Glossary

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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…

Semantic feature(also: Environmental feature, Landmark annotation)

A meaningful environmental attribute associated with a specific location in a navigation system, such as a doorway, floor surface change, point of interest, or tactile ground indicator. In accessible indoor navigation, semantic features serve a dual purpose: confirming the…

Shared Movement(also: Linked Locomotion, Guided Movement)

A virtual reality interaction technique that allows one user to move through a virtual environment by attaching to or following another user's avatar, inspired by the physical sighted guide technique used by blind and low vision people. In shared movement, a user can grab a…

Shorelining(also: Trailing)

An orientation and mobility technique in which a person with a visual impairment follows a consistent surface edge — such as a wall, curb, edge of a sidewalk, or other contrasting surface — to maintain a specific orientation and navigate through an environment. The technique…

Sighted Memory(also: Visual Memory, Sighted Recall)

A mental representation of a physical environment developed through past visual experience, used by people who lose their sight later in life to navigate and understand spaces they previously knew visually. People with acquired vision loss often rely on sighted memory to recall…

Sign Recognition(also: Indoor sign recognition, Signage recognition)

The task of automatically detecting, reading, and interpreting signs in an environment — for accessibility purposes, typically indoor directional signs (arrows pointing to corridors or facilities) and textual signs (room numbers, department names, wayfinding labels). Sign…

Signal Fingerprinting(also: Wireless Fingerprinting, RF Fingerprinting, Bluetooth Fingerprinting)

Signal fingerprinting is a technique used in indoor positioning systems where the unique pattern of wireless signal strengths (such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or RFID) at specific locations within a building is recorded and stored as a reference map. During navigation, a mobile device…

Situation Awareness(also: SA, Situational Awareness)

The perception and understanding of one's current environment, including the identification of relevant elements, comprehension of their meaning, and projection of their future status. In accessibility and assistive technology contexts, situation awareness refers to systems that…

Skip Link(also: Skip Navigation Link, Skip Nav, Bypass Block)

A hidden or visible hyperlink placed at the beginning of a web page that allows keyboard and screen reader users to jump directly to the main content, bypassing repeated navigation elements. Skip links address WCAG Success Criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks) by providing a mechanism…

Skip Navigation(also: Skip Link, Skip Nav, Bypass Block)

A mechanism, typically an in-page anchor link placed at the very beginning of a web page, that allows keyboard and screen reader users to bypass repetitive content such as navigation menus and jump directly to the main content area. Skip navigation links are a WCAG 2.1 Level A…

Smart Cane(also: Electronic Cane, Intelligent Cane)

An enhanced version of the traditional white cane that incorporates electronic sensors — typically ultrasonic or infrared — to detect obstacles beyond the range of physical contact, providing haptic or auditory feedback to the user. Smart canes can detect obstacles at waist or…

Snap Turn(also: Snap Rotation, Comfort Turn)

A virtual reality locomotion technique that rotates the user's viewpoint in discrete angular increments rather than continuous smooth rotation. Typically triggered by a thumbstick or controller input, snap turns rotate the view by a fixed amount (commonly 30-45 degrees) to…

Social Robot Navigation(also: Socially-aware robot navigation, Social navigation)

A subfield of robotics concerned with how a mobile robot should move through environments shared with humans — choosing paths, speeds, and timings that respect social norms as well as physical obstacle avoidance. Classic robot-navigation algorithms optimise for shortest-path…

Spatial Awareness(also: Spatial Cognition, Environmental Awareness)

The understanding of one's surrounding environment and one's own position within it. In accessibility contexts, spatial awareness encompasses multiple dimensions: the scale and shape of an area, one's position and orientation within it, the presence and arrangement of objects,…

Spatial Navigation(also: Spatial Orientation, Spatial Wayfinding)

The cognitive process of determining and following a route from one location to another, involving the ability to remain oriented, recall routines, recognize landmarks, and make decisions at choice points such as intersections and turns. Spatial navigation relies on a…

Spatial cognition(also: Spatial awareness, Cognitive mapping)

The mental processes involved in perceiving, storing, recalling, and using information about spatial environments — including the locations of objects, distances between them, routes through spaces, and the overall geometry of an area. Spatial cognition enables people to build…

Spatialized Audio(also: 3D Audio, Spatial Sound, Immersive Audio)

Spatialized audio is a technology that creates the perception of sound coming from specific locations in three-dimensional space around the listener, using techniques such as head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) and binaural rendering. In accessibility, spatialized audio is…

Spindex(also: Speech Index)

An auditory navigation technique that uses the first letter of each word (spoken or synthesized) as an index to speed up list navigation. When scrolling through alphabetically ordered lists like contacts, a spindex plays the first letter of each item, allowing users to quickly…

Surface Level Change(also: Elevation Change, Grade Change)

Any change in the height of the ground or floor surface, including stairs, curbs, ramps, steps, potholes, and raised thresholds. Surface level changes are a significant mobility challenge and safety hazard for people with low vision and other disabilities. Detecting these…

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