Glossary

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Accessibility Paradox

The accessibility paradox describes the gap between organizations' stated commitments to accessibility and the lived realities of disabled employees, who often encounter inaccessible tools, documents, and workflows in their daily work despite formal inclusion policies. Coined in…

Accessibility Persona(also: Disability Persona, Inclusive Persona)

A detailed, realistic description of a hypothetical user with specific disabilities, assistive technology configurations, and usage contexts, used during design and evaluation to help teams consider accessibility requirements from the perspective of real people. Accessibility…

Accessibility Policy(also: Web Accessibility Policy, Digital Accessibility Policy)

A formal organizational document that defines an institution's commitment to digital accessibility, typically specifying the standards to be followed (such as WCAG conformance levels), roles and responsibilities, timelines for compliance, and mechanisms for monitoring and…

Accessibility Progress Formula(also: APPF, Accessibility Progress Percentage)

A formula for quantitatively tracking progress in addressing accessibility issues on a website, expressed as APPF = A / ((A + B) + (T - C)), where A is the number of applicable checklist items that have been addressed, B is the number not yet addressed, T is the total number of…

Accessibility Remediation(also: A11y Remediation, Accessibility Repair)

The process of identifying and fixing accessibility barriers in digital products such as websites, mobile applications, or documents to bring them into compliance with accessibility standards and make them usable by people with disabilities. Remediation may involve modifying…

Accessibility Repair(also: Automated Accessibility Repair, Accessibility Remediation)

Accessibility repair refers to the process of identifying and fixing accessibility barriers in digital content, ranging from manual remediation by developers to automated tools that can detect and correct certain violations programmatically. Automated repair tools aim to go…

Accessibility Retrofitting(also: Retrofitting, Accessibility Remediation)

The process of modifying existing products, websites, buildings, or systems after the fact to make them accessible to people with disabilities. Retrofitting is typically more expensive, time-consuming, and less elegant than designing for accessibility from the start, often…

Accessibility Scanner(also: Google Accessibility Scanner, Android Accessibility Scanner)

A testing tool developed by Google that scans Android app screens for common accessibility issues. The scanner checks for problems such as missing content descriptions on interactive elements, insufficient touch target sizes, and low color contrast. It can be run on any Android…

Accessibility Script(also: Accessibility Plugin, Screen Reader Script)

An accessibility script is a piece of code, often developed by the user community rather than the software vendor, that adds or improves screen reader support and keyboard accessibility in an application that is otherwise inaccessible or difficult to use with assistive…

Accessibility Settings(also: Ease of Access, Accessibility Preferences)

A centralised area within an operating system or application where users can configure features that adapt the interface to their needs. Typical accessibility settings include display options (text size, high contrast, colour filters, cursor size), audio options (mono audio,…

Accessibility Simulation(also: Disability Simulation)

A pedagogical technique in which learners experience simulated conditions of disability to build understanding of accessibility barriers. Common approaches include simulation games, virtual reality experiences, and exercises that restrict sensory or motor capabilities. While…

Accessibility Statement(also: Accessibility Page, Accessibility Declaration)

A public declaration on a website or application that describes its accessibility features, known limitations, conformance level with accessibility standards (such as WCAG), contact information for reporting barriers, and the organisation's commitment to accessibility.…

Accessibility Tax(also: Crip Tax, Disability Tax, Access Tax)

The cumulative direct and indirect costs — financial, temporal, cognitive, and emotional — that disabled people pay to obtain the same access, outcomes, or opportunities available to non-disabled peers. Coined in non-academic contexts as 'crip tax' and distinguished by Olsen et…

Accessibility Technology(also: Access Technology)

A broad term encompassing any technology used to address accessibility barriers, including both dedicated assistive technologies and mainstream technologies repurposed for access. Unlike the narrower term assistive technology, accessibility technology recognizes that people may…

Accessibility Testing(also: A11y Testing)

The practice of evaluating software, websites, or digital products to ensure they can be used by people with disabilities, including those using assistive technologies such as screen readers, voice recognition, and switch devices. Accessibility testing encompasses automated…

Accessibility Tree(also: A11y Tree, Accessible Tree)

A hierarchical data structure maintained by operating systems and browsers that represents the accessible elements of a user interface in a form that assistive technologies can interpret. The accessibility tree is derived from the visual UI but organized logically rather than…

Accessibility Violation(also: A11y Violation, Accessibility Error, Accessibility Issue)

Any instance where web content, code, or design fails to conform to established accessibility guidelines such as WCAG. Accessibility violations can be syntactic (missing required HTML elements or attributes), semantic (elements present but not meaningful), or layout-related…

