Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
40 results found in Independent Living.
- Functional Independence (Functional Autonomy, Independent Functioning)
- The ability to perform daily living activities without assistance from others, encompassing both basic self-care tasks (eating, dressing, bathing) and more complex instrumental activities (shopping, m…
- Grab Bar (Safety Rail, Support Bar, Handrail)
- A rigid, wall-mounted bar designed to provide support and stability for people who need assistance maintaining balance, transferring between positions, or preventing falls. Grab bars are most commonly…
- Home Accessibility Audit (Home Safety Assessment, Indoor Accessibility Assessment, HSSAT)
- A systematic evaluation of a residential space to identify barriers to access, safety hazards, and opportunities for modification to support people with disabilities, older adults, or families with yo…
- Homebound (Housebound)
- A status in which an individual has difficulty leaving their home without assistive devices or help from others, typically due to illness, injury, or environmental factors such as lack of transportati…
- Independent Living Movement (IL Movement)
- A disability rights movement that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s advocating for disabled people's right to live independently in the community, make their own choices, and participate fully in society…
- Indoor Accessibility (Home Accessibility, Domestic Accessibility)
- The degree to which indoor spaces — including homes, workplaces, and public buildings — can be safely and independently used by people with disabilities. Indoor accessibility encompasses physical feat…
- Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL, IADLs)
- Complex daily tasks that require higher-order cognitive and organizational skills beyond basic self-care. IADLs include managing finances, shopping, preparing meals, housekeeping, using transportation…
- Interactive Task Guidance (Task Guidance System, Step-by-Step Task Support, Task Prompting)
- Interactive task guidance is a form of cognitive assistive technology that provides real-time, step-by-step instructions to help individuals with cognitive impairments complete multi-step daily activi…
- Medication Management (Medication Adherence, Medication Compliance)
- The process of overseeing and managing the medications prescribed to an individual, including remembering to take medications at the correct times, in the correct doses, and tracking what has been tak…
- Money Management (Personal Finance Management)
- The everyday practices of tracking income and spending, budgeting, paying bills, saving, and making purchasing decisions. For people with cognitive or developmental disabilities, money management is o…
- Olmstead Decision (Olmstead v. L.C.)
- A landmark 1999 United States Supreme Court ruling that held requiring disabled people to live in institutional settings when they could live in the community constitutes unlawful discrimination under…
- Pacing Aid (Pacing System, Time Management Aid)
- An assistive technology that helps individuals with cognitive impairments manage the timing and sequence of activities in daily routines. Pacing aids provide cues — visual, auditory, or tactile — to i…
- Personal Care Assistant (PCA, Personal Care Attendant, Personal Support Worker, Care Aide)
- A person who provides hands-on assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) to people with disabilities or older adults who need support with tasks such as bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming,…
- Robotic Arm (Robot Arm, Assistive Robotic Arm, Manipulator Arm)
- A programmable mechanical device with jointed segments that can grasp, move, and manipulate objects, controlled through various input methods. In assistive technology contexts, robotic arms are used t…
- Self-Management (Self-Management Intervention, Self-Management Strategy)
- Self-management is a behavioral intervention approach in which individuals learn to independently monitor, evaluate, and modify their own behavior to achieve specific goals. In disability contexts, se…
- Smart Home Accessibility (Accessible Smart Home, Smart Home Automation)
- The design and implementation of connected home technologies — such as voice-controlled lighting, automated door locks, smart thermostats, and appliance controls — in ways that are usable by people wi…
- Supported Decision-Making (SDM)
- A legal and practical alternative to guardianship in which a person with a cognitive or developmental disability retains decision-making authority over their own life while receiving support from trus…
- Transinstitutionalization
- The transition of disabled people from one type of institutional setting to another rather than to genuine community-based living. For example, the movement of disabled individuals from clinical insti…
- Transition Period (School-to-Adult Transition, Transition Services)
- In disability services, the transition period refers to the years during which a young person with a disability moves from school-based supports into adult life. In the United States, school systems a…
- Well-being Monitoring (Health Monitoring, Remote Health Monitoring, Ambient Assisted Living)
- The use of sensors, devices, and software systems to track and report on an individual's health and daily living indicators — such as mobility, sleep patterns, eating and drinking habits, personal hyg…