Glossary

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AAC Corpus(also: AAC Text Corpus, Augmentative Communication Corpus)

A collection of text produced by or representative of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device users, used for training and evaluating language models and word prediction systems. AAC corpora are notoriously difficult to assemble because AAC users produce text…

ABA Reversal Method(also: ABA Design, Reversal Design)

The ABA reversal method is a single-subject experimental design in which one participant is observed across three phases: a baseline (A), an intervention (B), and a return to baseline (A). By comparing performance across the A-B-A sequence, the design isolates the effect of the…

AI Auditing(also: Algorithmic Auditing, AI Audit)

The systematic evaluation of an AI system's outputs, behaviour, or training data to identify harms such as bias, stereotype reproduction, or accessibility failures. Audits may be conducted by industry professionals, external researchers, regulators, or end users, and are…

Ableist Microaggressions Scale(also: AMS)

A validated measurement instrument developed by Conover, Israel, and Nylund-Gibson (2017) to systematically assess the frequency and impact of subtle, everyday expressions of ableism. The AMS organises disability microaggressions into four empirically supported domains —…

Accessibility Simulation(also: Disability Simulation)

A pedagogical technique in which learners experience simulated conditions of disability to build understanding of accessibility barriers. Common approaches include simulation games, virtual reality experiences, and exercises that restrict sensory or motor capabilities. While…

Accessible data capture(also: Inclusive data collection methods)

Research data collection methods and tools that can be independently operated by researchers with disabilities. Current standard data capture methods in HCI research — video cameras, GoPros, visual note-taking, screen-based recording software — present significant barriers to…

Acoustic Analysis(also: Acoustic Signal Analysis)

The computational examination of sound signals to extract measurable properties such as duration, fundamental frequency (pitch), intensity, spectral characteristics, and formant structure. In accessibility and clinical contexts, acoustic analysis is used to objectively assess…

Action Research(also: Participatory Action Research, PAR)

A research methodology that combines investigation with practical action, involving iterative cycles of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. In accessibility research, action research allows researchers to work alongside communities and organizations to simultaneously…

Action research(also: Participatory action research, PAR)

A research methodology that combines investigation with practical action, where researchers work collaboratively with community stakeholders to address real-world problems while simultaneously generating knowledge. Action research is cyclical — plan, act, observe, reflect — and…

Active Learning(also: AL)

A machine learning paradigm in which the algorithm iteratively selects the most informative unlabeled data points to query a human annotator for labels, enabling effective model training with minimal labeled data. Active learning uses sampling strategies such as uncertainty…

Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale(also: ASRS, ASRS-v1.1, Adult ADHD Self-Rating Scale)

A short self-report screening instrument for adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder developed by the World Health Organization in collaboration with researchers from Harvard Medical School. The most widely used version, ASRS-v1.1, is an 18-item questionnaire whose first…

Affinity Diagramming(also: Affinity Mapping, KJ Method)

A qualitative data analysis and design method where researchers or team members organize individual data points (observations, quotes, ideas) into groups based on natural relationships and themes. In accessibility research, affinity diagramming is commonly used to synthesize…

Agreement Rate(also: AR)

A statistical measure used in end-user gesture elicitation studies to quantify how much consensus participants show when proposing gestures or interactions for a given task (referent). Agreement rate ranges from 0 (no two proposals are equivalent) to 1 (all proposals are…

Algorithmic Audit(also: AI Audit, Algorithmic Auditing)

A structured evaluation of an algorithmic system that measures how its behaviour differs across users, groups, or contexts - typically to surface bias, fairness failures, or disparate impact. Accessibility-oriented audits go beyond aggregate accuracy to look at where and why a…

App Review Mining(also: App Store Review Analysis, User Review Mining)

The process of systematically extracting, classifying, and analyzing user reviews from app stores such as Google Play and the Apple App Store to identify patterns, issues, and feature requests. In accessibility research, app review mining is used to discover real-world…

Area of Interest(also: AOI, Region of Interest, ROI)

A defined region within a visual stimulus (such as a screen, webpage, or video frame) that researchers designate for analysis in an eye-tracking study. AOIs allow researchers to quantify how much visual attention participants direct toward specific elements — for example, the…

Artificial Eye(also: Eye Model, Optical Eye Model)

