Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
56 results found in Alternative Input.
- Myo Armband (Thalmic Myo)
- A commercially available wearable gesture-recognition armband released by Thalmic Labs in 2014 and discontinued in 2018, containing eight dry sEMG electrodes sampling at 200 Hz plus a 9-axis IMU. Desp…
- Non-Verbal Vocal Interface (NVVI, Non-Verbal Vocal Interaction)
- An interaction method that uses non-speech vocal sounds — such as humming, hummed melodies, rhythmic patterns, or vowel sounds — to control a computer or communication device. Unlike speech recognitio…
- Non-Verbal Vocalization (Non-Speech Vocalization, Vocal Gesture, Non-speech Vocalisation, Non-Speech Vocalisation)
- A sound produced by the voice that is not a spoken word, such as a sustained vowel sound ("Ahhhhh"), hum, or other vocal noise. In assistive technology and alternative input contexts, non-verbal vocal…
- Nontraditional Assistive Technologies (NTATs, Nontraditional Input Technologies)
- Input technologies that use physiological signals rather than physical movement to control computers, providing access for people who cannot use traditional devices like keyboards, mice, or even eye-t…
- Point-of-Gaze (POG, Gaze Point, Point of Regard)
- Point-of-gaze is the location on a display, scene, or object at which a user's eye is currently fixating, typically reported by an eye tracker as a stream of (x, y) screen coordinates sampled at rates…
- Predictive Disambiguation (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…
- Silent Speech (Silent Speech Interface, SSI)
- Communication technologies that generate intelligible speech from non-acoustic signals produced during the intent or attempt to speak, without requiring audible voicing. Input modalities include surfa…
- Sony Access Controller (PlayStation Access Controller, Project Leonardo)
- A customisable game controller released by Sony in 2023 for the PlayStation 5, designed for players with limited motor control. The Access Controller is a circular unit with swappable button caps, lon…
- Speech-Based Cursor Control (Voice Cursor Control, Speech-Driven Pointing)
- A method of controlling a computer's pointing cursor using spoken voice commands rather than a mouse, trackpad, or other physical pointing device. Users speak directional commands (such as "move left,…
- Speech-Based Cursor Movement (Voice-Controlled Cursor, Voice Cursor Control)
- A technique for moving the on-screen cursor using voice commands rather than physical manipulation of a pointing device. Speech-based cursor movement systems typically use one of two approaches: discr…
- Subvocal Input (Subvocal Control, Subvocalisation Input)
- An input method that uses very quiet or nearly silent vocalisations — sounds produced with minimal vocal effort that are typically inaudible to nearby people. Subvocal input includes techniques such a…
- Surface Electromyography (sEMG, Surface EMG)
- A non-invasive technique for measuring the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles, using electrodes placed on the skin over the muscle. Surface EMG is used in biomechanics, prosthetic contro…
- Switch Scanning (Switch Access, Scanning Input)
- An alternative input method in which items on a screen are sequentially highlighted and the user activates a switch to select the desired item when it is highlighted. Switch scanning is used by people…
- Syntax-Directed Editor (Structure Editor, Syntax-Aware Editor)
- A code editor that understands the formal grammar of a programming language and uses this knowledge to guide editing operations. Unlike plain text editors, syntax-directed editors treat source code as…
- Vocal Joystick (VJ, Voice Joystick)
- A voice-based human-computer interface that uses continuous non-verbal vocal sounds (rather than spoken words) to provide proportional, real-time control of devices, cursors, or robotic systems. The V…
- Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC)
- A Microsoft-manufactured game controller designed for players with limited mobility. It provides a large flat-surface form factor with two oversized programmable buttons and 19 external 3.5 mm jacks p…