Glossary

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Indoor Wayfinding(also: Indoor Navigation Wayfinding)

The process of navigating within enclosed spaces such as buildings, airports, shopping centers, and hospitals. Indoor wayfinding presents unique accessibility challenges because GPS signals are unavailable indoors, and traditional wayfinding cues like signs and maps are visually…

Indoor navigation(also: Indoor wayfinding, Indoor positioning)

Technologies and design strategies that help people orient themselves and find their way within buildings and enclosed spaces such as airports, hospitals, and shopping centres. Unlike outdoor navigation which relies on GPS, indoor navigation often uses Bluetooth beacons, Wi-Fi…

Inductive Thematic Analysis(also: Bottom-Up Thematic Analysis)

A qualitative data analysis method where themes and patterns are identified directly from the data without being guided by pre-existing theoretical frameworks or hypotheses. In inductive thematic analysis, researchers read through data (such as interview transcripts or online…

Inequitable Access(also: Inadequate Accommodation)

Inequitable access describes the situation where accommodations or accessibility measures are provided but fail to adequately address the underlying inaccessibility, leaving people with disabilities with access that is significantly inferior to what nondisabled people…

Inertial Measurement Unit(also: IMU)

An electronic sensor module that combines accelerometers and gyroscopes (and sometimes magnetometers) to measure motion, orientation, and gravitational forces. IMUs are embedded in smartphones, smartwatches, and other wearable devices, where they can detect gestures, track…

Inertial Sensing(also: IMU sensing, Inertial measurement)

The use of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers — often built into smartphones and wearable devices — to measure motion, orientation, and direction of movement. In accessibility applications, inertial sensing enables dead reckoning for indoor navigation where GPS is…

Inertial Sensor(also: IMU, Inertial Measurement Unit)

A sensor device that measures acceleration, rotation, and orientation using accelerometers and gyroscopes, often combined with magnetometers. In assistive technology, inertial sensors are used to track the direction a user is facing and the movements of their head or body,…

Inertial Sensors(also: IMU, Inertial Measurement Unit)

Electronic sensors that measure motion and orientation, typically including accelerometers (measuring acceleration/tilt), gyroscopes (measuring rotation), and magnetometers (measuring magnetic field/compass heading). In accessibility applications, inertial sensors enable indoor…

Inertial measurement unit(also: IMU)

A sensor device that combines accelerometers, gyroscopes, and sometimes magnetometers to measure and report body movement, orientation, and gravitational forces. IMUs are widely used in assistive technology and accessibility research for gesture recognition, body pose…

Infant-Computer Interaction(also: Baby-Computer Interaction)

The design and study of technology interfaces intended for use by infants, typically under 24 months of age. Infant-computer interaction presents unique challenges compared to other user populations because infants cannot be instructed, cannot provide explicit feedback about…

Inflecting Verb(also: Spatial Verb, Agreement Verb, Directional Verb)

A category of sign language verbs that change their movement path, direction, or orientation based on the spatial locations associated with their subject and object. In American Sign Language, verbs like GIVE, ASK, and TELL move from the location representing the subject toward…

Informal Caregiver(also: Family Caregiver, Unpaid Caregiver)

A person, typically a family member, friend, or neighbor, who provides unpaid assistance to someone with a disability, chronic illness, or age-related needs. Informal caregivers often help with daily activities, health management, and navigating information systems such as…

Informal Carer(also: Informal Caregiver, Family Carer, Unpaid Carer)

A person who provides regular care and support to a family member, friend, or neighbour who has a disability, chronic illness, mental health condition, or age-related needs, without being paid as a professional caregiver. Informal carers — most commonly spouses, adult children,…

Informal Learning(also: Informal Education, Free-Choice Learning)

Learning that occurs outside formal educational settings, driven by curiosity, personal interest, and voluntary engagement rather than structured curricula and assessments. Science museums, workshops, community programs, and hands-on activities are key venues for informal…

Information Appliance(also: Smart Appliance, Dedicated Device)

A computing device designed for a specific, well-defined purpose that is communication-oriented and easy to use, in contrast to a general-purpose computer. Information appliances typically have reduced functionality and complexity compared to desktop or laptop computers, making…

Information Architecture(also: IA)

The structural design of information environments, encompassing the organization, labeling, navigation, and search systems that help users find and manage information effectively. In digital accessibility, information architecture plays a critical role in ensuring that content…

