Glossary

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Table Reading Style(also: Table Reading Strategy, Table Browsing Style)

The particular way in which a reader accesses and processes the content of a data table, determined by the interaction between the table's structure, content, and the reader's intent. Common table reading styles include: by cell (random access to individual cells), by row…

Tactile Graphic(also: Tactile Image, Raised-Line Graphic, Tactile Diagram)

A physical representation of visual information that uses raised lines, textures, and relief to convey images, diagrams, maps, and other visual content through touch. Tactile graphics are essential for blind and visually impaired people to access visual information in education,…

Tactile Graphic Reader(also: Tactile Graphic Display, Tactile Image Reader)

A device that combines physical tactile graphics (raised-line images on paper) with digital audio feedback, enabling blind and visually impaired users to explore graphical content through touch while receiving spoken or sonified information about the elements they contact.…

Tactile Graphicacy(also: Tactile Literacy, Tactile Reading Skills)

The learned ability to read, interpret, and create meaning from tactile images, maps, diagrams, and graphics through touch. Just as visual graphicacy is developed through exposure to visual images, tactile graphicacy requires practice with a wide range of tactile materials and…

Tactile Reading(also: Touch Reading)

The process of reading text through the sense of touch, primarily using the fingertips to perceive raised characters such as braille. Tactile reading requires distinct perceptual and cognitive skills from visual reading, including fine tactile discrimination, spatial pattern…

Tactile graphic production(also: Tactile image creation, Accessible graphic transcription)

The process of converting visual images — such as textbook diagrams, charts, maps, and illustrations — into raised tactile representations that can be explored by touch. Production methods include swell paper (microcapsule paper heated to raise printed lines), embossing,…

Tap-to-Hear(also: Point-to-Hear, Tap-to-Listen, Point-and-Click Exploration)

An interaction paradigm used in tactile graphic readers and touch-based accessibility tools where users touch or tap on elements of a tactile graphic to trigger spoken audio descriptions of the element beneath their finger. Tap-to-hear is the current standard approach for…

Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments(also: TVI, Vision Teacher, Teacher of the Visually Impaired)

A specialized educator certified to teach students who are blind or have low vision, providing instruction in the expanded core curriculum including braille literacy, orientation and mobility concepts, assistive technology use, and daily living skills. TVIs work in school…

Thermoform(also: Vacuum-Formed Plastic, Thermoform Duplicator)

A method of producing tactile images and braille copies by heating a thin sheet of plastic and vacuum-forming it over a master copy (typically an embossed original) to create a durable raised-line reproduction. Thermoform machines heat plastic sheets and use vacuum pressure to…

Touch Exploration(also: Explore by Touch, Touch-Based Exploration)

An interaction method that allows users to discover on-screen content by moving their finger across a touchscreen, receiving audio feedback about elements under the fingertip. Touch exploration is fundamental to how blind and low-vision users navigate mobile devices through…

Touchscreen text entry(also: Mobile typing, Virtual keyboard input)

The process of entering text on a touchscreen device using a virtual keyboard, which presents significant accessibility challenges for blind and visually impaired users who cannot see key boundaries or visual feedback. Screen reader users typically employ an explore-then-lift…

Trajectory Playback(also: Haptic Playback, Force-Guided Movement)

A technique in haptic interfaces where a force-feedback device physically guides a user's hand through a predefined path or shape. The system applies forces to move the user along a trajectory, allowing them to perceive spatial information through proprioception and kinesthetic…

Tunnel Vision(also: Peripheral Vision Loss, PVL)

A visual impairment characterized by the loss of peripheral vision while central vision may remain intact, resulting in a narrow field of view as if looking through a tunnel. Tunnel vision can be caused by conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma, or stroke. It…

Typhlology(also: Typhlopedagogy)

The study and science of blindness and visual impairment, encompassing education, rehabilitation, and support methods for people who are blind or have low vision. Typhlology draws on knowledge from education, psychology, medicine, and assistive technology to develop teaching…

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