Glossary

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E-Book Accessibility(also: Electronic Book Accessibility, Digital Book Accessibility)

The design and implementation of electronic books to be usable by people with disabilities, including proper semantic structure, text resizing, reflowable content, alternative text for images, compatibility with screen readers, and customizable visual presentation. Despite the…

E-Commerce Accessibility(also: Accessible E-Commerce, Online Shopping Accessibility)

The degree to which online shopping experiences — product discovery, evaluation, checkout, fulfilment, customer support, and (on peer-to-peer platforms) selling — are usable by people with disabilities, particularly blind and low-vision (BLV) users who depend on screen readers,…

E-Government Accessibility(also: Digital Government Accessibility, E-Gov Accessibility)

The practice of ensuring that electronic government services — including websites, online forms, and digital public services — are usable by people with disabilities. E-government accessibility is particularly important because government services are often essential and…

E-Health(also: eHealth, Electronic Health)

The use of information and communication technologies for health services, including electronic health records, telemedicine, mobile health applications, and patient portals. E-health aims to improve healthcare access, efficiency, and quality, but accessibility barriers in…

E-Ink Display(also: Electronic Ink, E-Paper, Electronic Paper Display)

A display technology that mimics the appearance of ink on paper by using electrically charged particles to create images. E-ink displays are characterized by high readability in direct light, minimal glare, extremely low power consumption, and reduced eye strain compared to…

E-Learning(also: Electronic Learning, eLearning, Online Learning)

Education and training delivered through digital technologies, primarily via the internet and computer-based platforms. E-learning encompasses a range of approaches from fully online courses to supplementary digital materials, enabling learners to access content at their own…

E-Recruiting(also: Electronic Recruiting, Online Recruiting, Digital Recruitment)

The use of web-based tools and platforms for job posting, candidate sourcing, application submission, and hiring management. E-recruiting systems include job search websites, online application portals, applicant tracking systems, and social networking platforms like LinkedIn.…

E-Tran Frame(also: Eye-Transfer Frame, Eye-Pointing Frame, ETRAN)

A low-technology augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device consisting of a transparent frame or board that allows a person to communicate by directing their eye gaze toward symbols, letters, words, or colour-coded groups arranged on the frame. The communication…

E-learning accessibility(also: Online learning accessibility, Accessible e-learning)

The design and delivery of online educational content and platforms so that learners with disabilities can participate equally. This includes accessible learning management systems, video lectures with captions and descriptions, navigable course materials, and interactive…

E-textiles(also: Electronic Textiles, Smart Textiles)

E-textiles are textile objects that integrate electronic components such as sensors, lights, or actuators into their design. They combine traditional textile techniques (sewing, embroidery, weaving) with electronic circuitry, often using conductive yarn or thread to create…

EARL(also: Evaluation and Report Language)

A machine-readable format developed by the W3C for expressing the results of accessibility evaluations in a standardized way. EARL uses RDF (Resource Description Framework) to describe test results including the outcome (pass, fail, cannot tell, inapplicable, untested), the test…

ELAN(also: EUDICO Linguistic Annotator)

A free, open-source annotation tool developed at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics for creating, editing, and searching multi-tier, time-aligned annotations on video and audio recordings. ELAN has become the de-facto standard tool for sign-language corpus work…

EMG Switch(also: Electromyography Switch, Muscle Signal Switch)

An assistive technology switch that detects electrical signals produced by muscle contractions (electromyography) to generate a switch activation. EMG switches can detect even very small muscle movements, such as a slight facial twitch or jaw clench, making them suitable for…

EN 301 549(also: European accessibility standard)

The European standard for accessibility requirements of ICT products and services, harmonized under the European Accessibility Act. EN 301 549 covers web content, software, hardware, and documentation, incorporating WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web and non-web documents while adding…

EPUB(also: EPUB 3, Electronic Publication)

An open standard file format for digital books and publications maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), formerly by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF). EPUB 3, the current major version, is based on HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript, which means web…

ESP Game(also: Extra Sensory Perception Game)

A human computation game, created by Luis von Ahn, in which two randomly paired online players are shown the same image and independently type words to describe it, earning points when their labels match. The ESP Game was designed to generate accurate, human-validated labels for…

EU AI Act(also: European Union Artificial Intelligence Act, Artificial Intelligence Act (EU))

A European Union regulation, adopted in 2024, that establishes a risk-based framework for AI systems deployed in the EU. High-risk systems — including AI used in employment, hiring, worker management, education, and access to essential services — are subject to obligations…

