Glossary

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Icon Size(also: Target Size, Touch Target Size)

The physical or rendered dimensions of graphical interface elements such as icons, buttons, and interactive controls. Research consistently shows that larger icon sizes improve interaction performance for users with low vision and motor impairments. WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion…

Icon-Based Communication(also: Symbol-Based Communication, Picture-Based Communication)

Icon-based communication is a form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in which users select graphic symbols or icons representing words, phrases, or concepts to construct messages. These systems are commonly used by individuals with severe speech impairments who…

Iconicity(also: Iconic Motivation, Sign Iconicity)

A property of a linguistic sign in which its form resembles or is motivated by its meaning, rather than being arbitrary. In sign languages, iconicity is pervasive: many signs visually depict an action, shape, or spatial relationship associated with the referent (for example,…

Iconography(also: Icon Design, Icon System)

The design and systematic use of visual symbols to convey meaning in an interface. Good iconography balances recognisability, consistency, and cultural appropriateness so that users can interpret symbols quickly without reading text. For accessibility, icons alone are rarely…

Ideational Convergence(also: Creative Homogenization)

A phenomenon where the use of generative AI tools leads to a narrowing of creative diversity, as multiple users producing content with the same AI system tend to converge on similar outputs. In audio description, ideational convergence risks flattening the variety of descriptive…

Identity Management

The ongoing process of controlling how one presents aspects of their identity—including disability, health conditions, gender, sexuality, occupation, and other characteristics—across different social contexts and to different stakeholders. In accessibility and disability…

Identity Model of Disability(also: Affirmation Model)

A model of disability in which individuals claim disability as a positive aspect of their identity, similar to how other marginalized groups have reclaimed their identities. Unlike the medical model (which views disability as a deficiency to be fixed) or the social model (which…

Identity Obfuscation

The deliberate concealment or misrepresentation of aspects of one's identity to avoid discrimination, harm, or negative consequences from adversarial stakeholders. In disability and accessibility contexts, identity obfuscation may involve hiding a disability from employers,…

Identity Wallet(also: Digital Identity Wallet, EUDI Wallet)

A smartphone app that stores digitally signed credentials representing attributes of a person's identity — such as name, date of birth, government-issued ID number, student enrolment, or professional qualification — and lets the holder selectively disclose only the attributes…

Identity-First Language(also: IFL)

Language that places the disability or condition before the person (e.g., "autistic person," "deaf person," "disabled person"), in contrast to person-first language ("person with autism," "person with a disability"). Many autistic self-advocates prefer identity-first language…

Ideographic Characters(also: Ideographs, Logograms, CJK Characters)

Ideographic characters are written symbols that represent a word, morpheme, or concept rather than an individual sound, as used in Chinese (Hanzi), Japanese (Kanji), and historically Korean (Hanja). Because a single writing system can include thousands of distinct characters —…

Idiosyncratic Gesture(also: Personalised Gesture, Idiosyncratic Movement)

A body-based communicative movement whose form and meaning are specific to one individual (and often to one communication partner), rather than drawn from a shared vocabulary like American Sign Language. Idiosyncratic gestures are central to unaided AAC for many people with…

Illiteracy(also: Functional Illiteracy, Low Literacy)

The inability to read or write, or having reading and writing skills below a functional level needed for everyday tasks. In the context of digital accessibility, illiteracy and low literacy present significant barriers to using text-based interfaces, navigating websites,…

Illness Narrative(also: Disease Narrative)

An illness narrative is the story a person and their significant others construct to give coherence to the disruptive experience of illness or diagnosis and its effects on the family system. In the context of cognitive impairment and dementia, the illness narrative typically…

Image Accessibility(also: Visual Content Accessibility)

The practice of making images perceivable and understandable to people who cannot see them, primarily through alternative text descriptions. Image accessibility is a foundational requirement of WCAG (Success Criterion 1.1.1) and involves providing text alternatives that convey…

Image Captioning(also: Automatic Image Description, AI Image Description)

A computer vision task in which an AI model generates a natural language description of the content of an image. In accessibility contexts, image captioning technology enables visually impaired users to understand visual content by converting images into text that can be read…

Image Classification(also: Visual Classification, Photo Classification)

A computer vision task where a machine learning model assigns a category label to an input image based on its visual content. Image classifiers are trained on labeled example images and learn to recognize patterns associated with each category. In accessibility applications,…

