Glossary

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Sensorineural Hearing Loss(also: SNHL, Nerve Deafness)

Sensorineural hearing loss is hearing loss caused by damage to the hair cells of the inner ear (cochlea) or the auditory nerve, in contrast to conductive hearing loss, which involves the outer or middle ear. SNHL is the most common type of permanent hearing loss in adults and is…

Sensory Accessibility

The design of environments, technologies, and experiences to accommodate people with diverse sensory processing needs, including those with heightened or reduced sensitivity to sound, light, touch, smell, or movement. Sensory accessibility extends beyond traditional visual and…

Sensory Adaptation(also: Habituation, Olfactory Fatigue)

Sensory adaptation is the diminishing response of a sensory system to a constant or repeated stimulus over time. Classic examples include no longer noticing a steady smell, becoming accustomed to ambient noise, or losing awareness of clothing pressed against the skin. In…

Sensory Aid(also: Sensory Assistive Device)

Assistive technologies that translate sensory inputs into alternative modalities to support people with sensory disabilities in the workplace and daily life. Examples include screen readers (visual to auditory), captioning systems (auditory to visual), haptic feedback devices…

Sensory Based Motor Disorder(also: SBMD)

A subtype of Sensory Processing Disorder in which the brain has difficulty using sensory information to plan and execute motor actions. SBMD encompasses two sub-types: postural disorder, which affects balance and core stability, and dyspraxia, which impacts motor planning and…

Sensory Characteristics(also: WCAG 1.3.3, Success Criterion 1.3.3)

WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.3.3 (Level A), which requires that instructions for understanding and operating content not rely solely on sensory characteristics such as shape, colour, size, visual location, orientation, or sound. Examples that violate 1.3.3 include referring to…

Sensory Compensation(also: Cross-Modal Plasticity, Sensory Substitution)

The phenomenon whereby the loss of one sense leads to enhanced abilities in remaining senses, driven by neuro-plasticity — the brain's capacity to reorganise its neural pathways. Research shows that blind individuals, particularly those blind from birth or early childhood,…

Sensory Disability(also: Sensory Impairment)

A disability that affects one or more of the senses — most commonly vision and hearing, but also including touch, taste, and smell. Sensory disabilities encompass conditions such as blindness, low vision, deafness, hard of hearing, and deafblindness. In digital accessibility,…

Sensory Impairment(also: Sensory Disability)

A broad term encompassing conditions that affect the senses, primarily vision and hearing. Sensory impairments include blindness, low vision, deafness, and being hard of hearing, each presenting distinct accessibility needs and interaction patterns with technology. People with…

Sensory Integration(also: Sensory Processing, SI)

The neurological process of organizing sensory information from the body and environment to produce appropriate responses. Sensory integration dysfunction (also called sensory processing disorder) occurs when the brain has difficulty processing and responding to sensory input,…

Sensory Overload(also: Sensory Overwhelm, Overstimulation)

A state in which the brain receives more sensory input than it can effectively process, leading to stress, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and in severe cases, meltdowns or shutdowns. Sensory overload can be triggered by excessive visual complexity, noise, crowds, bright or…

Sensory Processing(also: Sensory Integration, Sensory Processing Differences)

Sensory processing refers to the way the nervous system receives, organizes, and responds to sensory input from the environment, including sound, light, touch, smell, taste, and movement. When sensory processing works differently — as is common in autistic individuals and people…

Sensory Processing Disorder(also: SPD, Sensory Integration Disorder, Sensory Integration Dysfunction)

A condition in which the brain has difficulty receiving, organizing, and responding to sensory information from the environment and the body. People with Sensory Processing Disorder may be oversensitive or undersensitive to sensory input — including touch, sound, light,…

Sensory Processing Sensitivity(also: SPS, Sensory Processing Differences)

Sensory Processing Sensitivity refers to differences in how an individual perceives, filters, and responds to sensory input across modalities such as vision, sound, touch, taste, and proprioception. It is commonly elevated in autistic people, but also occurs in people with ADHD,…

Sensory Regulation(also: Sensory Modulation, Sensory Processing Management)

The ability to manage and respond appropriately to sensory input from the environment. People with conditions such as autism, ADHD, migraines, or sensory processing disorders may experience heightened sensitivity to light, sound, temperature, or touch. Smart home technology can…

Sensory Saltation(also: Cutaneous Rabbit Effect, Tactile Saltation)

A perceptual phenomenon in which a series of rapid taps delivered at discrete locations on the skin are perceived as a continuous movement or hopping sensation across the surface between the tap points. In assistive technology, sensory saltation is exploited in haptic interfaces…

