Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
122 results found in Inclusive Design.
- Autonomous Vehicle (AV, Self-Driving Car, Automated Driving System, ADS)
- A vehicle equipped with technology that enables it to navigate and operate without human input, ranging from partial automation features like adaptive cruise control to fully autonomous systems that h…
- Bespoke Design (Custom Design, Bespoke Assistive Technology)
- The creation of individually tailored products or solutions made to meet the specific needs of a single user, as opposed to mass-produced or universally designed items. In assistive technology, bespok…
- Biometric Authentication (Biometrics, Biometric Security, Behavioral Biometrics)
- Security technology that uses unique biological or behavioral characteristics to verify identity, including fingerprints, facial recognition, iris scans, voice patterns, and handwritten signatures. Ac…
- Biophilia (Biophilia Hypothesis)
- The hypothesis, popularized by biologist E. O. Wilson, that humans have an innate affinity for living things and natural systems, and that contact with nature is therefore a fundamental contributor to…
- Board Game Accessibility (Tabletop Game Accessibility)
- The practice of making physical board games, card games, and tabletop games playable by people with disabilities. Most commercial board games rely heavily on visual information — printed text, colors,…
- Capability Sensitive Design
- A design approach, proposed by Ilse Oosterlaken, that takes human diversity morally seriously and evaluates technologies by how they actually expand or constrain the real opportunities (capabilities) …
- Chatbot Accessibility (Accessible Chatbot Design, CUI Accessibility)
- The practice of designing chatbots and conversational user interfaces (CUIs) to be usable by people with disabilities. Chatbot accessibility presents unique challenges compared to traditional web acce…
- Child Agency
- Child agency is a child's capacity to initiate, shape, direct, and sustain activities - including play, conversation, and social interaction - rather than passively accepting adult or peer control. In…
- Co-morbidity (Comorbidity, Co-occurring Conditions, Multiple Disabilities)
- The simultaneous presence of two or more medical conditions or disabilities in a single individual. In accessibility contexts, co-morbidity is a critical design consideration because many users, parti…
- Code Accessibility (Programming Accessibility, Accessible Coding)
- The practice of making programming environments, source code, and software development tools usable by people with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments. Code accessibility encompas…
- Content Personalization (Accessibility Personalization, Content Adaptation)
- The practice of tailoring digital content presentation and interaction to match individual users' needs, preferences, and abilities. In accessibility, personalization goes beyond one-size-fits-all app…
- Contextual Design (Context-Sensitive Design, Situated Design)
- A design approach that grounds technology development in a deep understanding of users' actual contexts, workflows, constraints, and cultural settings, rather than designing for idealized or generic u…
- Cross-Cultural Design (Culturally Responsive Design, Culture-Sensitive Design)
- An approach to designing products, services, and technologies that accounts for the cultural contexts, values, norms, and practices of diverse user populations. In accessibility, cross-cultural design…
- Cultural Heritage Accessibility (Heritage Accessibility, Accessible Cultural Heritage)
- The practice of making cultural heritage sites, monuments, museums, and artifacts accessible to people with disabilities through physical modifications, assistive technologies, and alternative formats…
- Cultural Probes (Design Probes, Probes)
- A design research technique in which participants are given a kit of open-ended, often playful artefacts - such as disposable cameras, diaries, maps, or prompts - to document aspects of their daily li…
- Culturally Appropriate Design (Culturally Responsive Design, Cultural Contextualization)
- The practice of designing products, interfaces, and content to align with the cultural values, practices, languages, and visual conventions of the target user community. In assistive technology, cultu…
- Customizable Interface (Configurable Interface, User-Customizable UI)
- A user interface that allows individuals to modify its appearance, behavior, or content display according to their preferences and needs. In accessibility contexts, customizable interfaces enable user…
- Customization (User Customization)
- Customization is the practice of allowing users to adapt a system's behaviour, output, or presentation to match their individual goals, preferences, and context. In accessibility, customization is ess…
- DIY Accessibility (Do-It-Yourself Accessibility, Grassroots Accessibility)
- An approach in which disabled people, their families, or proximate makers design and fabricate their own accessible artefacts—assistive tools, tactile labels, adapted clothing, switch-accessible toys—…
- Dementia-Friendly (Dementia Friendly Community, Dementia Inclusive)
- An approach to designing environments, services, programs, and communities that are accessible, supportive, and inclusive of people living with dementia. A dementia-friendly community enables people w…