Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
899 results found in Assistive Technology.
- Sensorimotor Rhythm (SMR, Sensorimotor Cortical Rhythm)
- Oscillatory electrical brain activity recorded over the sensorimotor cortex, the brain region responsible for planning and executing voluntary movements. Sensorimotor rhythms include mu rhythms (8-12 …
- Sensory substitution (Cross-modal substitution, Sensory Substitution Device, SSD)
- The technique of conveying information normally received through one sense via a different sensory channel, such as converting audio cues into vibrotactile feedback or visual signals. Sensory substitu…
- Sentence-Level Bookmark (In-Page Bookmark, Content Bookmark)
- A type of bookmark that marks a specific position within a web page's content, rather than simply saving the page's URL. Sentence-level bookmarks allow users — particularly those using screen readers …
- Sequential Navigation (Linear Navigation, Serial Navigation)
- A method of accessing web content by moving through elements one at a time in the order they appear in the document structure, as opposed to visually scanning a page. Sequential navigation is the defa…
- Serious Games (Applied Games, Games for Health, Therapeutic Games)
- Games designed with a primary purpose beyond entertainment, such as education, training, therapy, or rehabilitation. In accessibility contexts, serious games are increasingly used for vision therapy, …
- Shared Movement (Linked Locomotion, Guided Movement)
- A virtual reality interaction technique that allows one user to move through a virtual environment by attaching to or following another user's avatar, inspired by the physical sighted guide technique …
- Shared control (Collaborative control, Blended control)
- A control paradigm in assistive technology where input from multiple sources — such as a wheelchair user and a companion, or a user and an autonomous system — is combined to produce a single action. S…
- Shorelining (Trailing)
- An orientation and mobility technique in which a person with a visual impairment follows a consistent surface edge — such as a wall, curb, edge of a sidewalk, or other contrasting surface — to maintai…
- Sighted Guide (Sighted Guide Technique, Human Guide)
- A technique in which a sighted person assists a blind or low vision individual with navigation and orientation by serving as a visual reference and mobility aid. In physical settings, the blind person…
- Sign Language Interface (Sign-language interface, Signing interface)
- A computing interface that accepts input from, or presents output to, a user in a signed language such as American Sign Language (ASL) or British Sign Language (BSL), rather than assuming a spoken or …
- Sign Language Machine Translation (English-to-ASL Translation, Sign Language MT, Text-to-Sign Translation)
- The automatic translation of written or spoken text into a signed language (or vice versa) using computational methods, typically producing output as an animated signing avatar or, less commonly, as r…
- Sign Language Synthesis (Sign Language Generation, Sign Language Avatar, Signing Avatar)
- Sign language synthesis is the automated generation of sign language output, typically through 3D animated avatars or computer graphics, from text or other input. The technology involves translating w…
- Sign language translation (SLT, Sign-to-text translation)
- The automatic conversion of sign language video into written or spoken language text using machine learning. Unlike sign language recognition, which identifies individual signs or glosses, sign langua…
- Signal Drift (Baseline Drift, DC Drift)
- Signal drift is the gradual, unintended change in the baseline level of a measured signal over time, caused by factors unrelated to the intended measurement. In bio-electrical sensing for assistive te…
- Signal Fingerprinting (Wireless Fingerprinting, RF Fingerprinting, Bluetooth Fingerprinting)
- Signal fingerprinting is a technique used in indoor positioning systems where the unique pattern of wireless signal strengths (such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or RFID) at specific locations within a buildin…
- Signing Avatar (Sign Language Avatar, Virtual Signer)
- A computer-generated animated character that produces sign language output, translating text or spoken content into visual sign language for deaf and hard of hearing users. Signing avatars are used in…
- 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…
- Simplified Interface (Reduced Complexity Interface, Easy Mode)
- A user interface design that intentionally reduces the number of features, options, and interaction steps to make a product or service accessible to users who would be overwhelmed by a standard interf…
- Single Switch (Single Switch Access, One Switch)
- An assistive technology input device that provides a single binary action — on or off — enabling people with severe motor impairments to interact with computers and communication devices. Switches can…
- Sip-and-Puff (Sip and Puff Switch, Pneumatic Switch)
- An assistive technology input device that detects air pressure changes from a user sipping (inhaling) or puffing (exhaling) through a straw or tube to generate control signals. Sip-and-puff systems ar…