A physical device constructed from optical components to simulate the optical properties of a human eye. Typically consisting of a lens, adjustable aperture (simulating the iris), and an image sensor (simulating the retina), artificial eyes are used in vision research to test…

At-Risk Populations(also: Vulnerable Populations)

Groups that are more likely to experience harm from digital attacks, surveillance, institutional discrimination, or other threats, and are disproportionately affected when such harms occur. Originally a security research term, it extends beyond traditionally recognized…

Attention Network Test(also: ANT, ANT-I, ANT-Child)

A computer-administered cognitive task developed by Fan, Posner, and colleagues that measures three functionally distinct attention networks — alerting (sustained readiness), orienting (shifting attentional focus in space), and executive control (resolving conflict between…

Audience Modelling(also: Audience Modeling, User Modelling)

The practice of characterizing and formally describing distinct groups of users and their interaction characteristics to inform the design and evaluation of web interfaces. In accessibility, audience modelling involves identifying the specific abilities, disabilities, devices,…

Audio Fiction(also: Audio Vignette, Audio Scenario)

A speculative design research method that uses pre-recorded audio dialogues to present fictional scenarios depicting interactions with hypothetical future technologies. Audio fictions combine descriptions, dialogue, and sound effects to create immersive design probes that help…

Audio Probe(also: Fictional Audio Probe)

A research method using pre-recorded audio scenarios to ground discussion in qualitative studies. In accessibility research, audio probes present fictional but realistic use cases to participants, enabling them to react to concrete scenarios rather than abstract concepts. This…

Autobiographical Design

A design research method in which the designer systematically builds and lives with a system intended for their own use, then reflects on that long-term engagement as a source of design insight. Formalized by Neustaedter and Sengers in 2012, autobiographical design is…

Autoethnography

A qualitative research method in which the researcher uses their own personal experience as primary data to explore broader cultural, social, or systemic phenomena. In disability and accessibility research, autoethnography is particularly valuable when conducted by disabled…

Back-Translation(also: Reverse Translation)

A quality assurance method used in survey and instrument translation where a translated version is independently translated back into the original language by a different translator. The back-translated text is then compared with the original to identify meaning losses or…

Barrier Walkthrough Method(also: BW Method, Barrier Walkthrough)

An accessibility evaluation method developed by Giorgio Brajnik that groups Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) success criteria by user categories such as blind users, people with low vision, and motor-impaired users. Unlike standard WCAG audits that evaluate all…

Bespoke Co-Design(also: Personalised Co-Design)

An approach to participatory design in which interventions are co-designed individually with each user rather than in group settings, allowing for highly targeted and personalised solutions. In accessibility contexts, bespoke co-design recognises that people with variable…

Best-Worst Scaling(also: BWS, Maximum Difference Scaling, MaxDiff)

A survey methodology for efficiently collecting ranking judgments from participants over a large set of items. Instead of asking participants to rank all items at once (which becomes cognitively overwhelming beyond a handful of options), BWS presents small subsets (N-tuples,…

Between-Subjects Design(also: Between-Groups Design, Independent-Groups Design)

A between-subjects design is an experimental research design in which each participant is assigned to only one condition, and the conditions are compared across different groups of people. It contrasts with within-subjects (repeated-measures) designs, in which every participant…

Bias Benchmarking Questionnaire(also: BBQ)

A standardized dataset used in AI fairness research to evaluate social biases in language models. The BBQ consists of carefully crafted context-question pairs designed to test whether models exhibit stereotypical associations related to age, gender, race, disability, and other…

Bidirectional Learning

A principle in community-based and participatory design research in which knowledge flows in both directions between researchers/designers and community members, rather than researchers extracting data from participants. In accessibility contexts, bidirectional learning means…

Binary Classification(also: Two-Class Classification)

A type of supervised machine learning task where the goal is to categorize items into one of exactly two classes. In accessibility research, binary classification has been applied to automatically determine whether a bug report is accessibility-related or not, whether user…

Biomechanics(also: Human Biomechanics, Movement Science)

The study of the mechanical principles governing the movement and structure of living organisms, particularly the human body. In accessibility and rehabilitation, biomechanics is applied to understand how disabilities affect movement, design assistive devices like orthoses and…

Body Sheet(also: Body Map, Body Mapping)

