Glossary

Search results

Shared Control(also: Collaborative Control, Shared Autonomy)

An assistive technology design approach in which control over a system is dynamically distributed between a user with a disability and an assistant (human or automated), allowing each party to manage the aspects best suited to their abilities. Unlike fully independent or fully…

Shared Mobility(also: Shared Transportation)

Transportation services in which vehicles, rides, or trips are shared among multiple users, including ridesharing (Uber, Lyft), carsharing (Zipcar), bikesharing, scooter-sharing, microtransit, and — increasingly — autonomous-vehicle shuttles. Shared mobility is relevant to…

Sidewalk Accessibility(also: Pedestrian Accessibility, Walkway Accessibility)

Sidewalk accessibility refers to the degree to which pedestrian pathways and related infrastructure — including sidewalks, curb ramps, crosswalks, and pedestrian signals — can be safely and independently used by people with disabilities, particularly those with mobility…

Somaesthetic Appreciation(also: somaesthetics)

A design philosophy concerned with cultivating heightened bodily awareness and first-person experience as a resource for interaction design. Derived from philosopher Richard Shusterman's somaesthetics, it positions the body not merely as a tool or data source, but as a site of…

Step-Free Access(also: Level Access, Barrier-Free Access)

A route or entrance to a building, transport station, or public space that does not require the use of steps or stairs, enabling access for wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments, parents with pushchairs, and travellers with heavy luggage. In transport contexts,…

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…

6 results.