EVITA(also: Enabling Visually Impaired Table Access)

A specialized table browser developed at the University of Manchester designed to enable visually impaired users to navigate, browse, and read HTML data tables non-visually in a manner analogous to how sighted readers interact with tables in print. EVITA provides keyboard-based…

Ear-EEG(also: Around-the-Ear EEG, cEEGrid)

Ear-EEG refers to electroencephalography (EEG) recorded using electrodes placed in and around the ear canal rather than on the scalp. Consumer-grade ear-EEG devices such as cEEGrid sensors are unobtrusive, easy to wear without hair preparation, and suitable for everyday…

Earcon(also: Auditory icon)

A brief, distinctive sound used in a user interface to convey information, status, or feedback non-visually. Earcons serve a similar function to visual icons but through the auditory channel. In accessible interfaces, earcons can augment or replace visual cues — for example, a…

Early Blind(also: Congenitally Blind, Early Onset Blindness)

A person who was born blind or lost their vision before approximately age 5-7, before visual memories and spatial concepts based on vision were fully established. Early blind individuals develop spatial understanding entirely through non-visual senses—touch, hearing,…

Early Intervention(also: EI, Early Childhood Intervention)

Services and support provided to infants and young children (typically birth to age 3 or 5) with developmental delays or disabilities, and their families. For DHH children, early intervention is critical and includes sign language instruction, speech-language therapy,…

Early Intervention(also: EI, Early Childhood Intervention)

Early intervention refers to services and supports provided to infants and young children (typically from birth to age six) who have developmental delays, disabilities, or conditions that place them at risk for developmental difficulties. The aim is to reduce or compensate for…

Early intervention(also: Early childhood intervention, EI)

A system of services and supports provided to infants and young children with developmental delays or disabilities, typically from birth to age three, and their families. Early intervention can include speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and behavioral…

Early-Onset Dementia(also: Young-Onset Dementia, Working-Age Dementia)

Dementia diagnosed before the age of 65, affecting individuals who are often still in the workforce and digitally active. Early-onset dementia presents unique accessibility challenges because affected individuals typically have established digital literacy and strong…

Earmarking(also: Money Earmarking)

A financial-management practice, studied by sociologist Viviana Zelizer, in which people mentally or materially separate money into distinct categories tied to specific purposes (rent, groceries, savings goal, treats). Earmarking can take physical form — separate envelopes,…

Easy Language(also: Easy-to-Read, Leichte Sprache, Easy Read)

A simplified form of written language designed to make information accessible to people with reading difficulties, including those with intellectual disabilities, prelingual hearing impairments, learning disabilities, low literacy, or limited proficiency in the language. Easy…

Easy Read(also: Easy-to-Read, Easy Language, Plain Language for Cognitive Accessibility)

A method of presenting written information in a way that is accessible to people with intellectual disabilities, learning difficulties, or low literacy. Easy Read uses short sentences, common everyday vocabulary, active voice, and clear structure, often accompanied by images or…

Easy-to-Read(also: E2R, Easy Read, ETR)

A content-simplification approach that presents information in short sentences, plain vocabulary, and clear structure to support readers with cognitive disabilities, learning difficulties, low literacy, or who are reading in a non-native language. Easy-to-Read is increasingly…

Eccentric Viewing(also: Eccentric Fixation)

A visual strategy used by people with central vision loss (such as from macular degeneration) in which they learn to use a peripheral area of the retina — called a preferred retinal locus (PRL) — to look at objects instead of the damaged central macula. Eccentric viewing…

Eccentric viewing(also: Preferred retinal locus, PRL)

A viewing strategy used by people with central vision loss (such as from macular degeneration) in which they learn to look slightly off-center to use a healthier area of the retina instead of the damaged macula. The part of the retina they train themselves to use is called the…

Echolalia(also: Echoing, Echolalic Speech)

The repetition or echoing of words, phrases, or sounds spoken by others, commonly observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and some other developmental conditions. Echolalia can be immediate (repeating something just heard) or delayed (repeating something heard…

Echolocation(also: Human echolocation, Active echolocation)

The ability to determine the location and characteristics of objects by emitting sounds and interpreting their echoes. While commonly associated with bats and dolphins, many blind and low-vision individuals develop echolocation skills for spatial navigation, using self-generated…

Ecological Metaphor(also: Ecological Validity, Ecological Mapping)

