Glossary

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Few-Shot Object Recognition(also: Few-Shot Recognition)

A machine learning approach in which a model learns to identify a novel object from only a handful of labelled examples (commonly one to ten) rather than the hundreds or thousands typical of conventional supervised training. Few-shot object recognition underpins teachable and…

Few-Shot Prompting(also: In-Context Learning, Few-Shot Learning)

A technique for guiding large language models by providing a small number of examples within the input prompt to demonstrate the desired task or output format. In accessibility applications, few-shot prompting can help AI systems perform context-specific tasks like correcting…

Fiber Arts(also: Textile Arts, Textile Crafts)

Creative practices involving the manipulation of fibers or textiles, including weaving, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, quilting, and felting. Fiber arts are increasingly explored in accessibility research as sites for inclusive making, where tactile feedback and rhythmic…

Fibromyalgia(also: FM, Fibromyalgia syndrome)

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive difficulties often called "fibro fog." It affects approximately 2-4% of the population, predominantly women, and is considered an invisible disability…

Fidelity

An expression of how accurately a representation reproduces its source. A photograph is a high-fidelity visual representation of a scene but loses depth, sound, and smell. In accessibility and content adaptation, fidelity is a critical concern: when content is transformed from…

Fidgeting(also: Stimming, Self-stimulatory behaviour)

Repetitive body movements or object manipulation — such as tapping, spinning, clicking, or squeezing — that serve self-regulatory functions including maintaining focus, managing stress, regulating energy levels, and processing sensory input. For people with ADHD, autism, and…

Fiducial Marker(also: ArUco Marker, Fiducial Tag)

A visual pattern placed on an object or surface that can be detected and identified by computer vision systems to determine the object's position, orientation, and identity. Fiducial markers such as ArUco markers are commonly used in augmented reality and assistive technology…

Fiducial Marker(also: AR Marker, Visual Marker, Reference Marker)

An artificial visual landmark placed in a physical environment to serve as a reference point for image processing systems. Fiducial markers — such as QR codes, ArUco markers, and BCH matricial markers — are designed for robust detection by cameras under varying conditions of…

Field Deployment(also: In-the-Wild Deployment, Real-World Deployment)

A research evaluation method where a system or tool is released to real users in their natural environments rather than being tested only in controlled laboratory settings. In accessibility research, field deployments are important because they reveal how assistive technologies…

Field of View(also: FoV, Viewing Angle)

The angular extent of the observable world visible at any given moment. In the context of head-mounted displays like the HoloLens 2, the field of view refers to the area in which virtual content can be displayed, which is typically narrower than natural human vision. This…

Figma

Figma is a browser-based collaborative design tool widely used for UI/UX design, prototyping, and design-system management. Its real-time multi-user editing, component libraries, and developer-handoff features have made it a de-facto standard in product design. Figma's…

Figure Accessibility(also: Chart Accessibility, Graph Accessibility)

The practice of making visual figures, charts, graphs, and diagrams in documents and publications accessible to people who cannot see them, particularly blind and low vision users. Figure accessibility encompasses multiple approaches including descriptive alt text, data tables,…

Filter(also: Photo Filter, Image Filter, Visual Effect)

A preset visual effect applied to a photograph or image that alters its overall appearance, typically modifying color balance, contrast, saturation, warmth, and tone to achieve a specific aesthetic mood or style. Common in social media apps like Instagram, filters allow users to…

FilterKeys(also: Filter Keys, Key Repeat Filter)

An operating system accessibility feature that adjusts keyboard response to ignore brief or repeated keystrokes, helping users with motor disabilities who may accidentally press keys multiple times or hold keys down too long. FilterKeys encompasses several related functions:…

Financial Accessibility(also: Accessible Banking, Inclusive Finance)

The design and provision of financial services, tools, and platforms that are usable by people of all abilities, ages, and levels of digital literacy. Financial accessibility encompasses making banking websites and mobile apps compatible with assistive technologies, designing…

Financial Autonomy(also: Financial Independence, Financial Self-Determination)

The ability of a person to make and enact their own financial decisions — earning, saving, spending, and planning — consistent with their values and goals. For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, financial autonomy is often constrained by guardianship,…

Financial Delegation(also: Financial Proxy, Delegated Banking)

The practice of relying on a trusted person — such as a family member, friend, neighbour, or support worker — to perform financial tasks on one's behalf. Financial delegation is common among older adults and people with cognitive impairments or mental health conditions, yet most…

