient assisted living(also: AAL, Smart home assistive living)

Technology systems embedded in the home environment — including sensors, microphones, and smart devices — that monitor and support older adults or people with disabilities to live independently and safely. AAL aims to detect emergencies like falls, remind about medications, and…

Assisted Living Technology(also: Assistive Living Technology, Ambient Assisted Living, AAL)

Technology systems designed to help people with disabilities, chronic conditions, or age-related limitations live more independently in their homes or residential facilities. This includes smart home automation, health monitoring, fall detection, medication reminders, and…

Assistive Robot(also: Personal Assistive Robot, Socially Assistive Robot, Caregiving Robot)

A robot designed to assist people with disabilities, older adults, or those with chronic conditions in performing daily activities or maintaining independence. Assistive robots may provide physical assistance (manipulation, mobility), cognitive support (reminders, step-by-step…

Autonomous Vehicle(also: AV, Self-Driving Car, Automated Driving System)

A vehicle equipped with technology that enables it to navigate and operate without human input, ranging from partial automation features like adaptive cruise control to fully autonomous systems that handle all driving tasks. Autonomous vehicles represent a potentially…

Behavior Change(also: Behavior Modification, Behavioral Intervention)

Behavior change refers to the systematic process of modifying specific behaviors through structured intervention techniques. In accessibility and disability contexts, behavior change strategies are used to help individuals develop adaptive behaviors, reduce challenging…

Caregiving(also: Carer, Caregiver, Care Partner)

The unpaid or paid work of supporting another person with daily living, health management, social participation, or emotional needs, often in the context of disability, chronic illness, or ageing. In accessibility research, caregiving is usually treated as an interdependent…

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…

Cognitive Orthosis(also: Cognitive Prosthesis, Cognitive Assistive Device)

A technology-based device or system designed to compensate for cognitive deficits by supporting functions such as memory, planning, attention, and task sequencing. Analogous to a physical orthosis that supports a weakened limb, a cognitive orthosis augments impaired cognitive…

Cognitive Orthotic(also: Cognitive Orthosis, Cognitive Support Device)

A cognitive orthotic is an assistive technology device or system designed to compensate for cognitive impairments by providing external support for functions such as memory, planning, sequencing, and decision-making. Analogous to a physical orthotic that supports a weakened…

Color Identifier(also: Color Detector, Color Recognition Device)

A color identifier is an assistive technology device or application that detects and announces the color of objects for people with vision impairments. Standalone hardware devices use a light sensor pressed against an object to identify its color and speak the result aloud.…

Community Care(also: Community-Based Care, Care in the Community)

A policy and practice model in which health and social care services are provided to disabled and elderly people in their own homes or local communities rather than in residential institutions. Community care aims to promote independence, choice, and social inclusion, but can…

Community Navigation(also: Community Travel, Community Mobility)

The ability to plan, initiate, and complete trips within one's community, including getting to transit points on time, using public transportation, and accessing services at destinations. For people with cognitive disabilities such as traumatic brain injury, community navigation…

Currency Accessibility(also: Accessible Currency, Banknote Accessibility)

The design of physical money — coins and banknotes — so that people with visual impairments or other disabilities can independently identify and use different denominations. Many countries produce banknotes in different sizes, colours, or with tactile features (raised print,…

Daily Living Skills(also: Activities of Daily Living, ADLs, Self-Care Skills)

The fundamental self-care tasks that individuals perform routinely, including personal hygiene (tooth-brushing, hand-washing, bathing), dressing, eating, toileting, and basic household tasks. For individuals with disabilities, particularly autism and intellectual disabilities,…

Deinstitutionalization

The process of transitioning disabled people from large, segregated residential institutions to community-based living settings, along with the development of community support services. In the United States, deinstitutionalization gained momentum in the 1950s and 1960s driven…

Digital Independence(also: Digital Autonomy, Technology Independence)

The ability to access and use digital technologies independently to find resources and information. Digital independence encompasses skills such as navigating websites, using search engines, evaluating online information, and completing digital tasks without requiring…

Do-It-Yourself(also: DIY, DIY Task)

Tasks that an end user performs without professional help - commonly the assembly, setup, learning-to-operate, and troubleshooting of consumer products such as flat-pack furniture, kitchen appliances, alarm clocks, or smart-home devices. DIY tasks demand strict step ordering,…

Driving Cessation(also: Driving Retirement, Giving Up Driving)

The process by which a person stops driving a motor vehicle, either voluntarily or due to age-related decline in cognitive, visual, or physical abilities, medical conditions, or legal restrictions. Driving cessation disproportionately affects older adults and has significant…

Environmental Control(also: Environmental Control Unit, ECU, Smart Home Control)

Technology that enables people with severe physical disabilities to independently control aspects of their environment such as lights, doors, temperature, televisions, phones, and other electronic devices. Environmental control systems can be operated through various access…

