Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
899 results found in Assistive Technology.
- Soundscape (Auditory Soundscape, Audio Landscape)
- An auditory environment where multiple spatialized sounds represent objects or landmarks in all directions around a listener, creating an acoustic representation of physical space. In accessibility ap…
- Spatial Mapping (Environment Mapping, 3D Environment Scanning)
- A technology used in mixed reality and augmented reality headsets that scans and creates a digital representation of the physical environment in real time. Spatial mapping identifies surfaces such as …
- Spatial Understanding (Spatial Cognition, Spatial Awareness)
- The ability to comprehend and reason about the positions, sizes, shapes, and relationships of objects in three-dimensional space. Spatial understanding presents a significant accessibility challenge f…
- Spatial audio beacon (Audio beacon, 3D audio waypoint)
- A virtual sound source placed at a specific geographic location that a user can hear through headphones, providing directional guidance by leveraging spatial audio to indicate the direction and distan…
- Spatialised Audio (Spatial Audio, 3D Audio, Directional Audio)
- Audio technology that places sounds in specific locations in three-dimensional space relative to the listener, creating the perception that sounds come from particular directions or distances. In acce…
- Spatialized Sound (Spatial Audio, 3D Audio, Spatialized Audio)
- Audio that is rendered with positional information so that it appears to originate from a specific location in three-dimensional space around the listener. Spatialized sound uses techniques like head-…
- Speaker Adaptation (Voice Adaptation, Speaker-Adaptive Training, Voice Personalization)
- Speaker adaptation is the process of adjusting an existing automatic speech recognition (ASR) system — usually one trained on a large, demographically broad corpus of able-bodied speakers — to a parti…
- Spearcon
- A spearcon is a type of auditory icon created by compressing a spoken phrase until it becomes a very brief, distinctive audio cue. Unlike earcons, which use abstract musical sounds, spearcons retain a…
- Speech Composer (Speech Generation, Message Composition Engine)
- A software component in AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) systems that takes user input — whether typed text, selected symbols, or telegraphic phrases — and processes it for spoken outp…
- Speech Input (Voice input, Voice control, Speech recognition input)
- An input method that allows users to control devices or enter text by speaking rather than using manual touch or keyboard input. Speech input is particularly important for people with visual impairmen…
- Speech Neuroprosthesis (Speech BCI, Speech Brain-Computer Interface)
- A brain-computer interface that decodes neural activity associated with attempted or imagined speech and converts it into text, synthesized voice, or both. Speech neuroprostheses are designed for peop…
- Speech Output (Auditory Feedback, Spoken Feedback)
- Speech output refers to the use of synthesised or pre-recorded human voice to convey information from a computer system or device to a user. In accessibility contexts, speech output is a primary means…
- Speech Synthesis (Synthetic Speech, TTS Engine)
- The artificial production of human speech by computer, most commonly used in text-to-speech (TTS) systems that convert written text into spoken audio. Speech synthesis is foundational to screen reader…
- Speech Synthesizer (Speech Synthesiser, Text-to-Speech Engine, TTS Engine, Voice Synthesizer)
- Software or hardware that converts text into spoken audio output, producing artificial speech that can be used to read content aloud. Speech synthesizers are a fundamental component of many assistive …
- Speech User Interface (SUI, Voice User Interface, VUI)
- A user interface that enables interaction with a computer or device primarily through spoken language rather than through physical input devices like keyboards, mice, or touchscreens. Speech user inte…
- Speech Visualization (Visual Speech Display, Speech-to-Visual Display)
- Speech visualization refers to techniques that convert spoken language into visual representations to aid comprehension, particularly for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. These displays ca…
- 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…
- Speech-Based Navigation (Audio Navigation, Speech-Based Web Navigation)
- A method of navigating digital content, particularly web pages, using synthesised speech output rather than visual display. In speech-based navigation, users listen to content read aloud sequentially …
- Speech-Generating Device (SGD, Voice Output Communication Aid, VOCA)
- An electronic AAC device that produces spoken output from text or symbol input, enabling people with speech disabilities to communicate verbally with others. Speech-generating devices range from dedic…