Glossary

Search results

Application Profile(also: Metadata Application Profile)

A customization of an existing metadata standard that selects, constrains, or extends elements to meet the requirements of a particular community or application. In accessibility, application profiles are used to add accessibility-specific properties to general-purpose metadata…

Card Sorting(also: Card Sort)

A user research and information architecture method in which participants organise items (written on cards or displayed digitally) into groups that make sense to them, and may also label those groups. In open card sorting, participants create their own group categories; in…

Digital Ecosystem Accessibility(also: Accessible Digital Ecosystem)

The practice of ensuring accessibility across the entire interconnected set of digital systems, platforms, and tools that a person must interact with to complete their goals, rather than treating each system in isolation. In higher education, the digital ecosystem includes…

Document Engineering(also: Document Design, Document Processing)

Document engineering is the discipline concerned with the principles, tools, and processes for creating, managing, transforming, and presenting documents in ways that optimise their use across different contexts and audiences. In accessibility, document engineering encompasses…

FAIR Principles(also: FAIR Data Principles, Findable Accessible Interoperable Reusable)

The FAIR Principles are a set of guidelines for making digital data and resources Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. Developed by an international consortium and published in 2016, they are widely adopted in research, libraries, and cultural heritage…

Faceted Navigation(also: Faceted Search, Faceted Browsing, Faceted Filtering)

A navigation technique that allows users to filter and explore content along multiple dimensions or categories simultaneously, such as by topic, sentiment, date, or rating. In accessibility contexts, faceted navigation can significantly improve the efficiency of information…

Focus and Context(also: Focus+Context, Detail in Context)

An information visualization and interaction design principle that simultaneously presents detailed information about a specific item of interest (focus) alongside an overview of the surrounding structure or environment (context). In accessibility, the focus+context approach is…

IIIF(also: International Image Interoperability Framework, Triple-I-F)

The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) is a set of open, community-developed technical specifications and APIs that enable cultural heritage institutions to share, access, and reuse digital image collections in a standardised way. IIIF provides an Image API…

Information Architecture(also: IA)

The structural design of information environments, encompassing the organization, labeling, navigation, and search systems that help users find and manage information effectively. In digital accessibility, information architecture plays a critical role in ensuring that content…

Node Map(also: Topological node map, Graph map)

A graph-based representation of a walkable space in which each node corresponds to a meaningful point — typically an intersection, a destination (room, exit, stairwell), or the user's current position — and each edge corresponds to a traversable corridor or path. Node maps are…

Point of Interest(also: POI)

A point of interest (POI) is a specific location or feature in a physical environment that is relevant to a user's navigation or understanding of their surroundings. In accessible wayfinding systems for blind and low-vision users, POIs include landmarks, obstacles, entrances,…

Semantic Partitioning(also: Web Page Partitioning, Content Partitioning)

A technique for automatically dividing a web page into semantically meaningful segments or blocks based on the structural and visual properties of its HTML content. Semantic partitioning analyzes the DOM tree to group related elements using spatial locality (items close together…

Semantic Structure(also: Semantic Representation)

Semantic structure refers to the meaningful organisation of content that captures the conceptual relationships between pieces of information, as distinct from the syntactic or visual presentation of that content. In web accessibility, semantic structure is critical because…

Semantic Taxonomy(also: Environmental Semantic Taxonomy)

A structured classification system that organizes and labels environmental features and attributes using standardized vocabulary, enabling consistent description and retrieval of information about physical spaces. In accessible navigation, semantic taxonomies define the…

Sensemaking(also: Sense-making)

The cognitive and social process of giving structure to ambiguous, incomplete, or unfamiliar information so that one can act on it. In HCI and information science, sensemaking is studied as iterative cycles of foraging for information, building mental representations, testing…

Taxonomy(also: Classification System, Classification Scheme)

A structured classification system that organizes concepts, terms, or entities into hierarchical categories based on shared characteristics. In accessibility research and practice, taxonomies are used to categorize types of disabilities, assistive technologies, accessibility…

16 results.