Environmental Control System(also: ECS, Electronic Aids to Daily Living, EADL)

An environmental control system (ECS) is an assistive technology that enables people with physical disabilities to independently control devices and features in their environment, such as lights, doors, televisions, phones, and computers. ECS devices accept input through various…

Fall Detection(also: Automatic Fall Detection, Fall Alert System)

Technology that automatically identifies when a person has fallen and triggers an alert or emergency response. Fall detection systems typically use sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes in wearable devices (smartwatches, pendants), ambient sensors (radar, Wi-Fi), or…

Family-based Care(also: Family Caregiving Model, Home-based Care)

Family-based care is the model in which a relative — most often a parent, spouse, adult child, or sibling — is the primary caregiver for a disabled, chronically ill, or ageing family member, typically in the home rather than in an institutional setting. In the context of…

Financial Accessibility(also: Accessible Banking, Inclusive Finance)

The design and provision of financial services, tools, and platforms that are usable by people of all abilities, ages, and levels of digital literacy. Financial accessibility encompasses making banking websites and mobile apps compatible with assistive technologies, designing…

Financial Autonomy(also: Financial Independence, Financial Self-Determination)

The ability of a person to make and enact their own financial decisions — earning, saving, spending, and planning — consistent with their values and goals. For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, financial autonomy is often constrained by guardianship,…

Functional Independence(also: Functional Autonomy, Independent Functioning)

The ability to perform daily living activities without assistance from others, encompassing both basic self-care tasks (eating, dressing, bathing) and more complex instrumental activities (shopping, managing finances, using transportation). Functional independence is assessed…

Grab Bar(also: Safety Rail, Support Bar, Handrail)

A rigid, wall-mounted bar designed to provide support and stability for people who need assistance maintaining balance, transferring between positions, or preventing falls. Grab bars are most commonly installed near toilets, bathtubs, and showers, but may also be placed in…

Guide Runner(also: Sighted Guide Runner, Running Guide)

A sighted person who accompanies a blind or visually impaired runner during training or competition, providing verbal navigation cues and physical guidance typically through a tether connecting the two runners. Guide runners must match the ability level of the BVI runner,…

Home Accessibility Audit(also: Home Safety Assessment, Indoor Accessibility Assessment, HSSAT)

A systematic evaluation of a residential space to identify barriers to access, safety hazards, and opportunities for modification to support people with disabilities, older adults, or families with young children. Audits typically use standardized checklists — such as the Home…

Homebound(also: Housebound)

A status in which an individual has difficulty leaving their home without assistive devices or help from others, typically due to illness, injury, or environmental factors such as lack of transportation. As defined by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, homebound…

Independent Living(also: Autonomous Living)

A philosophy and practical goal emphasizing that people with disabilities should have the same opportunities and control over their daily lives as people without disabilities, including making choices about where and how they live. In accessibility practice, independent living…

Independent Living Movement(also: IL Movement)

A disability rights movement that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s advocating for disabled people's right to live independently in the community, make their own choices, and participate fully in society on a par with nondisabled peers. The movement organized protests, including…

Independent Living Skills(also: Daily Living Skills, ILS)

The practical skills needed to manage everyday tasks and routines autonomously, including personal hygiene, food preparation, household chores, money management, and time management. For people with disabilities, developing independent living skills is a core component of…

Indoor Accessibility(also: Home Accessibility, Domestic Accessibility)

The degree to which indoor spaces — including homes, workplaces, and public buildings — can be safely and independently used by people with disabilities. Indoor accessibility encompasses physical features such as door widths, counter heights, light switch placement, grab bar…

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living(also: IADL, IADLs)

Complex daily tasks that require higher-order cognitive and organizational skills beyond basic self-care. IADLs include managing finances, shopping, preparing meals, housekeeping, using transportation, managing medications, and using communication devices. The Lawton IADL Scale…

Interactive Task Guidance(also: Task Guidance System, Step-by-Step Task Support, Task Prompting)

Interactive task guidance is a form of cognitive assistive technology that provides real-time, step-by-step instructions to help individuals with cognitive impairments complete multi-step daily activities. Unlike simple reminder systems that only alert users to start a task,…

Learned Helplessness

A psychological condition in which a person comes to believe they are unable to perform tasks or control outcomes, often resulting from prolonged over-assistance or lack of opportunity to attempt tasks independently. In disability contexts, learned helplessness can develop when…

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…

Medication Management(also: Medication Adherence, Medication Compliance)

The process of overseeing and managing the medications prescribed to an individual, including remembering to take medications at the correct times, in the correct doses, and tracking what has been taken. Medication management is a significant challenge for older adults and…

Mobility Aid(also: Mobility Device, Mobility Equipment)

A mobility aid is any device designed to assist people with mobility impairments in moving from one place to another, including wheelchairs, walkers, rollators, canes, crutches, and powered scooters. These devices are a subcategory of assistive technology focused specifically on…

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…