Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
61 results found in Reading Accessibility.
- Reading Disability (Reading Difficulty, Reading Disorder)
- A condition that impacts a person's ability to read and develop literacy skills. Reading disabilities encompass a wide range of conditions including dyslexia, alexia, and difficulties arising from int…
- Reading Fluency
- The ability to read connected text accurately, at an appropriate pace, and with proper expression - distinct from word-level decoding skill on one side and from reading comprehension on the other. Flu…
- Reading Model (Theory of Reading)
- A theoretical framework that explains the cognitive processes involved in reading and how reading skills develop. Key reading models include the Simple View of Reading (comprehension = decoding × lang…
- Reading Speed (Reading Rate, Words Per Minute)
- The pace at which a person can read and process text, typically measured in words per minute. Reading speed is a common metric in evaluating reading support technologies and varies significantly among…
- Reading Support Technology (Reading Assistive Technology, Reading Aid)
- Any technology designed to make reading more accessible for people with disabilities, encompassing tools that support decoding, comprehension, readability, navigation, and literacy development. Readin…
- 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,…
- Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome (Irlen Syndrome, Visual Stress, Meares-Irlen Syndrome)
- A perceptual processing condition in which the brain has difficulty handling certain visual information, particularly high-contrast patterns like black text on a bright white background. People with s…
- Sign Language Video (Sign Language Interpretation Video)
- Pre-recorded or live video content presenting information in sign language, used to augment or replace written text for deaf and hard of hearing users. In reading support contexts, sign language video…
- Simple View of Reading (SVR)
- An influential reading model proposed by Gough and Tunmer that defines reading comprehension as the product of two components: decoding ability (D) and language comprehension (L), expressed as RC = D …
- Skimming Interface (Skim Reading Tool, Speed Reading Interface)
- A technology interface designed to help users quickly scan and identify relevant content within a text without reading every word. Skimming interfaces have been particularly explored for blind and low…
- Speed-Comprehension Trade-off (Speed-Accuracy Trade-off in Reading)
- An empirical pattern in readability research: typographic, layout, and presentation choices that increase reading speed often reduce comprehension accuracy, and vice versa. For example, sans-serif fac…
- Surface Dyslexia
- A subtype of dyslexia characterized by difficulty with whole-word recognition and irregular word reading, often resulting in confusion with homophonic or pseudo-homophonic words (such as "weather" and…
- Syntactic Simplification (Sentence Simplification)
- A form of text simplification that restructures complex sentences into simpler grammatical forms, such as splitting compound sentences, converting passive voice to active voice, or resolving relative …
- Text Modification (Text Formatting, Text Presentation Modification)
- Changes to the visual presentation or formatting of text to improve readability without altering the actual content. Text modifications include adjustments to font type, size, color, spacing, line hei…
- Text Skimming (Content Skimming, Accessible Skimming)
- A reading strategy where a person quickly reviews a document to get an overview of its content, identify key points, and locate specific information without reading every word. Sighted readers skim us…
- Translanguaging
- The practice of drawing on multiple languages within a single interaction or communication act, leveraging a person's full linguistic repertoire rather than treating languages as separate, bounded sys…
- Typography (Typographic Design)
- The art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and visually appealing. In accessibility contexts, typography encompasses font selection, size, weight, spacing (let…
- Visual Augmentation (Text Augmentation, Visual Enhancement)
- The addition of visual elements such as icons, images, sign language videos, or highlights to text to aid comprehension and reading support. Visual augmentation is a common reading support strategy ac…
- Visual Crowding (Crowding)
- A perceptual phenomenon in which the presence of nearby flanking characters or objects makes it harder to recognise a target character, especially in peripheral vision or when the target is small, low…
- Visual Presentation (Text Presentation)
- The way text and content are visually rendered on screen or in print, encompassing typography, layout, color, spacing, and formatting choices. Visual presentation significantly affects readability and…