Glossary

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Post-SCI Identity(also: Post-Injury Identity)

The ongoing process of reconstructing self-concept and personal identity following a spinal cord injury. Rather than a one-time adjustment, identity recreation after SCI is a continuous, non-linear process significantly influenced by periodic changes in motor functionality, such…

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(also: PTSD)

A mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event such as violence, natural disaster, serious accident, or combat. Symptoms include intrusive memories or flashbacks, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, negative changes in thinking and…

Post-lingual Deafness(also: Post-linguistic Deafness, Acquired Deafness, Late-Onset Deafness)

Deafness that occurs after a person has acquired spoken language, meaning they have existing literacy in written and spoken language. Post-lingual deaf users can typically read and write fluently, making text-based accessibility features like captions and transcripts highly…

Postcolonial Computing

A critical framework that examines how technology design and adoption can perpetuate subtle dimensions of coloniality, under-represent certain regions such as the Global South and Indigenous societies, and marginalize their cultures and practices. In accessibility, postcolonial…

Posthumanism(also: Posthumanist Design, More-than-Human Design)

A theoretical orientation in design and HCI that decenters the human as the sole agent of value and instead considers nonhuman animals, plants, ecosystems, and even technological artifacts as participants in design contexts. Posthumanist and more-than-human framings push…

Postlingual Deafness(also: Postlingually Deaf, Acquired Hearing Loss)

Hearing loss that occurs after a person has acquired spoken language, typically after about age three to five. Postlingually deaf people usually retain spoken-language fluency, literacy, and memory of sound, which affects their rehabilitation trajectory and their experience of…

Postpartum depression(also: Postnatal depression, PPD)

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a form of clinical depression occurring after childbirth, typically within the first four to six weeks postpartum but potentially developing up to a year after delivery. It is distinguished from the brief "baby blues"—mild mood changes affecting up…

Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities(also: PSEID, Inclusive Postsecondary Education, College Programs for ID)

Educational programs at colleges and universities designed to include students with intellectual disabilities in campus life, academics, and career preparation. Unlike traditional special education that ends with high school, these programs extend learning opportunities into…

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome(also: POTS)

A form of dysautonomia defined by an excessive increase in heart rate upon standing, often accompanied by fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness, and cognitive difficulties. POTS can significantly impact daily functioning and is frequently comorbid with conditions like…

Postural Support(also: Seating Support, Positioning Support)

Equipment and strategies that help maintain a person's body in a stable, functional position for activities including communication, eating, and using assistive technology. Adequate postural support is a prerequisite for many assistive technologies, particularly gaze-based…

Posture Detection(also: Posture Monitoring, Posture Recognition)

The use of sensors or computer vision to identify and monitor a person's body posture in real time. In assistive technology, posture detection systems can use accelerometers, gyroscopes, or cameras to determine whether a user is sitting, standing, slouching, or hunching, and…

Power Assist Device(also: Power assist wheel, Pushrim-activated power-assisted wheelchair, PAPAW)

A motorized attachment that adds electric propulsion assistance to a manual wheelchair without converting it into a full power wheelchair. Power assist devices typically attach to the wheelchair frame, wheels, or axle and amplify the user's pushing force, reducing physical…

Power Cards

Power Cards are a visual teaching strategy developed by Elisa Gagnon for autistic learners and others with social-communication differences. A Power Card is a small, portable card that pairs a brief scenario about a child's special interest (such as a favourite character) with a…

Power Dynamics(also: Power Differentials)

The imbalance of influence, authority, or social status between individuals or groups that shapes their interactions and relationships. In accessibility research and practice, power dynamics between researchers or designers without disabilities and participants with disabilities…

Power Dynamics in Accessibility(also: Access Power Relations)

The ways in which power operates within the systems that govern assistive technology provision, disability services, and access to accommodations. Power dynamics manifest through institutional gatekeeping (who defines what counts as AT and who qualifies), information asymmetry…

Power Spectral Density(also: PSD, Power Spectrum)

Power spectral density describes how the power of a time-varying signal is distributed across frequency components. It is a foundational tool in signal processing and shows up repeatedly in accessibility technology: in EMG-based input devices, PSD analysis of electrode signals…

Power Structures(also: Structural Power, Power Dynamics)

The institutional, social, and economic arrangements that distribute power unevenly across groups in society, determining who has access to resources, decision-making authority, and the ability to define norms. In accessibility contexts, power structures shape which disabilities…

Power Wheelchair(also: Electric Wheelchair, Motorized Wheelchair, Power Chair)

