Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
108 results found in accessibility.
- Lip Reading (Speechreading, Visual Speech Perception)
- The practice of interpreting speech by visually observing the speaker mouth movements, facial expressions, and gestures. While commonly associated with deaf and hard of hearing individuals, lip readin…
- Mobile Accessibility (Mobile A11y)
- The practice of ensuring that mobile applications, websites, and devices are usable by people with disabilities. Mobile accessibility encompasses touchscreen interaction for blind and motor-impaired u…
- Mobile App Accessibility (Mobile Accessibility, App Accessibility)
- The practice of designing and developing mobile applications so they can be used effectively by people with disabilities, including those using assistive technologies such as screen readers (TalkBack …
- Motor Impairment (Motor Disability, Physical Disability, Movement Impairment)
- A condition that affects a person ability to control physical movements, including fine motor skills (small precise movements like typing) and gross motor skills (larger movements like reaching). Moto…
- Multi-Modal (Multi-Modality, Multimodal Interaction)
- An approach to presenting information or enabling interaction through multiple sensory channels simultaneously, such as combining visual, auditory, and tactile outputs. In accessibility, multi-modal d…
- Multimodal Content (Multi-Modal Media)
- Content that combines multiple forms of media—such as text, images, audio, video, and interactive elements—to convey information. Multimodal content can enhance accessibility by providing multiple pat…
- Multimodal Instruction (Multimodal Feedback, Multimodal Learning)
- An instructional approach that combines two or more sensory modalities - such as verbal narration, non-verbal sound, haptic or tactile feedback, and visual demonstration - to convey information. In ac…
- Multimodal Output (Multi-Modal Output, Cross-Modal Output)
- The simultaneous presentation of information through multiple sensory channels or formats, such as audio, visual, tactile, and text-to-speech, allowing users to choose the modality or combination of m…
- Multisensory (Multisensory Design, Multisensory Interaction)
- An approach to design and interaction that engages multiple human senses — such as sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste — to convey information and create richer experiences. In accessibility, mult…
- MusicXML
- An open, XML-based standard format for representing Western musical notation, enabling the exchange of sheet music between different music notation software applications. MusicXML encodes the structur…
- Musicking
- A term coined by musicologist Christopher Small to describe music as an activity or process rather than a thing. Musicking encompasses all participation in a musical performance—playing, listening, da…
- Natural Language Query (NLQ, Conversational Query, Natural Language Search)
- An interaction paradigm where users pose questions or issue commands in everyday language rather than using structured search syntax, predefined filters, or navigation controls. In accessibility conte…
- Non-Verbal Communication (Nonverbal Communication, NVC, Body Language)
- Communication through means other than spoken or written words, including facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, body posture, touch, tone of voice, and spatial behavior. Non-verbal communication …
- Nonspeech Audio (Non-Speech Sounds, Auditory Cues)
- Audio feedback in user interfaces that conveys information through sounds other than synthesized or recorded speech, including earcons (abstract musical motifs), auditory icons (realistic sounds repre…
- Nonvisual Interaction (Eyes-Free Interaction, Screenless Interaction)
- Interaction with computing devices without relying on visual feedback, using alternative channels such as audio, tactile, or proprioceptive cues. Nonvisual interaction is essential for blind and low-v…
- Option Repertoire
- A type of technology repertoire where a person has multiple tools that can each independently address the same access barrier, choosing between them based on context. For example, a person might use f…
- Para Powerlifting (Adaptive Powerlifting, Paralympic Powerlifting)
- A Paralympic strength sport in which athletes with physical disabilities perform bench press lifts. Unlike able-bodied powerlifting which includes squat, bench press, and deadlift, para powerlifting f…
- Para-Athlete (Disabled Athlete, Adaptive Athlete)
- An athlete with a disability who competes in adaptive or Paralympic sports. Para-athletes may have physical disabilities (amputations, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy), visual impairments, or int…
- Paralympic (Paralympic Games, Paralympics)
- The international multi-sport event for athletes with physical, visual, and intellectual disabilities, organized in parallel with the Olympic Games. The first organized Paralympic Games took place in …
- Playback Speed (Video Speed, Playback Rate)
- The rate at which video or audio content plays relative to its original recording speed. Most video platforms allow users to adjust playback speed, typically from 0.25x to 2x or higher. For viewers wi…