Image Description(also: Image Caption, Visual Description)

A textual representation of the content of an image, providing information about objects, people, scenes, text, colors, spatial relationships, and other visual elements. Image descriptions serve as a primary means for blind and low vision users to access visual content. They can…

Image Description App(also: Visual assistance app, AI visual description app)

A smartphone or wearable application that captures an image of the user's surroundings and returns a spoken or textual description of its content, aimed primarily at blind and low-vision users. Early crowdsourced systems such as VizWiz (2010) relied on remote human workers;…

Image Editing Accessibility(also: Accessible Image Editing, Accessible Photo Editing)

The design of image editing tools and workflows that are usable by people with disabilities, particularly blind and low vision users who rely on screen readers. Key challenges include making spatial editing operations (cropping, positioning overlays) accessible without visual…

Image Enhancement(also: Image Pre-Compensation, Visual Enhancement)

Image enhancement in the context of accessibility refers to techniques that modify digital images or on-screen content to improve their visibility and usability for people with visual impairments. Methods include contrast adjustment, edge highlighting, color remapping,…

Image Map(also: Clickable Map, Imagemap)

An HTML feature that allows different regions of a single image to be designated as separate hyperlinks, each pointing to a different URL. Image maps can be client-side (coordinates and links defined in HTML MAP and AREA elements) or server-side (click coordinates sent to the…

Image Obfuscation(also: Image Masking, Visual Privacy Protection)

Techniques applied to images to obscure or remove sensitive visual information before sharing or processing, such as blurring, pixelation, edge filtering, or masking regions of an image. In accessibility contexts, image obfuscation is important for privacy-preserving assistive…

Image Processing(also: Digital Image Processing)

The use of computational algorithms to analyze, enhance, transform, or extract information from digital images. In accessibility, image processing techniques are applied to convert visual content into accessible formats for blind and visually impaired users, including generating…

Image Recognition(also: Image Classification, Computer Vision Recognition)

The use of computer vision algorithms to identify and classify objects, text, faces, scenes, and other visual content in images or video. In accessibility applications, image recognition enables tools that describe visual content to blind and low vision users, such as smartphone…

Image Retrieval(also: Content-Based Image Retrieval, CBIR, Visual Search)

A computer vision technique that searches a database of images to find ones similar to a query image based on visual features rather than text metadata. In accessibility applications, image retrieval enables systems that can identify specific product instances (like a particular…

Image Segmentation(also: Region Segmentation)

A computer vision technique that partitions a digital image into multiple distinct regions or segments based on shared characteristics such as color, intensity, or texture. In accessibility applications, image segmentation is used to simplify complex images for tactile…

Image Stitching(also: Photo Stitching, Panoramic Stitching)

A computer vision technique that combines multiple overlapping photographs into a single wider or panoramic image. In accessibility contexts, image stitching enables blind users to capture more visual information from their environment than a single photo can provide, creating…

Image description(also: Long description, Extended image description, Image alt)

A detailed textual representation of an image's content, typically longer and more comprehensive than alt text. While alt text is a concise attribute embedded in HTML for screen readers, image descriptions may appear as visible captions, be provided via the longdesc attribute or…

Image sonification(also: Visual-to-audio mapping, Auditory image display)

The process of converting visual information from images — such as shapes, charts, diagrams, or spatial layouts — into audio representations that can be perceived without vision. Image sonification maps visual properties like position, size, colour, and shape to audio parameters…

Image-Based Interface(also: Photo-Based Interface, Picture-Based Interface)

A user interface design approach that uses photographs, icons, or other visual images as the primary means of interaction and identification, minimizing or eliminating the need for text. Image-based interfaces are particularly valuable for users with cognitive disabilities, low…

Image-to-3D Generation(also: Image-to-3D Conversion, 2D-to-3D Generation)

An AI-powered process that converts two-dimensional images into three-dimensional digital models suitable for manipulation, rendering, or physical fabrication via 3D printing. In assistive technology design workflows, image-to-3D generation serves as the second stage of an…

ImageNet

ImageNet is a large-scale visual database containing over 14 million labeled images organized into thousands of categories, widely used for training and benchmarking computer vision models. Many object detection and image classification systems used in accessibility…

Imaginary Interface(also: Spatial Memory Interface, Empty-Handed Interaction)