A wheelchair propelled by an electric motor rather than manual pushing, essential for people with severe motor disabilities who lack the upper body strength or dexterity to operate a manual wheelchair. Power wheelchairs are typically controlled through joysticks, but alternative…

Power-Assist Add-On(also: Power Assist, Power-Assist Device, Wheelchair Power Assist)

A power-assist add-on is a retrofit device attached to a manual wheelchair that provides motorized propulsion while preserving the chair's manual structure, offering a middle ground between manual and full power wheelchairs. Commercial examples include the SmartDrive, Firefly,…

Powered Wheelchair(also: Electric Wheelchair, Motorized Wheelchair, Power Chair)

A wheelchair propelled by an electric motor and battery system rather than manual effort, typically controlled via a joystick or alternative input device. Powered wheelchairs are essential mobility aids for individuals who lack the upper body strength or coordination to operate…

PrEmo(also: Product Emotion Measurement Instrument)

A non-verbal self-report tool for measuring emotional responses, developed by Pieter Desmet. PrEmo presents users with 14 cartoon-like icons representing seven positive emotions (joy, admiration, pride, hope, satisfaction, fascination, desire) and seven negative emotions…

Practice Effects(also: Test-Retest Practice Effects, Familiarity Effects)

Practice effects in cognitive assessment refer to the improvement in test scores that occurs not from genuine cognitive change but from increased familiarity with test content and format across repeated administrations. They are a significant limitation of fixed-content…

Practice-based Learning(also: Iterative Practice)

An approach to learning that organises instruction around short, repeatable cycles of attempting a task, receiving feedback, and refining performance, rather than around passive content consumption. Practice-based learning is well suited to embodied skills - sign language, motor…

Practice-based Research(also: PbR)

A research approach, associated with Candy and Edmonds, in which creative practice itself is the vehicle for original inquiry and knowledge generation. Research questions arise from and are resolved through the making and performance of works, with tacit and embodied knowledge…

Pragmatic Language(also: Pragmatics, Social Language)

The aspect of language that deals with how context, social norms, and communicative intent shape how language is used and interpreted in real social interactions. Pragmatic language skills include understanding conversational turn-taking, using appropriate backchanneling,…

Pragmatic language(also: Social language, Language pragmatics)

The aspect of language concerned with how context, tone, social norms, and shared knowledge shape meaning beyond the literal words spoken or written. Pragmatic language skills include understanding sarcasm, irony, and implied meaning; interpreting tone and intent; making…

Pragmatics(also: Pragmatic Language)

The social use of language—how context, relationship, and conversational norms affect what we say and how we interpret others. Pragmatics includes understanding implied meaning, adjusting speech for different audiences, taking turns in conversation, and recognizing non-literal…

Pre-Programmed Message(also: Stored Message, Canned Response, Pre-Set Phrase)

A message or phrase stored in an AAC device that can be quickly retrieved and spoken without requiring real-time composition. Pre-programmed messages trade expressiveness for speed—they enable faster communication but are limited to anticipated phrases. For backchanneling,…

Pre-compensation(also: Display Pre-compensation, Image Pre-compensation)

A technique in which images displayed on a computer screen are mathematically modified in advance to counteract the visual aberrations of the viewer's eye. Rather than relying on corrective lenses or magnification, pre-compensation transforms the source image so that when it…

Pre-journey Learning(also: Pre-visit Spatial Learning, Virtual Pre-exploration)

The practice of learning about an environment's spatial layout before physically visiting it, typically through tactile maps, verbal descriptions, or virtual exploration tools. For people who are blind or have low vision, pre-journey learning supports the development of a…

Pre-lingual Deafness(also: Pre-linguistic Deafness, Congenital Deafness)

Deafness that occurs before a person acquires spoken language, either present from birth or developing in early childhood. People with pre-lingual deafness typically use sign language as their primary means of communication and may have limited literacy in written/spoken…

Pre-speech Vocalizations(also: Pre-linguistic Vocalizations, Infant Vocalizations)

Sounds produced by infants before the development of recognizable speech, including cooing, babbling, and other vocal productions. Pre-speech vocalizations are important predictors of later articulation and language abilities, and their analysis can help identify children at…

Precompensation(also: Display Precompensation, Image Precompensation)

A technique in visual accessibility that pre-modifies displayed images in a way that is opposite to the optical distortion introduced by a user's eye, so that the image arriving at the retina more closely resembles the intended original. Precompensation works analogously to an…

Prediction Utilization(also: PU)

