Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
899 results found in Assistive Technology.
- Co-Making (Co-Fabrication, Collaborative Making)
- Co-making is a participatory practice in which people with disabilities work directly with collaborators — researchers, AI assistants, peers, or family members — to build physical assistive technology…
- Co-Pilot Mode (Copilot Mode, Xbox Copilot)
- Co-Pilot Mode is an accessibility feature, introduced by Microsoft on Xbox in 2017 and since adopted elsewhere, that lets two controllers be combined so they act as a single logical controller driving…
- Cochlear Implant (CI)
- A surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to individuals who are deaf or have severe hearing loss. Unlike hearing aids which amplify sound, cochlear implants bypass damag…
- Cochlear Implant (CI)
- A surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to individuals who are severely deaf or hard of hearing. Unlike hearing aids that amplify sound, cochlear implants bypass damage…
- Cocktail Party Effect (Selective Auditory Attention)
- The human ability to focus auditory attention on a single speaker or sound source while filtering out competing background noise or other simultaneous conversations. Named after the experience of foll…
- Code Accessibility (Programming Accessibility, Accessible Coding)
- The practice of making programming environments, source code, and software development tools usable by people with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments. Code accessibility encompas…
- Code Jumper (Project Torino)
- An accessible physical programming toolkit originally developed by Microsoft Research (under the name Project Torino) that uses tangible pods connected by cables to teach programming concepts to child…
- Code-Based Modeling (Programmatic Modeling, Scripted 3-D Modeling)
- An approach to creating 3-D models by writing code rather than using visual direct manipulation interfaces. Code-based modeling tools like OpenSCAD allow users to define shapes, transformations, and b…
- Cognitive Artifact (Cognitive Artefact)
- An artificial device — physical or digital — designed or appropriated to maintain, display, or operate on information in ways that support human cognitive performance. The term was codified by Don Nor…
- Cognitive Assistance (Cognitive Aid, AI-Powered Assistance, Assisted Cognition)
- Technology that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to supplement or expand human cognitive and perceptual abilities. In accessibility contexts, cognitive assistance systems recognise pe…
- Cognitive Demand (Cognitive Complexity, Cognitive Requirements)
- The amount of mental effort, attention, and processing required to use a technology, interface, or system. High cognitive demand in assistive technology interfaces can prevent adoption by users with c…
- Cognitive Orthosis (Cognitive Prosthesis, Cognitive Assistive Device)
- A technology-based device or system designed to compensate for cognitive deficits by supporting functions such as memory, planning, attention, and task sequencing. Analogous to a physical orthosis tha…
- Cognitive Orthotic (Cognitive Orthosis, Cognitive Support Device)
- A cognitive orthotic is an assistive technology device or system designed to compensate for cognitive impairments by providing external support for functions such as memory, planning, sequencing, and …
- Cognitive Prosthesis (Cognitive Prosthetic, Digital Memory Aid)
- A cognitive prosthesis is a technology-based system designed to supplement or replace cognitive functions that have been impaired due to conditions such as dementia, traumatic brain injury, or other n…
- Cognitively Assistive Robot (CAR)
- A category of socially assistive robot designed specifically to support people with cognitive impairments — most commonly mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia, traumatic brain injury, or learning…
- Collaborative Editing (Collaborative Authoring, Co-Editing)
- The practice of multiple users simultaneously or sequentially creating and modifying shared documents or content. In accessibility contexts, collaborative editing poses particular challenges when part…
- Collaborative Memory (Distributed Cognition, Shared Memory)
- The process by which memory tasks and cognitive load are distributed across multiple people, typically within families or close social groups. In the context of disability and caregiving, collaborativ…
- Collision Avoidance (Obstacle Avoidance, Anti-Collision System)
- A safety feature in assistive technology, robotics, and intelligent wheelchairs that automatically detects obstacles in the user's path and takes action to prevent impact — typically by stopping the d…
- Color Filter (Color Filters, Display Color Filter)
- An operating-system or browser-level feature that alters how colors are rendered on screen, including grayscale, inverted colors, and filters for protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia color vision …
- Color Identifier (Color Detector, Color Recognition Device)
- A color identifier is an assistive technology device or application that detects and announces the color of objects for people with vision impairments. Standalone hardware devices use a light sensor p…