Financial Inclusion

The availability and equitable access to financial services and products for all individuals, regardless of disability, age, income level, geographic location, or digital literacy. In accessibility contexts, financial inclusion requires that banking, payment, and investment…

Financial Literacy

The knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions about money — including understanding income, expenses, saving, debt, interest, credit, taxes, insurance, and benefits programs. For accessibility, financial literacy intersects with numeracy, reading accessibility, and…

Find My Things(also: FMT)

A Microsoft-developed smartphone app that lets people who are blind or have low vision train a personalized object recognizer by recording short example videos of their own items, then use the trained model to locate those items later via audio and haptic guidance. Find My…

Fine Motor Function(also: Fine Motor Control, Fine Motor Skills, LFMF)

The ability to make precise, coordinated movements using the small muscles of the hands and fingers. Fine motor function is essential for touch screen interaction, including tapping specific targets, typing on virtual keyboards, and performing gestures like swiping and pinching.…

Fine Motor Skills(also: Fine Motor Control, Dexterity)

The ability to make precise, coordinated movements using the small muscles of the hands, fingers, and wrists. Fine motor skills are essential for tasks such as typing, using a mouse, performing touch gestures, and operating physical controls on devices. Many people with…

Fine-tuning(also: Model Fine-tuning, Fine-tune, Supervised Fine-tuning)

A machine-learning technique that adapts a pre-trained foundation model - typically a large language model or vision model - to a specific task, domain, or individual user by continuing training on a smaller, targeted dataset. Fine-tuning preserves the broad capabilities of the…

Finger Assistive Device(also: FAD)

A category of wearable assistive devices worn on a finger or fingertip that extend sensing or actuation to the primary locus of tactile perception. The term was introduced by Shilkrot et al. to classify finger-worn input technologies, particularly those developed for blind and…

Finger Braille(also: Tactile Finger Spelling)

A communication method used primarily by deaf-blind people, in which a sender taps or presses on the fingers of the receiver to represent Braille dot patterns, simulating typing on a Braille typewriter. The receiver's six fingers (three on each hand) correspond to the six dots…

Finger Reading(also: Touch Scanning, Tactile Scanning)

A touch interaction technique used on accessible touchscreen interfaces where users continuously pan or slide their finger across the screen to explore content, receiving feedback for every position touched without encountering blank or unresponsive areas. In accessible data…

Finger Tracking(also: Fingertip Tracking, Finger Detection, Hand Tracking)

Computer vision or sensor-based technology that detects and follows the position and movement of a user's fingers in real-time. In accessibility applications, finger tracking enables hands-free interaction with tactile graphics, touchscreens, and physical objects by monitoring…

Finger-Worn Camera(also: Ring camera, Finger-mounted camera, Finger assistive camera)

A miniature camera attached to a finger, typically via a ring or thimble-like housing, that captures images from the hand rather than from the head or chest. In accessibility contexts, finger-worn cameras enable blind and low-vision users to point and query objects through…

Finger-mounted Camera(also: Fingertip Camera, Wearable Finger Camera)

A small camera device worn on the finger that enables direct, tactile interaction with printed documents for blind and low-vision users. Unlike handheld or phone-based cameras, finger-mounted systems allow users to trace text with their finger while receiving real-time feedback…

Fingerspelling(also: Manual alphabet, Dactylology)

A method of spelling out words letter by letter using hand shapes, used within sign languages to represent proper nouns, technical terms, or words that lack a dedicated sign. Each letter of the written alphabet corresponds to a specific hand configuration. Fingerspelling poses…

Fingerspelling(also: Manual Alphabet, Dactylology)

A method of spelling out words letter-by-letter using hand positions that represent each letter of the alphabet. In American Sign Language, fingerspelling uses a one-handed manual alphabet and is primarily used for proper names, technical terms, and words that do not have…

Fingertip Deflection

A haptic guidance technique in which a wearable device gently pulls or tilts the fingertip in a chosen direction (abduction, adduction, flexion, or extension) to bias arm motion toward a target during reach. Unlike vibrotactile alerts that must be symbolically decoded, fingertip…

Finite State Machine(also: FSM, State Machine)

A computational model that can exist in exactly one of a finite number of states at any given time, transitioning between states in response to specific inputs or events. In assistive technology, finite state machines are used to translate simple binary inputs (such as muscle…

Fintech(also: Financial Technology)

