Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
73 results found in Mobile Accessibility.
- Mobile Virtual Reality (Mobile VR, Smartphone VR)
- Virtual reality systems delivered through a smartphone and consumer-grade accessories (wireless headphones, simple hand-held mounts) rather than a dedicated head-mounted display and PC rig. For access…
- Mobile Web Initiative (MWI, W3C Mobile Web Initiative)
- The W3C Mobile Web Initiative (MWI) was a program launched in 2005 to improve the experience of accessing the web from mobile devices such as cell phones and handheld systems. Operating in a manner si…
- MultiTap (Multi-Tap)
- A standard text-entry method used on mobile phone keypads where groups of three or four letters are assigned to each numeric key, and users press the key consecutively to cycle through the available l…
- NavTap
- A navigational text-entry method designed for blind mobile phone users that reduces the cognitive load associated with inputting text without visual feedback. NavTap organizes the alphabet into five r…
- On-body Input (Skin-based Input, Body-based Interaction)
- An interaction technique that uses the surface of the user's own body — typically the hand, arm, or other skin areas — as an input surface for controlling digital devices. On-body input is sensed thro…
- On-device Recognition (On-Device Inference, Edge Recognition)
- Performing pattern recognition - such as sign language recognition, speech recognition, or computer vision - locally on the user's device rather than by sending input to a remote server. On-device rec…
- Pedestrian Navigation (Pedestrian Wayfinding, On-Foot Navigation)
- Pedestrian navigation refers to wayfinding and route-following on foot in outdoor environments, including sidewalks, crosswalks, public transit access points, and shared streets. For blind and low vis…
- Pedestrian Navigation System (Pedestrian GPS, Walking Navigation)
- A navigation system designed specifically for people travelling on foot, as opposed to systems designed for car drivers. Pedestrian navigation systems must account for footpaths, crosswalks, stairs, p…
- QWERTY Keyboard (QWERTY)
- A QWERTY keyboard is the dominant Latin-script keyboard layout, named for the first six letters on the top row, originally designed for mechanical typewriters and carried forward into computers and mo…
- Responsive Design (Responsive Web Design, RWD, Mobile First Design)
- A web design approach in which layouts, images, and other content elements adapt fluidly to the size and capabilities of the user's device, providing an optimal viewing experience across desktops, tab…
- Safety Check-in (Wellness Check-in, Check-in Call)
- A safety check-in is a brief remote-communication exchange — most often a phone call, text, or app-based 'ping' — whose primary purpose is to confirm the safety and wellbeing of a person at a distance…
- Screen Curtain (Display Curtain)
- Screen Curtain is an accessibility feature available on iOS and some other platforms that turns off the device's display while keeping the device fully functional and responsive to touch input and scr…
- Situational Visual Impairment (SVI, Situational Visual Impairments)
- A temporary reduction in a person's effective vision or reading performance caused by the environment or context rather than by a medical condition. Common examples include trying to read a phone scre…
- Smartphone Accessibility (Mobile Phone Accessibility)
- The design and adaptation of smartphone hardware, operating systems, and applications to be usable by people with disabilities. Smartphones have become increasingly important as assistive technology p…
- 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…
- 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…
- 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…
- Spindex (Speech Index)
- An auditory navigation technique that uses the first letter of each word (spoken or synthesized) as an index to speed up list navigation. When scrolling through alphabetically ordered lists like conta…
- Split Tap (Split Tapping)
- A touchscreen interaction technique where the user holds one finger on a target element while tapping with a second finger to activate it. Split tap allows blind users to explore the screen with one f…
- Swift Playgrounds (Apple Swift Playgrounds)
- A hybrid block-based and text-based programming environment developed by Apple for iPad and Mac that teaches coding using the Swift programming language. Swift Playgrounds is notable in the accessibil…