Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
221 results found in Cognitive Accessibility.
- Scenario-Based Evaluation (Path-Based Testing, User Journey Testing)
- An accessibility evaluation approach that assesses the complete user experience across a sequence of steps needed to accomplish a task, rather than testing individual pages in isolation. For example, …
- Scotopic Sensitivity (Irlen Syndrome, Visual Stress, Meares-Irlen Syndrome)
- A visual-perceptual condition in which certain wavelengths of light cause discomfort, distortion, or difficulty when reading. People with scotopic sensitivity may experience text appearing to shimmer,…
- Self-Motivation
- Self-motivation is the internal capacity to initiate and sustain tasks without relying on external rewards or pressure. In accessibility contexts, self-motivation is relevant to executive function and…
- Semantic Accessibility
- An approach to web accessibility that focuses on the predictability and consistency of user interface behavior, layout, and interaction patterns rather than the underlying code. Semantic accessibility…
- Semantic Relatedness (Semantic Similarity, Semantic Association)
- A measure of how closely related two words or concepts are in meaning, encompassing various types of relationships including synonymy, hyponymy, meronymy, and general topical association. In assistive…
- Shared Reality (Shared Realities)
- Shared reality is the experience of a common inner state - thoughts, feelings, or perceptions about an object or situation - between two or more people, established through communication and mutual ac…
- 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…
- Social cognition (Social perception, Theory of mind)
- The set of cognitive processes involved in understanding and responding to social information, including recognising emotions, interpreting intentions, understanding sarcasm and figurative language, t…
- Soft Key (Softkey, Context-sensitive Key)
- A soft key is a physical button on a device whose labelled function changes depending on the current application or screen — typically indicated by an on-screen label positioned next to the button. So…
- Somatosensory (Somatosensation, Bodily Sensation)
- Relating to the sensory system that processes touch, pressure, temperature, pain, and body position (proprioception). The somatosensory system is crucial for accessibility technologies that bypass vis…
- Spatial Navigation (Spatial Orientation, Spatial Wayfinding)
- The cognitive process of determining and following a route from one location to another, involving the ability to remain oriented, recall routines, recognize landmarks, and make decisions at choice po…
- 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…
- Specific Learning Disability (SLD, Learning Disability, Learning Disorder)
- A neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the brain's ability to receive, process, store, or respond to information, resulting in significant difficulties with reading, writing, or mathematics that a…
- Speed Dial (One-touch Dialing, Quick Dial)
- Speed dial is a mobile or landline phone feature that lets a user place a call to a preset contact by pressing one or two assigned digits rather than entering a full phone number. Originally introduce…
- Split Attention Effect (Split Attention)
- A cognitive load phenomenon in multimedia learning where learners must divide visual attention between two or more sources of information that should be integrated - for example captions at the bottom…
- Stepper (Step Indicator, Wizard Stepper)
- A UI pattern that breaks a multi-step process — such as checkout, registration, or booking — into numbered or labeled stages with a visual progress indicator. Steppers reduce cognitive load by showing…
- Structural Abstraction (Formula Abstraction, Expression Collapsing)
- Structural abstraction is an accessibility technique that simplifies complex visual structures — particularly mathematical formulas — by initially collapsing sub-expressions into symbolic summaries an…
- Subitizing
- The rapid, accurate perception of the number of items in a small group without counting, typically for quantities up to about four or five. Subitizing is considered a core numerical ability that contr…
- Support Network (Support Worker, Support Person, Circle of Support)
- The caregivers, family members, support workers, teachers, and peers who assist a person with a disability in daily life and in participating in research or design activities. In inclusive co-design w…
- Symbol Communication (Symbol-Supported Communication)
- The use of graphic symbols — pictograms, ideograms, line drawings, or photographs — alongside or in place of text to convey meaning. Symbol communication supports people who cannot rely on spoken or w…