Glossary

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CAPTCHA(also: Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart)

A challenge-response test used on websites to determine whether a user is human, typically requiring users to identify distorted text, select images, or solve puzzles. CAPTCHAs present significant accessibility barriers, particularly for users with visual impairments who cannot…

CSS Box Model(also: Box Model)

A fundamental concept in CSS that describes how HTML elements are rendered as rectangular boxes with four distinct areas: content (the actual text or image), padding (space between content and border), border (the edge around the padding), and margin (space outside the border…

CSS Media Queries(also: Media Queries, Responsive Breakpoints)

A CSS feature that allows stylesheets to apply different rules based on characteristics of the user's device or viewport, such as screen width, resolution, color capability, or user preferences like reduced motion and high contrast. Media queries are foundational to responsive…

Cascading Style Sheets(also: CSS, Stylesheets)

A stylesheet language used to describe the visual presentation of HTML documents, controlling layout, colors, fonts, spacing, and responsive design. CSS is intentionally separated from HTML content to allow flexibility in styling while prioritizing semantic structure—a design…

Character Spacing(also: Letter Spacing, Tracking)

The horizontal space between individual characters in a line of text. Research has shown that increasing character spacing significantly improves reading speed and accuracy for people with dyslexia. This effect is attributed to reduced visual crowding — the phenomenon where…

Code Smell(also: Code Anti-Pattern)

A characteristic in source code that indicates a potential deeper problem, even if the code technically functions correctly. In accessibility contexts, code smells include patterns like using div or span elements instead of semantic HTML (buttons, headings, nav), inline styles…

Content Author(also: Content Editor, Content Creator, Web Author)

A person who creates, edits, and publishes content on a website or digital platform, typically using a content management system rather than writing code directly. Content authors are responsible for many accessibility-critical decisions including writing alternative text for…

Content Management System(also: CMS)

Software that enables users to create, edit, and publish digital content — typically web pages — without requiring direct coding knowledge. Popular examples include WordPress, Drupal, and SharePoint. In the accessibility context, CMS platforms play a critical role because they…

Contextual Learning(also: Context-Dependent Learning)

The tendency of both humans and AI systems to learn patterns and behaviours from the surrounding context rather than from abstract rules. In web development, contextual learning means that developers working on accessible codebases are more likely to produce accessible code…

Contrast Ratio(also: Color Contrast Ratio, Luminance Contrast Ratio)

A numerical measure of the difference in perceived brightness between two colors, expressed as a ratio ranging from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (maximum contrast, black on white). WCAG 2.2 requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (Level…

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