Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
899 results found in Assistive Technology.
- Adaptive User Interface (AUI, Adaptive Interface, Self-Adapting Interface)
- A user interface that automatically detects changes in user behavior or ability and adjusts its presentation or functionality accordingly, without requiring the user to manually configure settings. In…
- Adaptive interface (Adaptive UI, Self-adapting interface)
- A user interface that automatically adjusts its parameters — such as target sizes, input methods, timing, layout, or interaction modalities — in response to detected changes in the user's abilities, c…
- AgeTech (Age tech, Technology for older adults)
- A broad category of technology designed to support older adults in aging well, living independently, and managing age-related health conditions. AgeTech spans smart-home monitoring, voice assistants, …
- Agentic AI (AI agents, autonomous AI agents)
- Agentic AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that can plan, make decisions, and execute multi-step actions autonomously to achieve high-level goals, typically by interacting with software, too…
- Agentive Amplifier
- A framing of technical artefacts, proposed by Oosterlaken and Van Den Hoven, as things that create possibilities a person would not otherwise have — extending, not replacing, the user's own agency. Un…
- Aging in Place (Ageing in Place, Aging-in-Place)
- The ability to live safely and independently in one's own home and community as one ages, regardless of age, income, or ability level. Assistive technology, including voice assistants, smart home devi…
- Aging in Place
- The ability of older adults to live independently and safely in their own home and community as they age, supported by appropriate services and technology. In the context of accessibility, aging in pl…
- Aging in Place (Aging at Home)
- The ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably regardless of age, income, or ability level. Aging in place is a preference for most older adults and involve…
- Aided AAC (Aided Augmentative and Alternative Communication)
- The branch of Augmentative and Alternative Communication that relies on an external tool to produce or carry the message — ranging from low-tech paper communication boards and picture-exchange cards t…
- Alliance for Technology Access (ATA)
- The Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) was a U.S. national network of community-based, consumer-driven technology resource centers founded to make assistive technology accessible to people with disa…
- Alphabet Board (Letter Board, Spelling Board, Communication Board)
- A low-technology communication tool displaying letters of the alphabet that enables people who cannot speak to spell out words and messages by pointing to, gazing at, or otherwise indicating individua…
- Alternative Input Device (Alternative Input, Adapted Input, Alternative Access)
- Any computer input device used in place of a standard keyboard and mouse by people who cannot operate conventional input hardware due to physical, motor, or other disabilities. Alternative input devic…
- Alternative Input Method (Alternative Input, Non-Standard Input)
- Any method of providing input to a computer or device that differs from the conventional keyboard, mouse, and touchscreen interfaces. Alternative input methods are essential for people with motor, sen…
- Alternative input device (Alternative access method, Switch access)
- Any input method that replaces or supplements standard keyboard, mouse, or joystick interfaces to enable people with motor impairments to operate computers, wheelchairs, and other technology. Examples…
- Amazon Alexa (Alexa, Echo)
- A cloud-based voice assistant developed by Amazon, available on Echo smart speakers, Echo Show smart displays, and third-party devices. Users interact with Alexa through wake-word-activated voice comm…
- Ambient Audio (Ambient Sound, Environmental Audio, Background Audio)
- The background sound of an environment — voices, traffic, water, wind, music, birdsong — captured incidentally rather than as the main focus of a recording. In accessible photography and audiophotogra…
- Ambient Display (Ambient Interface, Peripheral Display)
- A display or interface that communicates information through subtle environmental changes — such as colour shifts, lighting changes, or gentle sounds — that can be perceived at the periphery of a user…
- Android Accessibility (Android A11y)
- The accessibility features, APIs, and design guidelines built into the Android operating system that enable people with disabilities to use Android devices. Android accessibility includes TalkBack (sc…
- Android Accessibility Service (AccessibilityService, Android a11y Service)
- The Android Accessibility Service is a system-level API that lets an app observe and interact with the UI of other applications on the device, exposing the hierarchical view tree (class names, text, b…
- Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO, Ankle Brace, Foot Drop Brace)
- An external medical device that encompasses the ankle joint and all or part of the foot, designed to support the ankle and improve gait in people with muscle weakness, spasticity, or structural deform…