The percentage of opportunities where a user accepts a word prediction rather than continuing to type the word manually. Prediction utilization reflects user trust in a prediction system—higher quality predictions lead to higher utilization rates. Research shows that users…

Predictive AI(also: Predictive Analytics, Predictive Algorithm)

AI systems that use machine learning to identify patterns in data and anticipate future outcomes, behaviors, or events. In the context of disability, predictive AI systems have been documented causing significant harm by making decisions about resource allocation (welfare…

Predictive Cursor(also: Anticipatory Cursor, Offset Cursor)

A cursor display technique designed to compensate for the delays inherent in speech-based or other high-latency input methods. A predictive cursor shows an indicator ahead of the actual cursor position, offset by the estimated distance the cursor will travel during the input…

Predictive Disambiguation(also: Dictionary-based Predictive Disambiguation, DBPD, Word Disambiguation)

Predictive disambiguation is the class of text-entry techniques in which each user input event is intentionally ambiguous (one keystroke covers several possible letters, one swipe covers many possible paths) and software resolves the ambiguity into a most-likely word using a…

Predictive Text(also: Text Prediction, Word Prediction, Autocomplete)

A software feature that suggests words or phrases as the user types, based on context, language models, and the user's typing history. Predictive text is a significant accessibility feature for people with motor impairments because it reduces the number of keystrokes needed,…

Preference Customization(also: User Preference Configuration, Personalization Settings)

The ability for users, particularly those using assistive technologies, to configure how they receive and interact with digital content based on their individual needs, preferences, and context. In accessibility, preference customization goes beyond basic assistive technology…

Preferred Retinal Locus(also: PRL, Preferred Retinal Location)

A specific area of the retina outside the damaged macula that a person with central vision loss adopts as their primary fixation point for viewing. When the central fovea is damaged (as in macular degeneration), individuals naturally or through training develop one or more PRLs…

Prelingual Deafness(also: Prelingually Deaf, Congenital Deafness)

Deafness present at birth or acquired before a child has developed spoken language, typically before around age three. Prelingually deaf individuals commonly learn a signed language as a first language and may have different literacy trajectories in the surrounding…

Prelinguistic Development(also: Pre-Speech Development, Prelinguistic Communication)

Prelinguistic development refers to the stages of vocal and communicative development that occur before an infant produces meaningful words, typically spanning from birth to approximately 12-18 months. This development progresses through recognized stages: the Phonation Stage…

Presbycusis(also: Age-Related Hearing Loss, Presbyacusis)

A gradual, progressive loss of hearing in both ears that occurs as a natural part of aging, primarily affecting the ability to perceive higher-frequency sounds. Presbycusis is the most common cause of hearing loss in older adults and has significant implications for the design…

Presbyopia(also: Age-Related Farsightedness, Loss of Accommodation)

An age-related vision condition in which the eye gradually loses the ability to focus on nearby objects, typically becoming noticeable after age 40. Presbyopia affects the vast majority of older adults and is caused by the hardening of the eye's lens, reducing its flexibility.…

Presbyopia(also: Age-Related Farsightedness)

An age-related vision condition where the eye gradually loses its ability to focus on nearby objects, typically becoming noticeable in the early to mid-40s. Presbyopia affects virtually everyone as they age and significantly impacts web accessibility, making small text difficult…

Presence(also: Virtual Presence, Sense of Presence)

The subjective sense of being in a virtual environment, often described as the feeling of "being there" rather than simply observing a digital display. Presence is a central construct in VR research and is influenced by sensory fidelity, interaction naturalness, avatar…

Presentation Accessibility(also: Slide Accessibility, Accessible Presentations)

The practice of designing and delivering slide-based presentations so that all audience members, including those with disabilities, can access the content. Key principles include verbally describing all visual content on slides (text, images, diagrams, graphs), using nouns…

Presentation Independence(also: Presentation-Independent Information)

The principle that information should be stored and served in formats that can be rendered in visual, auditory, or electronic text form without loss of meaning. Presentation-independent content has no inherent visual or auditory presentation and can be adapted to the needs of…

Presentation video(also: Lecture recording, Recorded lecture)

A video recording of an instructor delivering content alongside visual materials such as slides, whiteboards, or demonstrations. Presentation videos present unique accessibility challenges because they combine spoken content with visual actions like pointing, annotating, and…

Preservice Training(also: Preservice Education, Teacher Preparation)

The education and training that teachers receive before entering the profession, typically through university degree programs or certification courses. In special education and assistive technology contexts, preservice training refers to coursework on AT devices, accessibility…