Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
108 results found in accessibility.
- Deficit-Based Approach (Deficit Model, Deficit Framing, Deficit Perspective)
- An approach that focuses primarily on what individuals cannot do, what skills they lack, or what is "wrong" with them, rather than their strengths, abilities, and potential. In disability and accessib…
- Digital Sheet Music (Electronic Sheet Music)
- Musical scores displayed on electronic devices such as tablets, computers, or head-mounted displays rather than printed on paper. Digital sheet music offers accessibility advantages over print includi…
- Dynamic Accessibility Analysis (Runtime Accessibility Testing, Dynamic A11y Analysis)
- An approach to detecting accessibility issues by testing an application while it is running on a device or emulator, examining the actual rendered user interface rather than just the source code. Tool…
- Dynamic Caption Tracking (Word-by-Word Highlighting, Synchronized Caption Highlighting)
- A caption display feature that highlights or visually emphasizes the word currently being spoken in the caption text, synchronized with the audio. Dynamic caption tracking helps viewers maintain their…
- Eyes-Free Interaction (Eyes-Free Computing)
- Interaction with digital devices and interfaces without requiring visual attention to a screen. Eyes-free interaction is essential for blind users but also benefits sighted users in contexts where loo…
- Failure Point Barrier (Failure Point)
- A type of access barrier where a task is completely impossible without assistive technology or support. Failure point barriers represent the most severe form of inaccessibility—without the necessary t…
- Flexible Learning (Flexible Instruction, Flexible Pedagogy)
- An educational approach that provides students with choices in how, when, where, and at what pace they learn. Flexible learning may include options such as recorded lectures that can be watched at var…
- Flow (Flow state, Optimal experience, Being in the zone)
- A psychological state of complete absorption in an activity, characterized by focused concentration, loss of self-consciousness, altered sense of time, and intrinsic enjoyment. Coined by psychologist …
- Future Impact Barrier
- A type of access barrier where a task can be completed in the present without difficulty, but doing so will cause negative consequences in the future, such as triggering a migraine, causing cumulative…
- GenderMag (Gender-Inclusiveness Magnifier, GenderMag Method)
- GenderMag (Gender-Inclusiveness Magnifier) is an inclusive design inspection method for finding and fixing inclusivity bugs in problem-solving software. It uses five facets of problem-solving style th…
- Gesture-Based Interaction (Gesture Control, Gestural Input)
- A mode of human-computer interaction where users control digital systems through hand or body movements detected by cameras or sensors, rather than through traditional input devices. In mixed reality …
- Glare Sensitivity (Photophobia, Light Sensitivity)
- An increased sensitivity to light that causes discomfort, visual difficulty, or pain, commonly experienced by people with various eye conditions including cataracts, macular degeneration, and albinism…
- Graphical Authentication (Graphical Password, Picture Password)
- An authentication method that uses images, patterns, or visual elements instead of text-based passwords. Graphical authentication leverages human visual memory, which is generally stronger than verbal…
- Hands-Free Interaction (Hands-Free Computing, No-Hands Input, Hands-free, Hands-free Computing)
- The ability to operate digital devices and interfaces without using the hands, typically through voice commands, eye tracking, head movements, foot controls, or brain-computer interfaces. Hands-free i…
- Imagined Device (Imaginary Device, Imagined Input Device)
- An input device that exists only in the user's imagination, with no physical form, operated through gestures that draw on mental models of a real counterpart such as a smartphone, remote control, or j…
- Input Modality (Interaction Modality, Input Method)
- A distinct channel or method through which a user provides input to a computing system, such as touch, voice, gesture, gaze, or keyboard interaction. In accessibility contexts, supporting multiple inp…
- Internal Access Conflict (Conflicting Access Needs)
- A situation where a single individual's different access needs contradict or undermine each other, making it impossible to fully accommodate all needs simultaneously. For example, a person with chroni…
- Journey Mapping (Journey Map)
- A qualitative research and design method in which participants describe a trip, task, or experience step-by-step across sequential phases (e.g., pre-trip, in-trip, post-trip), identifying the tools th…
- Large-Print Notation (Large-Print Music, Enlarged Music Notation)
- Sheet music that has been enlarged or reformatted with larger symbols and staves to improve readability for people with low vision. Large-print music notation requires a specialized conversion process…
- Linguistic Accessibility
- The principle that information, services, and opportunities for participation should be available in a person's preferred language and communication modality. For Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals,…