Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
16 results found in Orientation and Mobility.
- Allocentric (Allocentric Reference Frame, World-Centred Reference Frame)
- A spatial reference frame in which locations and directions are defined relative to external landmarks or a fixed coordinate system, independent of the observer's own position or orientation. For exam…
- Cane Simulation (Virtual Cane, White Cane Simulation)
- A virtual reality application that simulates the experience of using a white cane (long cane) for navigation, allowing blind users to explore virtual environments through haptic feedback. In a cane si…
- Cane Technique (White Cane Technique, Long Cane Technique)
- The set of physical methods a blind or low-vision person uses to manipulate a long white cane while traveling. Common techniques include the two-point touch (side-to-side sweeping, touching ground at …
- Clock Technique (Clock Method, Clock Face Direction System)
- An orientation method used in mobility training for blind and visually impaired people in which directions are communicated using the positions on an analogue clock face. The user imagines standing at…
- Constructive Exploration
- Constructive exploration is an interactive learning method in which a user is guided by a computer system to physically build a representation of spatial information using building blocks or other tan…
- Egocentric (Egocentric Reference Frame, Body-Centred Reference Frame)
- A spatial reference frame in which locations and directions are defined relative to the observer's own body position and orientation. For example, "turn left," "take one step forward," or "the door is…
- Embodied Exploration
- An approach to virtual environment interaction in which the user builds understanding of a space by physically walking, turning, reaching, and sweeping rather than by teleporting or using controller-b…
- Environmental Flow (Optic Flow, Sensory Flow)
- The ordered changes in a pedestrian's distances and directions to surrounding objects that occur while walking, providing continuous feedback about spatial position and movement through the environmen…
- Laterality (Left-Right Discrimination, Lateral Awareness)
- Laterality is the ability to distinguish between left and right sides of the body and to apply this understanding to the surrounding environment for spatial orientation and navigation. Laterality is a…
- Macro-Navigation (Macro Navigation)
- The process of navigating through the broader environment at the level of routes, streets, landmarks, and destinations — knowing where you are in a city, which direction to travel, and how to reach a …
- Micro-Navigation (Micro Navigation)
- The process of navigating the immediate environment — detecting and avoiding obstacles, following the edge of a pavement, identifying surface changes, and maintaining a safe path. For blind and visual…
- Narrative Route Description (Verbal Route Guidance, Turn-by-Turn Narrative)
- A structured verbal representation of a travel route that guides users through sequential steps using spoken or text-based instructions. Effective narrative descriptions for blind travelers typically …
- Route Learning (Route Familiarization)
- The process by which a traveler — particularly a blind or low-vision person — acquires a mental representation of a specific path through an environment, including its turns, landmarks, distances, sur…
- Route Planning (Journey Planning, Pre-Journey Planning)
- The process of determining a path from an origin to a destination before travel begins, including selecting roads or paths, identifying landmarks and decision points, and considering factors such as s…
- Tactile Maps (Tactile cartography, Raised-line maps)
- Maps produced in physical, raised-relief form — typically on swell paper, vacuum-formed plastic, embossed paper, or 3D-printed substrate — so that blind and low-vision users can read geographic inform…
- Veering (Lateral Drift)
- The tendency of blind and visually impaired pedestrians to gradually drift away from a straight path while walking, resulting in a curved trajectory rather than a direct line. Veering is a well-docume…