Glossary

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Acoustic Activity Recognition(also: Sound Activity Recognition, Audio Activity Recognition, Environmental Sound Recognition)

The use of microphones and machine learning to automatically identify and classify sounds occurring in an environment, such as doorbells, alarms, appliances, speech, and other everyday acoustic events. Acoustic activity recognition is particularly relevant to accessibility for…

Activity Monitoring(also: Activity Recognition, Activity Tracking)

The use of sensors, algorithms, and computational models to automatically detect and track a person's actions and behaviours within an environment. In assistive technology contexts, activity monitoring enables smart home systems and cognitive orthoses to understand what a person…

Ageing in Place(also: Aging in Place)

The ability of older adults to live independently and safely in their own home and community for as long as possible, regardless of age, income, or ability level. Ageing in place is increasingly promoted as an alternative to institutional care, supported by technologies such as…

Amazon Alexa(also: Alexa, Echo)

A cloud-based voice assistant developed by Amazon, available on Echo smart speakers, Echo Show smart displays, and third-party devices. Users interact with Alexa through wake-word-activated voice commands to perform tasks such as setting reminders, playing music, controlling…

Ambient Display(also: Ambient Interface, Peripheral Display)

A display or interface that communicates information through subtle environmental changes — such as colour shifts, lighting changes, or gentle sounds — that can be perceived at the periphery of a user's attention without demanding direct focus. In accessibility contexts, ambient…

Ambient assisted living(also: AAL, Smart home assistive living)

Technology systems embedded in the home environment — including sensors, microphones, and smart devices — that monitor and support older adults or people with disabilities to live independently and safely. AAL aims to detect emergencies like falls, remind about medications, and…

Assisted Living Technology(also: Assistive Living Technology, Ambient Assisted Living, AAL)

Technology systems designed to help people with disabilities, chronic conditions, or age-related limitations live more independently in their homes or residential facilities. This includes smart home automation, health monitoring, fall detection, medication reminders, and…

Busyness(also: Activity Level, Activity Intensity)

In the telecare literature, busyness is a coarse-grained measure of overall domestic activity — typically the count of ambient sensor firings per room per time period — used as a proxy for a resident's level of engagement with their home environment, without attempting to…

Cognitive Orthosis(also: Cognitive Prosthesis, Cognitive Assistive Device)

A technology-based device or system designed to compensate for cognitive deficits by supporting functions such as memory, planning, attention, and task sequencing. Analogous to a physical orthosis that supports a weakened limb, a cognitive orthosis augments impaired cognitive…

Digital Family Portrait

Digital Family Portrait is a 2001 research prototype from Georgia Institute of Technology (Mynatt et al.) that uses an ambient, picture-frame-style display in an adult child's home to represent the daily activity of an older relative living remotely. The portrait's decorative…

Distant speech recognition(also: Far-field ASR, Far-field speech recognition)

Automatic speech recognition performed on audio captured by microphones positioned at a distance from the speaker (typically 2+ meters), rather than close-talk input from headsets or handheld devices. Distant speech recognition is significantly more challenging than close-talk…

Environmental Control System(also: ECS, Electronic Aids to Daily Living, EADL)

An environmental control system (ECS) is an assistive technology that enables people with physical disabilities to independently control devices and features in their environment, such as lights, doors, televisions, phones, and computers. ECS devices accept input through various…

Health Monitoring(also: Remote Patient Monitoring, Health Surveillance)

The continuous or periodic collection of health-related data using sensors, wearables, or smart home technology to track an individual's wellbeing and detect problems. Health monitoring systems may track vital signs (heart rate, blood pressure), activity levels, medication…

Lifestyle Modelling(also: Lifestyle Monitoring, Lifestyle Modeling)

Lifestyle modelling is the correlation of a person's observed day-to-day activities — sleeping, eating, moving between rooms, interacting with objects — with inferences about their well-being, usually using data from ambient sensors in the home. In accessibility and…

Passive Infrared Sensor(also: PIR Sensor, PIR, Motion Sensor)

A passive infrared sensor detects movement by measuring changes in ambient infrared radiation in its field of view — typically body heat from a person moving across the detection zone. PIR sensors are inexpensive, low-power, and require no active emission, which makes them a…

Personal Assistant(also: Virtual Assistant, Digital Assistant, Voice Assistant)

A software agent that can perform tasks or provide services based on user commands or queries, typically through voice interaction. Popular examples include Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri, and Microsoft Cortana, often embedded in smart speakers, smartphones, and…

Pilot-Passenger Model(also: Pilot/Passenger Framework)

A model describing household technology dynamics where "pilots" are the users who set up and configure devices, while "passengers" are those who simply use the systems configured for them. In disability contexts, disabled users may be forced into the passenger role due to…

Prompting System(also: Prompting Device, Task Prompting Technology)

An assistive technology that provides stepwise guidance through text, images, audio, or video instructions to help individuals complete multi-step tasks such as cooking, personal hygiene, or workplace activities. Prompting systems are widely used to support people with cognitive…

Quality of Life Technology(also: QoLT, QoL Technology)

An umbrella term encompassing technologies designed to maintain or enhance the health, functioning, and independence of older adults and people with disabilities. Quality of life technology includes assistive technology, smart home systems, telemedicine, health monitoring…

Reminder System(also: Prompting System, Cognitive Prosthetic)

An assistive technology that provides timely cues, alerts, or step-by-step prompts to support task completion for people with memory or executive function difficulties. Reminder systems can range from simple timer-based alerts to sophisticated context-aware systems that track…

SHT Liaison(also: Smart Home Technology Liaison)

A role identified in accessibility research where a non-disabled person—often a caregiver, family member, or friend—takes responsibility for researching, setting up, troubleshooting, and maintaining smart home technology on behalf of a disabled user. Unlike the pilot-passenger…

Smart Environment(also: Intelligent Environment, Smart Space)

A physical space equipped with sensors, computing devices, and networked systems that can monitor conditions, infer context, and respond to the activities and needs of occupants. Smart environments aim to improve quality of life by automating tasks and providing contextual…

Smart Home(also: Home Automation, Connected Home)

A residence equipped with networked devices and systems that can be monitored and controlled remotely or automatically, including lighting, heating, security, and entertainment systems. Smart home technology has significant accessibility potential — enabling people with motor…

Smart Home Accessibility(also: Accessible Smart Home, Smart Home Automation)

The design and implementation of connected home technologies — such as voice-controlled lighting, automated door locks, smart thermostats, and appliance controls — in ways that are usable by people with disabilities. Smart home accessibility enables greater independence by…

Voice-Assisted Technology(also: VAT, Voice-Activated Technology)

Technology that uses voice recognition and natural language processing to enable users to interact with devices, applications, and services through spoken commands. Voice-assisted technology encompasses smart speakers, virtual assistants on phones, and voice-enabled appliances.…

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