Glossary
Terms used in accessibility research and practice. Each entry has a definition, common aliases, and category tags.
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- Deictic Reference(also: Deixis, Pointing Reference)
- Communication that refers to something by pointing or indicating rather than describing it explicitly—words like "this," "that," "here," and "there." In face-to-face communication, deictic references typically rely on visual cues (pointing gestures, gaze direction). For people…
- Haptics(also: Haptic Technology, Haptic Feedback)
- Technology that creates tactile sensations through vibrations, forces, or motions to simulate touch and physical interaction with digital content. In accessibility, haptics enables people who are blind or have low vision to perceive spatial information, navigate interfaces, and…
- Multimodal Assistive Technology(also: MAT, Multimodal AT)
- Assistive technology that combines multiple sensory channels — such as audio, vibrotactile (vibration), visual, and tactile feedback — to convey information and enable interaction. By distributing information across different sensory modalities, multimodal assistive technologies…
- Multimodal Map(also: Audio-Tactile Map, Interactive Tactile Map)
- A map that conveys spatial information through multiple sensory channels simultaneously, typically combining tactile elements with audio output and sometimes visual or haptic feedback. Multimodal maps are designed to make geographic and spatial information accessible to people…
- Smart Display(also: Smart Screen, Voice Assistant Display)
- A voice-controlled device that combines a smart speaker with a built-in touchscreen, enabling multimodal interaction through voice commands, visual output, and touch input. Examples include the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub. Smart displays offer accessibility advantages…
- Trajectory Playback(also: Haptic Playback, Force-Guided Movement)
- A technique in haptic interfaces where a force-feedback device physically guides a user's hand through a predefined path or shape. The system applies forces to move the user along a trajectory, allowing them to perceive spatial information through proprioception and kinesthetic…
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