Sensory Sensitivities(also: Sensory sensitivity, Sensory processing differences)

Heightened or reduced responses to everyday sensory input — noise, light, glare, texture, smell, temperature, or movement — that significantly affect attention, regulation, comfort, and participation. Sensory sensitivities are commonly reported among autistic people and others…

Sensory Sensitivity(also: Sensory Sensitivities, Hyper-/Hyposensitivity)

Heightened or reduced responses to sensory input including sounds, lights, textures, tastes, and smells. Sensory sensitivity is common among autistic people, with approximately 74% experiencing atypical sensory processing. Hypersensitivity (over-responsiveness) may cause…

Sensory Substitution(also: Cross-Modal Substitution)

The use of one sensory modality to convey information typically perceived through another. For example, converting visual information into tactile or auditory signals for blind users, or representing sound through vibration for deaf users. Sensory substitution is a fundamental…

Sensory augmentation(also: Sensory substitution system, Sensory augmentation technology)

Technology that provides information from one sensory channel through an alternative modality accessible to the user, such as converting visual scenes to audio descriptions for blind users or translating sounds to visual or haptic alerts for deaf users. AI-powered sensory…

Sensory erasure(also: Sensory exclusion)

The systematic marginalization or elimination of non-visual sensory modalities in the design of technologies, interfaces, and information systems. Sensory erasure occurs when platforms treat visual interaction as the only legitimate or primary mode of engagement, rendering…

Sensory overload(also: Sensory overstimulation, Overstimulation)

A state in which the brain receives more sensory input than it can effectively process, leading to feelings of overwhelm, distress, anxiety, or shutdown. Sensory overload is particularly common among autistic individuals and people with sensory processing differences, but can…

Sensory processing(also: Sensory integration, Sensory modulation)

The neurological process of receiving, organising, and interpreting sensory information from the environment (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, proprioception, vestibular input) to produce appropriate responses. Differences in sensory processing are common in autism, ADHD, and…

Sensory substitution(also: Cross-modal substitution, Sensory Substitution Device, SSD)

The technique of conveying information normally received through one sense via a different sensory channel, such as converting audio cues into vibrotactile feedback or visual signals. Sensory substitution is a foundational concept in assistive technology, enabling people who are…

Sensory-Motor Processing(also: Sensorimotor Processing, Sensorimotor Integration)

Sensory-motor processing refers to the brain's ability to receive sensory input (visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive) and coordinate appropriate motor responses. This includes fine motor control for tasks like typing and mouse manipulation, as well as the integration of…

Sentence Prediction(also: Phrase Prediction, Utterance Prediction)

An AAC text entry acceleration technique that suggests complete sentences or phrases based on what the user has begun typing. Unlike word prediction which completes individual words, sentence prediction allows users to select entire utterances with a single action, dramatically…

Sentence-Level Bookmark(also: In-Page Bookmark, Content Bookmark)

A type of bookmark that marks a specific position within a web page's content, rather than simply saving the page's URL. Sentence-level bookmarks allow users — particularly those using screen readers or speech-based interfaces — to jump directly to a known location within a long…

Sentiment Analysis(also: Opinion Mining)

A natural language processing technique that identifies and extracts subjective information from text, classifying it as positive, negative, or neutral. In accessibility research, sentiment analysis can be applied to social media posts, product reviews, and online discussions to…

Sequence-to-Sequence(also: Seq2Seq, Encoder-Decoder)

A neural network architecture designed for tasks where both input and output are sequences of variable length, such as machine translation, speech recognition, and video captioning. A seq2seq model consists of an encoder that processes the input sequence into a fixed-length…

Sequential Navigation(also: Linear Navigation, Serial Navigation)

A method of accessing web content by moving through elements one at a time in the order they appear in the document structure, as opposed to visually scanning a page. Sequential navigation is the default mode for screen reader users, who use arrow keys or swipe gestures to move…

Sequential Presentation(also: Step-by-Step Presentation, Progressive Disclosure)

An information delivery method that reveals content incrementally in a structured sequence rather than presenting it all at once. In accessible education, sequential presentation is particularly effective for blind users because tactile perception is inherently sequential —…

Serif Font(also: roman typeface)

A typeface with small decorative lines or strokes (serifs) at the ends of letter strokes. Common serif fonts include Times New Roman, Garamond, and Georgia. While traditionally associated with print legibility, serif fonts have shown mixed results for screen readability.…

Serious Game(also: Serious Games, Applied Game)