Information Extraction(also: IE, Data Extraction)

The process of automatically identifying and retrieving structured information from unstructured or semi-structured data sources. In the context of accessibility and data visualization, information extraction refers to how users — particularly screen-reader users — pull specific…

Information Foraging(also: Information Foraging Theory)

A theoretical framework from cognitive science that models how people search for and navigate to information, drawing an analogy to animal foraging behaviour. Users assess "information scent" — cues like link text, headings, and page structure — to decide whether to continue…

Information Foraging Theory(also: IFT)

A theory proposed by Pirolli and Card describing how people seek information by adaptively optimising for maximum information gain with minimum effort, analogous to animal foraging. Key constructs include information scent (cues signalling potential usefulness), information…

Information Graphics(also: Infographics, Data Graphics, Statistical Graphics)

Visual representations of data, information, or knowledge designed to present complex information quickly and clearly. Common types include bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, scatter plots, and more complex visualizations. Information graphics pose significant accessibility…

Information Hierarchy(also: Content Hierarchy, Information Architecture)

The organization and prioritization of information elements in an interface, determining what users encounter first and how content is structured for navigation. In accessibility, information hierarchy is crucial because screen reader users experience content sequentially rather…

Information Overload(also: Cognitive Overload, Information Overwhelm)

The state of being overwhelmed by the volume of information presented, making it difficult to identify relevant content, make decisions, or complete tasks effectively. In web accessibility contexts, information overload disproportionately affects screen reader users who must…

Information Perceptualization(also: Perceptualization)

Information perceptualization is the mapping of abstract data or information onto perceptual properties across multiple sensory modalities — vision, hearing, touch, and occasionally taste or smell — in a coordinated, multimodal display. It generalises the more familiar notion of…

Information Power

A sample-adequacy principle for qualitative research, proposed by Malterud, Siersma, and Guassora (2016), which holds that the more information a study sample holds that is relevant to the research question, the fewer participants are needed. Adequacy is judged against five…

Information Quality(also: IQ, Data Quality)

A measure of how well information meets the needs of its consumers, encompassing dimensions such as accuracy, completeness, currency, relevance, and reliability. In accessibility and disability contexts, information quality on digital platforms is critical because people with…

Information Rate(also: Throughput, Bandwidth)

The amount of information successfully communicated per unit of time through a communication channel or interface, measured in bits per second. In HCI and assistive technology evaluation, information rate quantifies how efficiently a user can convey commands or intentions…

Information Representation(also: information artifact, knowledge representation)

An information representation is any structured artifact that encodes data or knowledge and allows people to interact with that content — examples include documents, spreadsheets, slideshows, diagrams, databases, and videos. Representations are fundamental to knowledge work…

Information Retrieval(also: IR)

The science of searching for and extracting relevant information from large collections of documents or data. In accessibility, information retrieval techniques such as keyword extraction, text summarisation, and relevance ranking are used to help blind and visually impaired…

Information Scent(also: Information Smell)

A concept from information foraging theory that describes the strength of cues in a user interface that indicate whether a particular path (link, button, menu item) will lead to desired information or functionality. Strong information scent means users can easily predict what…

Information Seeking(also: Information Retrieval Behavior, Information Search)

The process of actively looking for specific information to answer a question, complete a task, or satisfy an information need. Information seeking on the web involves formulating queries, navigating search results, scanning pages for relevant content, and synthesizing…

Information Theory(also: Shannon Theory, Mathematical Theory of Communication)

A mathematical framework developed by Claude Shannon in 1948 for quantifying the transmission, processing, and storage of information. Central concepts include entropy (the measure of uncertainty or unpredictability in a message source), information rate (the reduction of…

Information Transfer Rate(also: ITR, Data Transfer Rate)

A measure of the speed and accuracy with which a user can communicate information to a computer through an input device, typically expressed in bits per second. Information transfer rate accounts for both the size of the input vocabulary (how many possible commands exist) and…

Information Verification(also: AI Output Verification, Fact-Checking AI)

The process of assessing the accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness of information generated by AI systems before acting on it. For blind users of generative AI, information verification is uniquely challenging because visual cross-referencing is unavailable, switching…

Information and Communication Technology(also: ICT)