A body sheet is an outline drawing of the human body (typically front, back, and side views) used as a canvas onto which participants map bodily sensations, emotions, or symptoms. Originating in art therapy and physiotherapy pain-mapping practice, body sheets have been adopted…

Bonferroni Correction(also: Bonferroni Adjustment)

The Bonferroni correction is a statistical adjustment that controls the family-wise error rate when multiple hypothesis tests are performed on the same data. It divides the target significance threshold (commonly 0.05) by the number of comparisons, so with three pairwise tests…

Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire(also: CAT-Q)

A 25-item self-report questionnaire developed by Hull, Mandy, Lai, Baron-Cohen and colleagues (2019) for adults to self-assess autistic masking (camouflaging) behaviours. Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale (e.g., "In social situations, I feel like I am pretending to be…

Case Study(also: Case Study Research)

A research method involving an in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, event, or situation in its real-world context. Case studies combine multiple data sources such as observations, interviews, and documents to build a detailed understanding of the subject. In…

Child Behavior Checklist(also: CBCL, K-CBCL)

A standardised parent-report assessment tool used to evaluate behavioural and emotional problems in children aged 6-18. It measures internalising problems (anxiety, withdrawal, somatic complaints) and externalising problems (aggression, rule-breaking). The CBCL is widely used in…

Citational Justice(also: Citation Justice, Citational Politics)

The practice of consciously and equitably attributing knowledge to its sources, particularly uplifting contributions from marginalized scholars and communities whose work is often overlooked or appropriated. In accessibility research, citational justice means acknowledging…

Citizen Science(also: Community Science, Participatory Science)

Citizen science is a research approach that engages non-expert members of the public in collecting, processing, or analyzing scientific data, often through purpose-built interactive tools and platforms. In accessibility contexts, citizen science methods have been applied to…

Clinical Reasoning(also: CR)

The cognitive and reflective process by which healthcare clinicians — particularly physical and occupational therapists — individualize care under patient and contextual uncertainty. Clinical reasoning blends analytic processes (hypothetico-deductive generation, pattern…

Close Reading

A qualitative analytic method in which researchers slowly and attentively examine a text, image, or artifact, documenting observable features and interpretive responses in detail. In accessibility research, close reading is used to surface patterns in artifacts such as alt text,…

Cloze Test(also: Cloze Procedure, Cloze Deletion Test)

A reading comprehension assessment method in which words are systematically deleted from a text and the reader must fill in the missing words based on context. Developed by Wilson Taylor in 1953, cloze tests measure how well a reader understands the language patterns and meaning…

Clustering Algorithm(also: Cluster Analysis, Unsupervised Clustering, K-means)

A clustering algorithm is an unsupervised machine-learning technique that groups similar data points together based on a distance or similarity measure, without needing pre-labelled training data. Common algorithms include K-means, PAM (Partitioning Around Medoids), CLARA…

Co-Cultural Theory(also: Co-Cultural Communication Theory)

A communication theory developed by Mark Orbe that examines how members of marginalized or underrepresented groups communicate within dominant societal structures. The theory identifies the Deaf community as a subordinate group within a hearing-dominated society and analyzes how…

Co-Making(also: Co-Fabrication, Collaborative Making)

Co-making is a participatory practice in which people with disabilities work directly with collaborators — researchers, AI assistants, peers, or family members — to build physical assistive technology together, rather than being passive recipients of devices designed and…

Co-Researcher(also: Community Co-Researcher, Peer Researcher)

A person with lived experience of disability who contributes to research not merely as a participant or informant but as an active member of the research team, involved in planning, data collection, analysis, and co-authoring outputs. The co-researcher role goes beyond co-design…

Co-creation workshop(also: Co-creation session, Co-design workshop)

A structured collaborative session in which researchers, designers, and participants (including end users) work together to generate ideas, explore concepts, and shape the design of products, services, or research. In accessibility contexts, co-creation workshops are valued for…

Co-design(also: Co-creation, Cooperative design)

A design methodology that actively involves end users, stakeholders, and communities as equal partners throughout the design process, going beyond consultation to shared decision-making and creative collaboration. In accessibility and disability research, co-design is valued for…

Codebook (Research)(also: Coding Manual, Qualitative Codebook)

A codebook is a structured set of codes, definitions, and application rules used to systematically analyse qualitative data (interview transcripts, observation notes, documents) or to extract data from literature for review work. It typically specifies each code's name,…