An interaction paradigm where users interact with a virtual interface mapped to empty space or their own body, without any physical device in the interaction area. Users transfer their spatial memory of familiar device layouts (like a smartphone screen) to their palm or mid-air,…

Imagined Device(also: Imaginary Device, Imagined Input Device)

An input device that exists only in the user's imagination, with no physical form, operated through gestures that draw on mental models of a real counterpart such as a smartphone, remote control, or joystick. Imagined devices are typically enacted on or around the body - for…

Imagined Voluntary Movement-Related Potentials(also: IVMRPs, Motor Imagery Potentials)

Electrical brain signals generated when a person imagines performing a voluntary movement without actually executing it. These potentials, detectable via EEG electrodes placed over motor cortex areas, are similar in pattern to the signals produced during actual movement. IVMRPs…

Imitation(also: Embodied Imitation)

The act of observing and reproducing another person's actions, gestures, or vocalisations. Imitation is a foundational social and developmental skill that supports language acquisition, motor learning, and the establishment of shared experience between a child and a caregiver or…

Immersion

The objective level of sensory fidelity that a VR system provides, including visual quality, spatial audio, and haptic feedback that work together to create a convincing virtual environment. Unlike presence (which is subjective), immersion refers to the technical capability of…

Immersive Analytics(also: 3D Data Visualisation, Spatial Analytics, Immersive Visualisation)

Immersive analytics is the application of interactive 3D, virtual reality (VR), or augmented reality (AR) technologies to support data exploration, analysis, and decision-making. By leveraging spatial context, immersive analytics aims to overcome the limitations of flat 2D…

Immersive Media(also: Immersive Content, Immersive Technology)

Digital content and technologies designed to create a sense of presence and embodiment by surrounding users with stimuli that engage multiple senses. This includes 360-degree video, virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality experiences. Making immersive media…

Immersive Reader(also: Reading Mode, Reader View)

A built-in feature in web browsers, learning management systems, and productivity applications (such as Microsoft Immersive Reader) that simplifies the visual presentation of content by stripping away page clutter and presenting text in a clean, customizable format with options…

Immersive Storytelling(also: Interactive Narrative, VR Storytelling)

A narrative approach that places users inside a story environment, allowing them to experience and interact with the narrative through spatial presence, sensory engagement, and active participation. In therapeutic and accessibility contexts, immersive storytelling can scaffold…

Immersive Video(also: Immersive Media, VR Video)

Video content viewed through head-mounted displays or surrounding screens that creates a sense of being present within the recorded environment. Immersive video includes 360-degree video captured with omnidirectional cameras and computer-generated virtual reality content. In…

Immersive Virtual Reality(also: IVR, Immersive VR)

A form of virtual reality that uses head-mounted displays (HMDs) with near-full field of view, positional tracking, and often gesture-based controllers to create a sense of being physically present in a virtual environment. Unlike desktop VR or 360-degree video, immersive VR…

Implementation Science

The study of methods and strategies that promote the systematic uptake of research findings and evidence-based practices into routine clinical, educational, or service settings. Implementation science addresses the well-documented research-to-practice gap: even rigorously…

Implicit Interaction(also: Implicit Input, Implicit Human-Computer Interaction)

Implicit interaction refers to user input that the system infers from natural behaviors not explicitly performed for the purpose of issuing commands, such as gaze, gait, posture, physiological signals, or ambient context. It contrasts with explicit interaction, where users…

Implicit Scoping(also: Prioritized Scoping)

A voice navigation strategy that combines the efficiency of relaxed scoping with intelligent disambiguation. In implicit scoping, the system maintains awareness of the user's current focus area and prioritizes targets based on proximity and context. When a user issues a command,…

Implicit User(also: Model User, Implied User)

A concept from semiotic engineering describing the hypothetical user that a designer envisions when creating an interface — encompassing assumptions about the user's behaviour, experience, competence, expectations, and goals. Every interface carries an implicit user embedded in…

Imposter syndrome(also: Impostor phenomenon)

A psychological pattern in which individuals doubt their accomplishments and fear being exposed as a fraud, despite evidence of competence. Imposter syndrome is particularly prevalent among neurodivergent individuals in professional settings, where internalized stigma about…

Impostor Syndrome(also: Impostor Phenomenon, Impostorism)

A psychological pattern in which individuals doubt their accomplishments and fear being exposed as fraudulent despite evidence of competence. For people with disabilities, impostor syndrome is often intensified by ableist institutional structures: accommodations may be…