Accessibility Workaround(also: A11y Workaround, Assistive Workaround)

An alternative method, process, or tool that people with disabilities develop or adopt to accomplish tasks that are blocked by inaccessible design. Workarounds represent the hidden labor that disabled people must invest to navigate inaccessible systems — creating parallel…

Accessibility conformance(also: WCAG conformance, Accessibility compliance)

The degree to which a digital product meets the requirements of an accessibility standard such as WCAG, typically assessed at Level A, AA, or AAA. While conformance provides a measurable baseline for accessibility, it does not guarantee usability for all disabled users — a site…

Accessibility conformance report(also: ACR, VPAT, Voluntary Product Accessibility Template)

A document that records the degree to which a product or service meets accessibility standards such as WCAG, Section 508, or EN 301 549. In enterprise settings, conformance reports are a primary deliverable of the accessibility testing process, used to communicate compliance…

Accessibility dataset(also: Disability-inclusive dataset, Accessible benchmark)

A publicly available research dataset that includes data collected from people with disabilities, enabling algorithm development and benchmarking on representative populations rather than exclusively on non-disabled participants. Examples include WeAllWalk (inertial data from…

Accessibility education(also: A11y education, Accessibility curriculum)

The integration of accessibility and universal design topics into formal educational programs, particularly in computer science, design, and engineering curricula. Effective accessibility education combines theoretical understanding of disability models and standards with…

Accessibility maturity model(also: Organizational accessibility maturity)

A framework for assessing how systematically an organization approaches digital accessibility, typically ranging from ad hoc or reactive practices to fully embedded, proactive processes. Maturity models help organizations identify gaps in their accessibility efforts — such as…

Accessibility on the Move(also: Mobile Accessibility, Accessibility in Transit)

A conceptual framing that recognizes accessibility as a continuous, context-dependent process that must be renegotiated when a person moves between different physical, cultural, social, and technical infrastructures. Unlike static accessibility assessments tied to a single…

Accessibility ontology(also: A11y ontology, Accessibility knowledge graph)

A formal, structured representation of accessibility concepts, their properties, and the relationships between them, typically expressed in OWL (Web Ontology Language). Accessibility ontologies model domains such as disabilities, assistive technologies, standards, testing…

Accessibility overlay(also: Accessibility widget, Accessibility plugin, Overlay tool)

A software layer, typically implemented as a JavaScript widget or browser extension, that applies modifications to a website's presentation or behavior with the goal of improving accessibility. Overlays range from user-driven tools that empower individuals to fix specific…

Accessibility-Oriented Prompting(also: Accessible Prompting, A11y Prompting)

A prompt engineering strategy for large language models (LLMs) in which explicit accessibility requirements are included in the prompt when requesting code generation or UI design. Rather than relying on the LLM to infer accessibility needs from generic instructions,…

Accessibility-in-Use(also: Accessibility in Use)

A concept describing how well accessibility metrics predict the actual effects that real accessibility problems will have on the quality of interaction as perceived by real users when interacting with real pages for achieving real goals. Unlike traditional conformance testing…

Accessibility-supported(also: Accessibility supported technology)

A WCAG 2.0 concept describing a web technology that has sufficient support from user agents (browsers) and assistive technologies to reliably convey accessibility information to users with disabilities. For a technology to be considered accessibility-supported, it must contain…

Accessible Authentication(also: WCAG 3.3.7, Accessible Authentication (Minimum))

A web accessibility requirement introduced in WCAG 2.2 (Success Criterion 3.3.7) that mandates for each step in an authentication process relying on a cognitive function test — such as remembering a password, solving a puzzle, or transcribing distorted text — at least one…

Accessible Canada Act(also: ACA, Canadian Accessibility Act)

Canadian federal legislation (S.C. 2019, c. 10) that aims to make Canada barrier-free by 2040 by requiring federally regulated organisations (banks, telecommunications, transportation, the federal government) to identify, remove, and prevent barriers in areas including…

Accessible Comics(also: Digital Comics Accessibility, Comic Book Accessibility)

Approaches and technologies for making comic books and graphic novels accessible to people with visual impairments. Unlike plain text, comics combine visual art, panel layouts, speech balloons, and onomatopoeia that require special consideration for non-visual access. Accessible…

Accessible Computing(also: Computing Accessibility)

The design, development, and deployment of computing systems, tools, and interfaces that can be effectively used by people with disabilities. Accessible computing encompasses web accessibility, mobile accessibility, screen reader compatibility, alternative input methods, and…

