Glossary

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Scripting Language(also: Script Language)

A programming language designed for automating tasks that could alternatively be executed one by one by a human operator. Scripting languages are typically interpreted rather than compiled and are used for writing short programs or scripts that automate repetitive tasks, extend…

Scrubbing(also: Video Scrubbing, Timeline Scrubbing)

The interaction of dragging a playhead across a video or audio timeline to preview content at arbitrary positions, typically with real-time visual or audio feedback. Scrubbing is ubiquitous in video editors, NLEs, DAWs, and subtitle-authoring tools. From an accessibility…

Scrupulosity(also: Moral OCD, Religious OCD)

A subtype of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) characterized by obsessions about having violated moral, ethical, or religious standards — for example, fear of having sinned, of having been dishonest, or of unintentionally supporting something the person believes is wrong.…

Search Engine Accessibility(also: Accessible Search)

The usability and accessibility of search engine interfaces and results for people with disabilities, particularly blind and visually impaired users who interact via screen readers. Search engines present unique accessibility challenges because their interfaces combine complex…

Search Engine Optimization(also: SEO)

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving a website's visibility and ranking in search engine results through techniques such as using descriptive page titles, meaningful headings, alt text for images, descriptive link text, and structured markup. Many SEO…

Search-by-Feature(also: Feature-based sign search, Linguistic-property search)

A sign-language dictionary search technique in which a user manually selects linguistic properties of the target sign — typically handshape, body-relative location, movement type, orientation, and number of hands — from a menu, and the system returns dictionary entries matching…

Search-by-Video(also: Video-based search, Search by video)

A sign-language dictionary search technique in which a user performs a sign into a webcam or camera and computer-vision-based sign recognition returns a ranked list of candidate dictionary entries. Search-by-video is easier for novice signers than search-by-feature because it…

Second Language Acquisition(also: SLA, L2 Acquisition)

The process by which a person learns a language other than their first (native) language. In deaf education and accessibility, second language acquisition theory is particularly relevant because written English is effectively a second language for native signers of American Sign…

Section 255(also: Telecommunications Act Section 255)

A section of the US Telecommunications Act of 1996 that requires telecommunications equipment and services to be accessible to people with disabilities, where readily achievable. Section 255 applies to manufacturers and service providers in the telecommunications industry,…

Section 504(also: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act)

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a US federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. It requires educational institutions, government agencies, and other…

Section 508(also: 508 Compliance, Rehabilitation Act Section 508)

A provision of the United States Rehabilitation Act that requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Updated in 2017 (the "Section 508 Refresh"), the standards now incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level AA as the…

Sedentary Behaviour(also: Sedentary Lifestyle, Physical Inactivity)

Any waking behaviour characterised by low energy expenditure while in a sitting, reclining, or lying posture, such as prolonged sitting at a desk, watching television, or using a computer. Sedentary behaviour is a leading risk factor for preventable chronic diseases including…

See-Through Display(also: Optical See-Through Display, Transparent Display, OST Display)

A display technology that allows users to view digital content overlaid on the real world by projecting images onto a transparent or semi-transparent surface. Unlike opaque (occlusive) displays that block the user's view of the environment, see-through displays preserve direct…

Seeing AI

A free AI-powered app developed by Microsoft for blind and low vision users that uses computer vision and AI to describe the visual world. Features include reading short text, documents, and handwriting; identifying products via barcodes; recognizing people and their emotions;…

Segmentation Problem(also: Stroke Segmentation, Input Segmentation, Gesture Segmentation)

The segmentation problem in text entry and gesture recognition refers to the challenge of determining where one input unit (such as a letter, word, or gesture) ends and the next begins when there is no explicit delimiter between successive inputs. For stylus-based systems,…

Segregated Education(also: Separate Schooling, Special Schooling)

An educational model where students with disabilities are educated in separate institutions or classrooms apart from their non-disabled peers. While segregated schools like residential schools for the blind can provide specialized instruction and peer support from other students…

Seizure(also: Epileptic Seizure, Convulsion)

A sudden, uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain that can cause changes in behavior, movements, feelings, or consciousness. Seizures vary widely in type and severity, from brief lapses in awareness (absence seizures) to full convulsions (tonic-clonic seizures).…

Selection Keyboard(also: On-Screen Keyboard, Scanning Keyboard, Virtual Keyboard)

