Glossary
Terms used in accessibility research and practice. Each entry has a definition, common aliases, and category tags.
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- Deep Pressure Therapy(also: DPT, Deep Pressure Stimulation, Deep Touch Pressure)
- A therapeutic approach that uses firm, distributed tactile pressure — such as from weighted blankets, compression garments, or inflatable vests — to reduce anxiety, stress, and physiological arousal. Deep pressure stimulation activates the parasympathetic nervous system,…
- Depression(also: Major Depressive Disorder, Clinical Depression)
- A mental health condition characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities. Depression can significantly impact cognitive function, including concentration, memory, and decision-making, which affects how individuals interact with…
- Diagnostic Overshadowing
- A clinical phenomenon in which the symptoms or behaviours of a person with a disability are incorrectly attributed to their existing disability rather than being recognised as signs of a separate condition. In the context of intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD),…
- Digital Well-Being(also: Digital wellbeing, Digital wellness)
- A field of research, design, and consumer technology focused on supporting healthy, intentional relationships between people and their devices. Digital well-being spans screen-time tracking, attention management, notification control, distraction blockers, intentional-use…
- Digital mental health(also: E-mental health, Digital therapeutics)
- The use of digital technologies including AI chatbots, mood tracking apps, and online therapeutic platforms to support mental health assessment, monitoring, and intervention. Designing accessible and explainable AI for digital mental health is particularly challenging because…
- Disenfranchised Grief
- Disenfranchised grief, a concept developed by Kenneth Doka, describes the experience of people who 'incur a loss that is not, or cannot be, openly acknowledged, publicly mourned or socially supported'. Because the relationship or loss lies outside what a society recognises as…
- Distraction Blocker(also: Focus app, Website blocker, Digital self-control tool)
- A category of digital well-being software designed to restrict access to distracting applications, websites, or notifications so that users can sustain focus on work or study. Distraction blockers range from operating-system features such as Apple Screen Time and Android Focus…
- Dysregulation(also: Emotional Dysregulation, Sensory Dysregulation)
- Dysregulation is a state in which a person's emotional, sensory, or physiological response exceeds what they can manage given the current context - typically manifesting as distress, overwhelm, shutdown, or outburst. It is common in autism, ADHD, noise sensitivity, PTSD, and a…
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