Accessible Content Creation(also: Accessible Authoring)

The design of tools, workflows, and processes that enable people with disabilities to create original content — including visual illustrations, documents, presentations, and multimedia — independently and with full creative control. Traditional content creation tools often rely…

Accessible Data Table(also: Accessible Table, Screen Reader-Friendly Table)

A data table designed and implemented to be effectively navigable and comprehensible by screen reader users. Accessible data tables require proper HTML markup including table headers (th elements), scope attributes to associate headers with data cells, captions describing the…

Accessible Data Visualization(also: Accessible Charts, Accessible Graphs)

The practice of designing data visualizations such as charts, graphs, and plots so that they can be perceived, understood, and interacted with by people with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision. Approaches include providing alternative text…

Accessible Design Methods(also: Inclusive Design Methods)

Design research methodologies that have been adapted or created to enable participation by people with disabilities, ensuring they can contribute as active co-creators rather than passive subjects. Traditional design methods like sketching, storyboarding, card sorting, and…

Accessible Digital Musical Instrument(also: ADMI)

An Accessible Digital Musical Instrument (ADMI) is a digital musical instrument that has been designed or adapted to be usable by people with disabilities. ADMIs typically use motion capture, gesture recognition, or other sensor technologies to map physical movements to sound,…

Accessible Documentation(also: Accessible Instructions)

Documentation - user manuals, help content, installation guides, release notes, API docs - produced in a form that can be read and acted on by people with disabilities, including blind and low-vision users, users with cognitive disabilities, and Deaf users. Accessible…

Accessible Education(also: Inclusive Education)

The practice of designing educational environments, materials, and technologies so that all students, including those with disabilities, can participate fully and equally. Accessible education encompasses physical accessibility of classrooms and campuses, digital accessibility…

Accessible Fabrication(also: Accessible Making, Accessible Digital Fabrication)

Accessible fabrication refers to the design and use of digital fabrication tools — such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC machines — in ways that are usable by people with disabilities and that produce accessible outputs. This includes making the fabrication tools…

Accessible Fintech(also: Accessible Financial Technology, accessFinTech)

The design and development of financial technology products and services — including online banking, mobile payments, digital wallets, and cryptocurrency platforms — that are usable by people with disabilities and across diverse user needs. Accessible fintech encompasses not…

Accessible Fitness Technology(also: Inclusive Exercise Technology, Adaptive Fitness Tech)

Technologies designed to enable people with disabilities to engage in physical exercise independently and effectively. Accessible fitness technology spans audio-based exercise games, haptic workout guides, accessible gym equipment, VR exergames, and wearable activity trackers…

Accessible Gaming(also: Game Accessibility, Inclusive Gaming)

The design and development of video games and interactive entertainment that can be played by people with disabilities. Accessible gaming encompasses adaptable controls, audio-based gameplay, haptic feedback, customizable difficulty, and alternative input methods. It ensures…

Accessible Gesture Interaction(also: Inclusive Gesture Design)

The design and implementation of gesture-based interactions that can be effectively used by people with diverse abilities, including those with motor impairments, visual disabilities, or conditions such as tremor, spasm, or limited range of motion. Accessible gesture interaction…

Accessible Graphics(also: Accessible Images, Non-Visual Graphics)

Visual information such as charts, diagrams, maps, and illustrations that has been made perceivable and understandable to people with visual impairments through alternative formats. These formats include tactile graphics (raised line drawings, swell paper, 3D-printed models),…

Accessible Making(also: Accessible Fabrication, Inclusive Making)

The practice and research area focused on ensuring that maker activities—including digital fabrication, crafting, and DIY projects—are accessible to people with disabilities. This encompasses three related concepts: making assistive technologies accessible (ensuring disabled…

Accessible Mapping(also: Accessibility Mapping, Accessible Pedestrian Maps)

The creation and use of maps and geographic information systems that represent the accessibility characteristics of physical environments — including sidewalk inclines, curb cuts, surface types, path widths, stairs, and elevators — to support navigation and trip planning for…

Accessible Maps(also: Accessible Mapping, Accessible Cartography)

Maps and navigation tools designed to be usable by people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, motor, and cognitive impairments. Accessible maps address both the digital accessibility of the map interface itself (such as screen reader compatibility, colour…

Accessible Music Education(also: Inclusive Music Teaching)

Educational approaches and technologies that enable people with disabilities to learn music effectively. This includes alternative notation systems like Braille music, audio-based instruction, tactile learning materials, and adaptive instruments. Accessible music education…