A text entry interface where characters are displayed in a grid on screen and users select them by navigating a cursor or highlight to the desired character using an alternative input device such as a joystick, switch, or eye tracker. Selection keyboards are commonly used by…

Selective Attention(also: Focused Attention)

The cognitive ability to focus on a specific stimulus or task while filtering out irrelevant distractions. In accessibility and inclusive design, understanding selective attention is critical for creating interfaces that minimize cognitive overload, reduce visual clutter, and…

Selective Disclosure

A strategy where a person carefully controls which aspects of their identity they reveal to different stakeholders, choosing to disclose some identities while obscuring others based on anticipated consequences. In disability and accessibility contexts, selective disclosure is…

Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy(also: SDR, Dorsal Rhizotomy)

A neurosurgical procedure used to reduce spasticity in the legs and sometimes arms of people with cerebral palsy, by selectively cutting sensory nerve fibers in the spinal cord that contribute to abnormal muscle tone. SDR can improve mobility, reduce pain, and increase…

Selective Engagement

A strategy where a person chooses to interact only with stakeholders, services, or platforms that are known to be safe and supportive, reducing exposure to adversarial or discriminatory environments. In accessibility contexts, this might mean only using healthcare providers…

Selective disclosure(also: Contextual disclosure, Situational disclosure)

The practice of revealing disability identity to specific people or in specific contexts while keeping it private in others, based on a continuous assessment of safety, trust, relevance, and potential consequences. Most people with invisible disabilities practice selective…

Self-Accommodation(also: Self-Accommodations)

Strategies and adaptations that individuals develop independently to manage disability-related challenges, without formal support systems or clinical intervention. Self-accommodations are particularly common among neurodivergent individuals who may not have access to formal…

Self-Adaptive System(also: Self-Adapting System, Adaptive Interface)

A software or hardware system that automatically monitors user behaviour and adjusts its configuration or interface to better suit the user's needs without requiring explicit manual intervention. In accessibility, self-adaptive systems can detect changes in a user's motor…

Self-Advocacy

The ability and practice of speaking up for one's own needs, rights, and interests, particularly in contexts where those needs may be overlooked, dismissed, or actively opposed. In disability contexts, self-advocacy is both a personal skill and a political movement, encompassing…

Self-Advocate

A person with a disability who speaks up for themselves and their rights, makes their own decisions, and works to ensure their voice is heard in matters affecting their life. In the disability rights movement, self-advocates are individuals who participate in advocacy…

Self-Assessment Manikin(also: SAM)

A nonverbal pictorial instrument developed by Bradley and Lang (1994) for measuring the affective dimensions of valence, arousal, and dominance. Respondents select from a row of stylised manikin figures whose expressions and body states vary along each dimension, typically on a…

Self-Consistency(also: Self-Consistency Prompting, Self-Consistency Decoding)

A prompting technique for large language models in which the model is queried multiple times with the same input (using non-deterministic sampling) and the most frequent or highest-voted answer is returned as the final output. Self-consistency reduces hallucination and variance,…

Self-Debiasing(also: Model Self-Debiasing, Autonomous Debiasing)

A class of techniques where AI systems, particularly large language models, are prompted or configured to identify and reduce their own biased outputs without external model modification or retraining. Self-debiasing approaches include prompting models to reflect on whether…

Self-Determination(also: Autonomy, Self-Determination Theory)

The right and ability of individuals to make choices and decisions about their own lives, bodies, and futures without external coercion or control. In disability rights, self-determination is a core principle affirming that disabled people should have agency over their own care,…

Self-Determination Theory(also: SDT)

A psychological framework identifying three innate human needs — autonomy (feeling in control of one's actions), competence (feeling effective and capable), and relatedness (feeling connected to others) — that drive intrinsic motivation and well-being. In accessibility and…

Self-Diagnosis(also: Self-Identification, Self-Dx)

The process of identifying oneself as having a condition or disability based on personal research and self-assessment rather than through formal clinical evaluation. Self-diagnosis is particularly prevalent and controversial in ADHD and autism communities, where diagnostic…

Self-Disclosure(also: Personal Disclosure, Identity Disclosure)

The act of voluntarily revealing personal information about oneself, including disability status, health conditions, professional credentials, or lived experiences. In online disability communities, self-disclosure serves multiple functions: it builds trust and community…

