Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
899 results found in Assistive Technology.
- Bimodal Feedback (Dual-Modality Feedback)
- A form of interface feedback that communicates information to the user through two simultaneous sensory channels, such as auditory and haptic, visual and haptic, or auditory and visual. Bimodal feedba…
- Binary Selection (Binary Choice, Yes/No Selection)
- An interaction method where users make choices between two options at each step, progressively narrowing down to their desired selection through a series of binary decisions. Binary selection is used …
- Bio-Electrical Signal (Biosignal, Bioelectrical Signal, Physiological Signal)
- A bio-electrical signal is an electrical potential generated by biological processes in the human body, including muscle contractions (EMG), brain activity (EEG), eye movements (EOG), heart rhythms (E…
- Bio-Signal (Biosignal, Biological Signal)
- Any measurable electrical, chemical, or mechanical signal produced by the human body that can be detected by sensors and used as input for computer systems. In assistive technology, bio-signals are us…
- Biometric Authentication (Biometrics, Biometric Identification)
- A security method that verifies a person's identity using unique biological characteristics such as fingerprints, facial features, iris patterns, or voice. For people with vision impairments, biometri…
- Biometric Control (Biometric Input, Physiological Control Interface)
- The use of measurable biological signals from the human body — such as brain waves (EEG), skin conductance (galvanic skin response), muscle electrical activity (EMG), heart rate, or eye movements — as…
- Biosignal Interface (Physiological Interface, Biometric Input)
- An input interface that detects and interprets biological signals from the human body — such as muscle contractions (EMG), brain electrical activity (EEG), eye movements (EOG), or galvanic skin respon…
- Bixby Vision
- Bixby Vision is a visual-assistance feature in Samsung's Bixby assistant, built into Samsung Galaxy phones, that uses the device camera and AI to describe scenes, read text, identify objects and curre…
- BlindSquare
- A GPS-based iOS accessibility app designed for people who are blind or have low vision, providing spoken information about the surrounding environment — nearby points of interest, intersections, stree…
- Blocks4All
- An accessible touchscreen-based block-based programming environment designed for students with visual impairments. Blocks4All enables drag-and-drop-like programming interactions on touchscreen devices…
- Bluetooth (BLE, Bluetooth Low Energy)
- A short-range wireless communication standard used to exchange data between devices over distances of up to approximately 30 metres. In accessibility, Bluetooth is widely used in assistive technology:…
- Bluetooth Beacons (BLE Beacons, iBeacons, Bluetooth Low Energy Beacons)
- Small wireless transmitters that use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to broadcast signals to nearby smartphones and other devices. In accessibility contexts, Bluetooth beacons are deployed in indoor enviro…
- Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon (BLE Beacon, iBeacon, Bluetooth Beacon)
- A small, low-power wireless transmitter that broadcasts Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals at regular intervals. In accessibility contexts, BLE beacons are widely used for indoor navigation systems fo…
- Body-Powered Prosthesis (Cable-Operated Prosthesis, Mechanical Prosthesis)
- A body-powered prosthesis is a type of prosthetic device that uses the wearer's own body movements to operate a mechanical function, typically through a cable-pull system. In upper-limb devices like t…
- Bone-Conducting Headphones (Bone Conduction Headphones, Bone Conduction Headset)
- Headphones that transmit sound by vibrating the skull bones directly to the inner ear, bypassing the outer and middle ear and leaving the ear canals open. In accessibility contexts they are widely use…
- Bone-Conduction Headset (Bone-conduction headphones, Bone-conduction earphones)
- A headphone that delivers sound by vibrating the bones of the skull and jaw rather than projecting air through the ear canal, leaving the wearer's ears uncovered and able to hear ambient sound. Bone-c…
- Braille (Braille System, Braille Code)
- A tactile writing system used by people who are blind or have low vision, consisting of patterns of raised dots arranged in cells of up to six dots in a 3x2 configuration. Each cell represents a lette…
- Braille Screen Input (BSI)
- A built-in iOS accessibility feature that turns the touchscreen of an iPhone or iPad into a virtual Braille keyboard. When activated through VoiceOver, users can type Braille characters by tapping the…
- Braille Slate and Stylus (Slate and Stylus, Braille Writing Frame)
- A low-cost, portable tool for writing Braille by hand, consisting of a hinged metal or plastic template (slate) with rows of cells and a pointed tool (stylus) used to press dots into paper from the re…
- Braille Translation (Braille Transcription, Text-to-Braille Translation)
- The process of converting printed text or digital text content into Braille, either manually by a trained transcriber or automatically using software such as Duxbury. Braille translation involves more…