An umbrella term for software and digital-service innovations in the financial sector, including online and mobile banking, payments (e.g., Apple Pay, PayPal), budgeting apps, investment platforms, digital wallets, cryptocurrency services, and Buy-Now-Pay-Later products. Fintech…

Fire Vox(also: FireVox)

An open-source, cross-platform screen reader implemented as a Firefox browser extension, created by Charles Chen as part of the CLC-4-TTS Suite. Fire Vox was notable as one of the earliest assistive technologies to support WAI-ARIA live regions, making it a key tool in the…

First-mile last-mile(also: First and last mile, FMLM)

The beginning and end segments of a public transit journey — travelling from one's origin to the transit stop (first mile) and from the destination stop to the final destination (last mile). These segments are often the most challenging for people with disabilities because they…

Fisheye View(also: Fisheye Lens, Graphical Fisheye)

A focus+context visualization technique, introduced by Furnas, that magnifies a region of interest while progressively compressing surrounding context — analogous to a fisheye camera lens. Used in tree visualizations, menus, and graphs to help users see detail and structure…

Fitness Tracker(also: Activity Tracker, Wearable Fitness Device)

A wearable electronic device that monitors and records physical activity metrics such as steps taken, distance covered, calories burned, and heart rate. Most commercial fitness trackers use step-counting algorithms that rely on detecting the repetitive arm swing of walking,…

Fitts' Law(also: Fitts Law)

A predictive model of human movement in human-computer interaction that states the time required to move to a target area is a function of the distance to the target and the size of the target. Specifically, larger and closer targets are faster to acquire than smaller and more…

Fitts' Law(also: Fitts Law)

A predictive model of human movement that describes the time required to move to a target as a function of the target's size and distance from the starting point. Formulated by Paul Fitts in 1954, the law states that smaller and more distant targets take longer to acquire. In…

Fitts' Law(also: Fitts Law)

A predictive model of human movement that describes the time required to rapidly move to a target area as a function of the distance to the target and the target's size. Formulated by psychologist Paul Fitts in 1954, the law states that larger, closer targets are faster to…

Fitts's Law(also: Fitts Law)

Fitts's law is a predictive model of human movement that describes the time required to rapidly move to a target area as a function of the distance to the target and the target's size. Widely used in human-computer interaction (HCI) since the 1970s, it quantifies pointing…

Fitts's Law(also: Fitts Law)

A predictive model of human movement that describes the time required to rapidly move to a target area as a function of the distance to the target and the size of the target. Formulated by Paul Fitts in 1954, the law states that movement time increases logarithmically as the…

Fitts's Law(also: Fitts Law, Fitts' Law)

A predictive model of human movement that describes the time required to rapidly move to a target area as a function of the distance to the target and the target's size. Smaller and more distant targets take longer to reach and are more prone to errors. In accessibility, Fitts's…

Fixation(also: Visual Fixation, Gaze Fixation)

A period during which the eyes remain relatively stationary on a specific point or area, typically lasting 100 to 600 milliseconds. During fixations, the brain processes the visual information at the point of gaze. In eye-tracking research, fixations are a primary unit of…

Fixation Duration(also: Fixation Time, Gaze Duration)

The length of time the eye remains relatively still on a specific point in a visual display during reading or visual processing. In eye-tracking research, fixation duration is a key metric for measuring cognitive processing load and readability — shorter fixations are associated…

Fixation Problem(also: Reading Fixation Difficulty, Visual Fixation Issue)

A difficulty in maintaining stable visual focus on a specific point or line of text during reading. People with fixation problems may lose their place frequently, skip lines, or re-read the same passage unintentionally. This is a common challenge for dyslexic readers and can be…

Flare(also: Symptom Flare, Flare-Up)

A temporary but often significant worsening of symptoms associated with a chronic illness, which can last from hours to weeks. Flares can be triggered by environmental factors (heat, pollen, weather changes), physical exertion, stress, illness, or unpredictable internal…

Flash Pattern Analyzer(also: FPA, PEAT, Photosensitive Epilepsy Analysis Tool)

Software tools designed to detect potentially dangerous flashing or strobing patterns in digital media that could trigger seizures or other photosensitive reactions. The Harding Flash Pattern Analyzer (FPA) and the free Photosensitive Epilepsy Analysis Tool (PEAT) evaluate video…

Flashing Content(also: Flashing, Flash)

Visual content that alternates between contrasting states at a rate that can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. WCAG defines a flash as a pair of opposing luminance changes or a transition involving saturated red. Content with more than three flashes per…