Glossary

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Capabilities approach(also: Capability approach, Human capabilities framework)

A philosophical framework developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum that evaluates well-being and justice based on what people are actually able to do and be, rather than on the resources they possess. In disability and accessibility contexts, the capabilities approach…

Colorism(also: Skin Tone Bias, Shadeism)

Colorism is a form of discrimination in which people are treated differently based on the shade of their skin tone, typically favoring lighter skin over darker skin within and across racial groups. In digital accessibility, colorism is relevant to image descriptions and AI…

Critical Race Theory(also: CRT)

Critical Race Theory is a scholarly framework originating in legal studies that examines how laws, policies, and institutions perpetuate racial inequality, even in the absence of overt individual racism. It positions race as a social construct embedded in systems of power rather…

Design Justice

A framework that centers the perspectives of people who are most impacted by design decisions, ensuring that design processes, practices, and outcomes distribute benefits and burdens equitably. Coined by Sasha Costanza-Chock, design justice challenges traditional design power…

Design justice

A framework that centers the perspectives and leadership of people most affected by design outcomes, challenging traditional design processes that often reinforce existing power structures. Coined and developed by Sasha Costanza-Chock, design justice draws on social movement…

Digital Divide(also: Digital Gap, Digital Inequality)

The gap between people who have effective access to digital technologies and those who do not, encompassing differences in internet connectivity, device ownership, digital skills, and the ability to meaningfully use technology. The digital divide disproportionately affects older…

Digital divide(also: Digital gap, Digital inequality)

The disparity between individuals, households, or communities in access to, use of, and benefits from information and communication technologies. For older adults and people with disabilities, the digital divide encompasses not just access to hardware and internet connectivity,…

DisCrit(also: Disability Critical Race Studies, Dis/ability Critical Race Studies)

DisCrit (Disability Critical Race Studies) is a theoretical framework that merges Disability Studies with Critical Race Theory to analyze how racism and ableism are interdependent systems that work together to marginalize people at the intersection of race and disability.…

Disability Justice(also: DJ)

A framework developed by disabled queer and trans people of color — including Patty Berne, Mia Mingus, Stacey Milbern, Eli Clare, and Leroy Moore through Sins Invalid — that recognizes disability as intersecting with race, class, gender, sexuality, and other axes of oppression.…

Intersectionality(also: Intersectional analysis)

A theoretical framework originated by Kimberlé Crenshaw recognizing that individuals hold multiple social identities (disability, race, gender, class, sexuality) that interact to produce unique experiences of privilege and oppression that cannot be understood by examining any…

Intersectionality

A framework for understanding how different aspects of a person's identity — including disability, race, gender, class, immigration status, language, and age — interact to create unique experiences of privilege or disadvantage that cannot be understood by examining any single…

Pleasure Activism

A framework articulated by adrienne maree brown that centers pleasure, joy, and satisfaction as essential components of social justice and liberation movements. In disability contexts, pleasure activism challenges the assumption that disabled people's lives are defined by…

Transphobia(also: Anti-Transgender Prejudice, Anti-Trans Bias)

Transphobia refers to prejudice, discrimination, and hostility directed at people who are transgender, non-binary, or whose gender identity or expression differs from their sex assigned at birth. In digital accessibility and technology contexts, transphobia manifests through AI…

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