A design principle in sonification and auditory display where the mapping between data and sound aligns with users' real-world sensory and cognitive experience. For example, mapping obstacle distance to pulse rate (like sonar or parking sensors), height to pitch (higher…

Ecological Momentary Assessment(also: EMA, Experience Sampling)

A research and clinical method that involves repeatedly sampling people's behaviors, experiences, and physiological states in real time within their natural environments. EMA typically uses smartphone prompts to ask users to report their current thoughts, feelings, activities,…

Ecological Systems Theory(also: Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model, Bioecological Model)

A developmental psychology framework created by Urie Bronfenbrenner that describes how individuals are influenced by multiple nested environmental systems: the microsystem (immediate settings like home and work), mesosystem (connections between microsystems), exosystem (indirect…

Ecological Validity

In user experience research, the degree to which a mediated experience feels natural, realistic, and believable—as if it could occur in a real-world context. In immersion measurement frameworks like the ITC Sense of Presence Inventory, ecological validity is a subscale alongside…

Ecological validity(also: Real-world validity)

The degree to which research findings from controlled laboratory settings accurately reflect behaviour and performance in real-world everyday contexts. In accessibility research, ecological validity is a critical concern because laboratory conditions — structured tasks, quiet…

Ecology of Protections(also: Layered Protection Ecosystem)

A multi-layered framework for safeguarding vulnerable users from harmful digital content by implementing protections at multiple levels of the technology stack simultaneously. For photosensitive users, this ecosystem encompasses six layers: policy-level (legislation and…

Edge Computing(also: Edge AI, Edge Intelligence)

Edge computing is a computing paradigm where data processing occurs on devices physically close to the user rather than in centralized cloud servers. For accessibility applications, edge computing offers important advantages including reduced latency for real-time assistive…

Edge enhancement(also: Edge detection, Contour enhancement)

An image processing technique that identifies and highlights the boundaries between objects in a visual scene, typically rendering them as bright lines against a dark background or overlaying them on the original image. For people with low vision, edge enhancement can make…

EdgeWrite(also: Edge Write)

A gestural text entry method that uses the physical edges and corners of a square input area to guide character formation. Unlike traditional handwriting recognition that analyzes the full path of a stroke, EdgeWrite recognizes characters based on the sequence of corners hit,…

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale(also: EPDS)

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a validated 10-item self-report screening questionnaire designed to identify symptoms of depression during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. Each item is scored 0–3, with a total score of 10 or above typically indicating…

Editorial Enunciation(also: Visual Enunciation)

A semiotic concept describing how the visual layout and organisation of an interface communicates meaning beyond the content it contains. Editorial enunciation encompasses the spatial arrangement, sizing, positioning, and visual hierarchy of interface elements — all of which…

Educational Technology(also: EdTech, Learning Technology, Instructional Technology)

The use of technological tools and resources to facilitate teaching and learning. In accessibility contexts, educational technology encompasses assistive tools designed to support students with disabilities, such as screen readers, refreshable Braille displays, auditory graphing…

Educational Video(also: Instructional Video, Video Lecture)

Video content created to teach - including talking-head lectures, screencasts, animations, hand-drawn (Khan-style) explanations, recorded classroom sessions, programming/coding demonstrations, interviews, and slide-based presentations. Accessibility of educational video depends…

Edutainment(also: Educational Entertainment, Learning Games)

Content or applications that combine education with entertainment, typically through games, interactive media, or engaging activities designed to teach skills while keeping users motivated and engaged. In the accessibility context, edutainment apps must balance engaging visual…

Egocentric(also: Egocentric Reference Frame, Body-Centred Reference Frame)

A spatial reference frame in which locations and directions are defined relative to the observer's own body position and orientation. For example, "turn left," "take one step forward," or "the door is on your right" are egocentric descriptions. People with visual impairments…

Egocentric Camera(also: First-Person Camera, POV Camera)

A camera that captures video from the wearer's point of view, typically mounted on the head, glasses, or chest. Egocentric video captures what the user sees or interacts with, making it valuable for activity recognition, assistive technology, and accessibility research. For BLV…

Egocentric Spatial Reasoning(also: First-Person Spatial Understanding, User-Relative Spatial Reasoning)

The ability of a system to understand and describe the spatial positions of objects relative to the user's body and perspective, rather than from a bird's-eye or absolute reference frame. For AI systems assisting blind travelers, egocentric spatial reasoning is critical —…