Self-Disclosure Statement(also: SDS)

A short first-person text in which a creator, researcher, or performer reveals personal information about their identity, background, training, and motivations for producing a piece of work. Self-disclosure statements are used in academic positionality writing, healthcare…

Self-Efficacy

A person's belief in their own ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish particular tasks. In workplace inclusion contexts, self-efficacy is an important outcome measure for assistive technology interventions — technologies should not only help workers complete…

Self-Injurious Behavior(also: SIB, Self-Harm Behavior, Self-Injurious Behaviour)

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) encompasses repetitive actions that cause physical harm to the individual performing them, such as head-banging, skin-picking, biting, or severe hand-mouthing that leads to tissue damage. SIB is more prevalent among individuals with intellectual…

Self-Insight

The capacity to accurately understand one's own emotions, motivations, strengths, and patterns of thought and behaviour. Self-insight is a core outcome of therapy, journaling, and reflective practice, and is associated with improved emotion regulation, life satisfaction, and…

Self-Management(also: Self-Management Intervention, Self-Management Strategy)

Self-management is a behavioral intervention approach in which individuals learn to independently monitor, evaluate, and modify their own behavior to achieve specific goals. In disability contexts, self-management strategies are widely used to help individuals with autism and…

Self-Monitoring(also: Self-Recording, Self-Observation)

Self-monitoring is the practice of systematically observing and recording one's own behavior, emotions, or activities, typically as part of a broader self-management or behavioral intervention program. In accessibility and disability contexts, self-monitoring tools —…

Self-Motivation

Self-motivation is the internal capacity to initiate and sustain tasks without relying on external rewards or pressure. In accessibility contexts, self-motivation is relevant to executive function and is often reduced for people with ADHD, depression, chronic fatigue, and…

Self-Reflection(also: Reflective Practice)

The deliberate process of examining one's own thoughts, feelings, actions, and experiences to gain insight, adjust behaviour, or support personal growth. Self-reflection is central to therapeutic models (cognitive-behavioural therapy, mindfulness, reminiscence therapy),…

Self-Regulated Learning(also: SRL, Self-Directed Learning)

The process by which learners actively manage their own cognition, motivation, and behavior to achieve learning goals. Self-regulated learning involves planning approaches, monitoring comprehension, adjusting strategies when needed, and evaluating outcomes. Research shows that…

Self-Regulation(also: Self-Management, Behavioral Regulation)

The ability to monitor and manage one's own emotions, behavior, and cognitive processes to achieve goals. Self-regulation encompasses emotional regulation, attentional control, and behavioral inhibition. In accessibility contexts, designing for self-regulation means creating…

Self-Report Measure(also: Self-Report Assessment, Self-Report Questionnaire)

A standardized assessment tool in which individuals rate their own experiences, behaviors, or symptoms, typically using Likert scales or frequency ratings. Self-report measures are widely used in clinical and research settings to assess conditions like emotional dysregulation,…

Self-Representation(also: Digital Self-Representation, Avatar Self-Representation)

The way individuals choose to present themselves in digital or virtual environments, particularly through customizable avatars. For people with disabilities, self-representation involves decisions about whether and how to disclose disability status in spaces where appearance is…

Self-Scaffolding

Self-scaffolding is a process in which learners independently create their own support structures to achieve objectives they would not have reached without that support. Unlike traditional scaffolding, which is provided by teachers or designed into tools, self-scaffolding…

Self-Voicing Browser(also: Self-Voicing Web Browser, Talking Browser, Self-Talking Browser)

A self-voicing browser is a web browser that includes built-in text-to-speech capabilities, allowing it to read web content aloud without requiring a separate screen reader application. Unlike traditional screen readers that operate as standalone assistive technology layered on…

Self-Voicing Interface(also: Self-Voicing, Self-Voicing Application)

A software application or interface that includes its own built-in speech output capability, rather than relying on a separate screen reader to interpret and voice its content. Self-voicing interfaces generate speech directly, giving them greater control over what is spoken and…

Self-adapting user interface(also: Adaptive user interface, Adaptive UI)

A user interface that dynamically modifies its presentation, interaction modalities, or behaviour in response to changing conditions such as user capabilities, environmental factors, device characteristics, or content requirements. Unlike adaptable interfaces (which users…