A broad term encompassing all technologies used to handle information and facilitate communication, including computers, mobile devices, software, networks, and digital media. In the context of accessibility, ICT refers to the full range of digital products and services that…

Information asymmetry(also: Information gap, Information lag)

In accessibility contexts, the unequal access to timely, relevant information experienced by disabled people compared to non-disabled peers, caused by inaccessible formats, platforms, and communication channels. Information asymmetry goes beyond the inability to access specific…

Information chunking(also: Chunking)

The practice of organizing information into smaller, manageable groups or segments to reduce cognitive load and improve comprehension and retention. Rooted in cognitive psychology research on working memory limitations, chunking is essential for accessible content design —…

Information wayfinding(also: Digital wayfinding, Information navigation)

The process of orienting oneself within and navigating through digital information spaces such as websites, applications, or documents, analogous to physical wayfinding through buildings or cities. For screen reader users, information wayfinding relies on structural cues like…

Informational Privacy(also: Information Privacy, Data Privacy)

The ability of individuals to control information about themselves—determining what personal data is collected, who can access it, and how it is used. In assistive technology contexts, informational privacy concerns arise when systems monitor health behaviors, location, or…

Informed Consent

The process by which individuals are provided with clear, understandable information about how their data will be collected, used, and shared, enabling them to make voluntary decisions about participation or data sharing. In accessibility contexts, informed consent presents…

Informed Consent Accessibility(also: Accessible Informed Consent, Accessible Consent Process)

The practice of making informed consent documents and processes fully accessible to people with disabilities, ensuring they can understand the information being presented and make genuinely informed decisions about participation. For Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals who…

Infrared(also: IR, Infrared Communication)

A wireless communication technology that uses infrared light to transmit data over short distances, commonly used in assistive technology for line-of-sight data exchange between devices. In accessibility applications, infrared transmission has been used in systems like Talking…

Infrared Beacon(also: IR Beacon, IR Tag)

A device that transmits identification signals using infrared light, used in indoor navigation and wayfinding systems to help locate users within buildings. When a user's receiver detects the beacon's signal, the system can determine the user's position relative to known…

Infrared Emitting Diode(also: IRED, IR LED, Infrared LED)

A light-emitting diode that produces infrared radiation, used in assistive technology for motion tracking and position sensing. IREDs are commonly used in head-tracking systems, eye-tracking devices, and other assistive input methods where a camera detects the infrared light…

Infrastructural Inversion

A methodological move, articulated by Geoffrey Bowker and Susan Leigh Star, that foregrounds the usually invisible infrastructure underpinning everyday action — categories, standards, procedures, silent stabilising work — treating it as the primary object of analysis rather than…

Infrastructural precarity(also: Digital infrastructure barriers)

The condition of unreliable, inconsistent, or inadequate technological infrastructure that shapes and constrains how people — particularly disabled people and those in the Global South — can access and use digital technologies. Infrastructural precarity encompasses unreliable…

Infrastructuring

A theoretical lens from HCI, CSCW, and participatory design (developed from the work of Susan Leigh Star, Karen Ruhleder, Volkmar Pipek, and Volker Wulf) that treats infrastructure not as a finished artifact but as an ongoing, situated accomplishment. Infrastructuring highlights…

Infrastructuring for Access

A design approach introduced by Wang and Marie (CHI 2026) that combines HCI's infrastructuring theory with Disability Studies and Repair Studies. Rather than focusing on removing barriers or accommodating individual users, Infrastructuring for Access treats disabled…

InftyReader(also: Infty Reader)

A specialised optical character recognition (OCR) system designed to recognise mathematical expressions in scanned documents, developed by the Infty Project (Suzuki et al.). Unlike general-purpose OCR, InftyReader can accurately parse complex mathematical notation (fractions,…

Inhibitory Control(also: Response Inhibition, Impulse Control)

The executive function that enables a person to suppress automatic or impulsive responses in favor of more appropriate, goal-directed behavior. Inhibitory control is essential for tasks requiring sustained focus, turn-taking, and resisting distractions. It is commonly affected…

Inline Audio Description(also: Standard Audio Description, Inline AD)

The standard form of audio description where narrated descriptions of visual content are inserted into natural pauses in dialogue and sound during video playback, without pausing the media. Inline AD must fit within available gaps, which limits the amount of detail that can be…