Glossary

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Scene simplification(also: Visual decluttering, Complexity reduction)

An assistive technology approach that reduces visual complexity in real-world or digital scenes by highlighting relevant objects, suppressing background clutter, and isolating key information. Scene simplification is particularly important for people with cerebral visual…

Scotoma(also: Blind Spot, Visual Field Defect)

An area of partial or complete loss of vision within an otherwise normal visual field. Scotomas can be central (affecting the area of sharpest vision) or peripheral, and may be caused by conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, optic neuritis, or retinal damage. In the…

Screen magnifier(also: Screen magnification software, Zoom software)

Assistive software that enlarges a portion of the screen display to make content visible for people with low vision. Users navigate the magnified view by panning with the mouse or keyboard, seeing only a fraction of the full screen at any time. Popular screen magnifiers include…

Semantic Bookmarking(also: Semantic Bookmark, Concept-Based Bookmarking)

A web navigation technique that associates saved page locations with meaningful conceptual labels from a domain ontology rather than with specific structural positions in the HTML code. Unlike traditional bookmarks that reference a URL or a position in the document's DOM tree…

Sighted Assistance(also: Visual Interpreting, Remote Sighted Assistance)

Sighted assistance refers to services that connect blind or low-vision individuals with sighted people who can provide visual information on demand, typically through a live video call from a smartphone or smart glasses. Services like Be My Eyes (volunteer-based) and Aira…

Sighted Braille Learner(also: Visual Braille Learner)

A person with typical vision who learns to read and write braille, usually for professional or personal reasons such as teaching blind students or supporting a blind family member. Sighted braille learners process braille visually rather than tactilely, which creates a…

Simultanagnosia(also: Simultagnosia)

A neurological condition in which a person can perceive individual objects but cannot see or process multiple objects simultaneously within a visual scene. Simultanagnosia is a common feature of cerebral visual impairment and dorsal stream dysfunction. In everyday life, it makes…

Smart Glasses(also: AR Glasses, Assistive Smart Glasses)

Smart glasses are head-mounted wearable devices that incorporate cameras, microphones, speakers, and computing capabilities into an eyeglass form factor. For people who are blind or have low vision, smart glasses can use computer vision and AI to provide real-time information…

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 Orientation and Navigation(also: SON, Orientation and Navigation)

The set of skills and strategies used to understand one's position in space, plan routes, and travel from one location to another. For blind and low-vision individuals, spatial orientation and navigation involves using non-visual cues — sound, touch, proprioception,…

Split Tap(also: Split Tapping)

A touchscreen interaction technique where the user holds one finger on a target element while tapping with a second finger to activate it. Split tap allows blind users to explore the screen with one finger to locate elements (hearing each one announced) and then tap elsewhere to…

Stargardt Disease(also: Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, Fundus Flavimaculatus)

An inherited eye condition that causes progressive vision loss affecting the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed vision. Stargardt disease typically begins in childhood or adolescence and leads to reduced central visual acuity while peripheral…

Strabismus(also: Crossed eyes, Squint, Eye misalignment)

A condition in which the eyes do not align properly, causing one eye to point in a different direction from the other — inward (esotropia), outward (exotropia or exophoria), upward, or downward. Strabismus disrupts binocular coordination and can lead to double vision, amblyopia,…

Swell Paper(also: Capsule Paper, Microcapsule Paper, PIAF Paper)

A special paper coated with heat-sensitive microcapsules that swell when exposed to heat, creating raised tactile surfaces from printed black areas. When passed through a heating device (such as a PIAF — Pictures In A Flash — machine), dark-printed lines and shapes become raised…

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