Glossary

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Pen Input(also: Stylus Input, Pen-Based Input)

An input method using a pen or stylus to interact with a computing device, typically through direct manipulation on a touchscreen or digitizer. Pen input offers advantages for users with certain motor impairments: compared to mice, pens allow users to leverage hand-eye…

Perceptual User Interface(also: PUI, Natural User Interface)

A human-computer interaction paradigm that uses natural human capabilities such as vision, speech, gestures, and body movement as input modalities rather than relying on traditional devices like keyboards and mice. Perceptual user interfaces leverage sensors and computer vision…

Point-and-Click(also: Point and Click, Click Target)

A fundamental interaction paradigm in graphical user interfaces where the user moves a cursor to a target on screen and activates it by pressing a button on a pointing device such as a mouse or trackpad. Point-and-click tasks are central to GUI-based computing but present…

Pointer Speed(also: Mouse Gain, Cursor Speed, Mouse Speed)

An operating system setting that controls how far the cursor moves on screen relative to physical movement of the mouse or pointing device. Higher pointer speed (gain) means less physical movement is required to traverse the screen, while lower speed provides finer control but…

Pointing(also: Pointing Performance, Mouse Pointing, Cursor Pointing)

The act of moving a cursor or pointer to indicate a specific location on screen, typically to select, activate, or interact with an interface element. Pointing is a fundamental computer interaction that can be challenging for individuals with motor impairments, tremors, limited…

Pointing Task(also: Target Acquisition Task, Fitts' Task)

A fundamental human-computer interaction task in which users move a cursor (via mouse, touchpad, finger, or other input device) to click or tap on a target. Pointing tasks are governed by Fitts' Law, which predicts that movement time increases with distance to the target and…

Predictive Text(also: Text Prediction, Word Prediction, Autocomplete)

A software feature that suggests words or phrases as the user types, based on context, language models, and the user's typing history. Predictive text is a significant accessibility feature for people with motor impairments because it reduces the number of keystrokes needed,…

Push-to-Talk(also: PTT, Push to talk)

An interaction pattern where a user presses and holds (or taps) a dedicated button to signal the start of an input — historically used in two-way radios, now common in voice assistants and conversational interfaces as an alternative to continuous listening. In accessibility…

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