A game designed for a primary purpose beyond entertainment, such as education, training, health intervention, or cognitive rehabilitation. In accessibility and healthcare contexts, serious games are used to support people with conditions like ADHD by targeting specific cognitive…

Serious Games(also: Applied Games, Games for Health, Therapeutic Games)

Games designed with a primary purpose beyond entertainment, such as education, training, therapy, or rehabilitation. In accessibility contexts, serious games are increasingly used for vision therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, motor skill development, and social skills training…

Serious Games for Health(also: SG4H, Health Games, Therapeutic Games)

Serious Games for Health (SG4H) are video games designed primarily for clinical, rehabilitative, or health-education outcomes rather than entertainment, while still using game mechanics, narrative, and reward systems to motivate engagement. They are used in physical therapy,…

Service Learning(also: Community-Based Learning)

A teaching method that combines academic instruction with meaningful community service, allowing students to learn through hands-on participation that addresses real needs. In accessibility education, service learning often involves students working directly with people with…

Service Worker(also: Service Workers)

A JavaScript worker that runs in the background of a web page or browser extension, independently of any open tab. Service workers handle events such as network requests, push notifications, and background sync, and form the basis of progressive web apps and Manifest V3 browser…

Severe Speech Impairment(also: SSI)

A significant limitation in the ability to produce intelligible speech, often resulting from neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, or stroke. People with severe speech impairments may have little or no functional speech, making it difficult or…

Severe Speech and Motor Impairment(also: SSMI)

A condition where an individual has significant limitations in both spoken communication and physical movement, often co-occurring in conditions such as cerebral palsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or traumatic brain injury. People with SSMI typically rely on…

Severe Speech and Physical Impairments(also: SSPI)

A classification describing individuals who have significant limitations in both speech production and physical movement, often co-occurring in conditions such as cerebral palsy. People with SSPI may have little or no functional speech and limited fine motor control, which…

Severe and Multiple Disabilities(also: Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities, PMLD, Severe Multiple Disabilities)

A condition where an individual has two or more significant disabilities occurring simultaneously, typically involving profound physical impairments combined with intellectual disability and often sensory impairments. People with severe and multiple disabilities frequently have…

Sexual Violence(also: Nonconsensual Sex)

Any sexual act, attempt, or coercion that occurs without the freely given consent of the person involved. In accessibility research, sexual violence is a significant concern because disabled and neurodivergent populations - including autistic adults and people with ADHD -…

Shadow Page(also: Shadow Site, Text-Only Alternative)

A separate, simplified version of a web page created specifically to meet accessibility requirements, typically offering a text-only or reduced-complexity version of the original content. While shadow pages can address some accessibility barriers, they are generally considered a…

Shadow Speaking(also: Shadow Captioning, Respeaking)

A captioning technique where a trained human operator listens to live speech and repeats (or "respeaks") it clearly into a speech recognition system, which then generates real-time captions. The shadow speaker simplifies and normalizes the speech — removing overlapping dialogue,…

Shadowban(also: Shadow-banning, Stealth Ban, Ghost Ban)

Shadowbanning refers to the practice of secretly limiting or suppressing the visibility of a user's content or account on a social media platform without notifying the user that any action has been taken. A shadowbanned user may continue to post normally, but their content…

Shannon Entropy(also: Information Entropy, Source Entropy)

A measure of the average uncertainty or unpredictability associated with a set of possible outcomes, defined by Claude Shannon as H = -Σ p(x) log₂ p(x), where p(x) is the probability of each outcome. In the context of interface evaluation, entropy quantifies how much uncertainty…

Shape Display(also: 2.5D Shape Display, Pin Display, Tactile Shape Display)

A physical computing device consisting of a grid of motorised pins that can be raised and lowered to create dynamic tactile relief surfaces. Shape displays render digital 3D content as physical topographies that users can explore by touch, providing real-time haptic feedback…

Shape-changing Interface(also: Shape-changing haptic interface, Morphing interface)

A physical interface that conveys information by changing its own shape or physical orientation — for example, a servo-driven lever that rotates to point in a specific direction, a cube whose top half turns to indicate a heading, or a surface that deforms under the user's hand.…

Shared Augmented Reality(also: S-AR, Co-Located AR, Collaborative AR)

An augmented reality setup in which multiple users share a spatially aligned view of virtual content anchored in the same physical environment. Each user wears a head-mounted display and can see and interact with the same virtual objects in real-time. In low-vision…

Shared Control(also: Collaborative Control, Shared Autonomy)

An assistive technology design approach in which control over a system is dynamically distributed between a user with a disability and an assistant (human or automated), allowing each party to manage the aspects best suited to their abilities. Unlike fully independent or fully…