Glossary

Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.

899 results found in Assistive Technology.

Coloured Overlay (Colored Overlay, Tinted Overlay, Reading Overlay)
A transparent coloured sheet placed over text or a digital colour filter applied to a screen to reduce visual stress and improve reading comfort for some people with dyslexia, Meares-Irlen syndrome, o…
Comic Strip Conversations (CSC)
A visual-support technique developed by Carol Gray (1994) for autistic children and adolescents, in which a social interaction is illustrated as a short comic strip with simple stick figures, speech b…
Command Recognition (Command Classification, Input Recognition)
The process by which a computer system interprets and classifies a user's input action — such as a gesture, voice command, or key press — as a specific intended command from a predefined vocabulary of…
Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART, Realtime Captioning, Stenographic Captioning)
A captioning service where a trained professional uses a stenographic keyboard to transcribe spoken language into text in real time, producing near-verbatim captions. CART provides the highest accurac…
Communication Partner Training (Conversation Partner Training)
Structured training for the people who regularly communicate with an AAC user — including family members, caregivers, teachers, and peers — to help them support effective communication. Communication …
Computer Braille (Computer Braille Code, CBC)
Computer Braille is a specialized braille notation system that includes characters for symbols commonly used in computing, such as brackets, braces, semicolons, and other punctuation not found in stan…
Computer Feedback System (CFS, Computerized Feedback System)
A technology system that detects a user's behavior — such as vocalizations, movements, or physiological signals — and provides immediate audio, visual, or haptic responses mapped to that behavior. In …
Computer Use Agent (CUA, computer-using agent, desktop agent)
A computer use agent is an AI system powered by multimodal large language models that operates a computer by taking screenshots and performing mouse, keyboard, and scroll actions — mirroring the inter…
Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI, Computer-Assisted Learning, Computer-Based Instruction)
Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) is the use of computer software to deliver educational content, practice exercises, and assessment in a structured learning environment. In accessibility contexts, CAI…
Computer-Based Intervention (CBI, Technology-Based Intervention, Digital Intervention)
A structured programme delivered through computer technology that aims to teach, rehabilitate, or support skill development. In accessibility contexts, computer-based interventions use software applic…
Computer-Based Speech Training (CBST, Computer-Aided Speech Training, CAST, Speech Training Software)
Computer-based speech training (CBST) refers to software systems designed to help individuals improve their speech production through automated exercises, feedback, and practice. These systems typical…
Computer-Using Agent (CUA)
An AI agent, typically built on a Large Multimodal Model, that perceives a computer's graphical user interface through screenshots, reasons about on-screen context, and directly manipulates the interf…
Computerized Visual Communication (C-VIC)
A computer-based assistive technology system that enables people with aphasia to communicate by arranging icons and images on screen to form sentences, which can then be translated into spoken or writ…
Concatenated Speech Synthesis (Concatenative Synthesis, Unit Selection Synthesis)
A method of producing synthetic speech by connecting pre-recorded segments of human speech, typically diphones (transitions between phonemes) or demi-syllables, to form complete words and sentences. C…
Concatenative Synthesis (Unit Selection Synthesis)
A text-to-speech method that generates synthetic speech by concatenating (joining together) pre-recorded segments of human speech. These segments, called units, may be phonemes, diphones, syllables, o…
Concurrent Speech (Simultaneous Speech, Parallel Audio)
The presentation of multiple audio streams simultaneously, leveraging the human ability to selectively attend to one stream while monitoring others — known as the cocktail party effect. In accessibili…
Conductive Filament (Conductive 3D printing filament, Conductive PLA)
A specialized 3D printing material that conducts electricity, enabling printed objects to interact with capacitive touchscreens. In accessibility applications, conductive filament can be embedded in o…
Conductive Ink (Conductive Paint, Electrically Conductive Ink)
An ink or paint formulated with electrically conductive materials such as silver, carbon, or graphene that can carry an electrical signal when applied to a surface. In accessibility applications, cond…
Confidence Indicator (Confidence Score, Uncertainty Indicator)
An interface element that communicates how certain an AI or automated system is about a given output, helping users decide how much to trust the result. In accessibility tools for blind and low-vision…
Confusion Matrix (Error Matrix)
A table used to characterize the accuracy of an input system by showing the probability that an intended signal will be correctly recognized versus misinterpreted as a different signal. In assistive t…