Glossary

Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.

67 results found in aging.

Compassion Fatigue (secondary traumatic stress, empathy fatigue)
A state of emotional and physical exhaustion that results from the prolonged exposure to others' suffering, particularly in caregiving contexts. Unlike burnout, which develops gradually from chronic w…
Crystallized Intelligence (Gc)
Crystallized intelligence refers to the accumulated knowledge, skills, vocabulary, and general information a person acquires through experience and education over their lifetime. Unlike fluid intellig…
Dementia
A group of progressive neurological conditions that affect memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, language, and judgment. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form. Dementia significantly imp…
Dementia-Friendly (Dementia Friendly Community, Dementia Inclusive)
An approach to designing environments, services, programs, and communities that are accessible, supportive, and inclusive of people living with dementia. A dementia-friendly community enables people w…
Digital Immigrant (Digital Non-Native)
A person who grew up before the widespread adoption of digital technology and has had to learn digital skills later in life, as opposed to a digital native who grew up immersed in technology. In acces…
Digital Native
A person who grew up using digital technologies such as computers, the Internet, and mobile devices from an early age. Digital natives are presumed to have intuitive familiarity with digital interface…
Digital divide (Digital gap, Digital inequality)
The disparity between individuals, households, or communities in access to, use of, and benefits from information and communication technologies. For older adults and people with disabilities, the dig…
Driving Cessation (Driving Retirement, Giving Up Driving)
The process by which a person stops driving a motor vehicle, either voluntarily or due to age-related decline in cognitive, visual, or physical abilities, medical conditions, or legal restrictions. Dr…
Enhanced Activities of Daily Living (EADLs, EADL (gerontology), Advanced Activities of Daily Living)
In gerontology and human-robot interaction research, the highest tier of everyday activities — higher-order social, recreational, and civic pursuits that enable full participation in society, such as …
Fall Detection (Automatic Fall Detection, Fall Alert System)
Technology that automatically identifies when a person has fallen and triggers an alert or emergency response. Fall detection systems typically use sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes in wea…
Fall Prevention (Fall Risk Reduction, Falls Prevention)
Strategies, interventions, and technologies designed to reduce the risk of falls, particularly among older adults and people with mobility or balance impairments. Falls are a leading cause of injury, …
Fluid intelligence (Fluid reasoning, Gf)
The cognitive ability to reason, solve novel problems, and identify patterns without relying on previously acquired knowledge or skills. Fluid intelligence typically declines with age and is commonly …
Gerontechnology (Gerontech)
An interdisciplinary field combining gerontology (the study of aging) and technology to design products, services, and environments that support the health, independence, and quality of life of older …
Health Data Visualization (Health Data Display, Patient Data Visualization)
The presentation of personal health information — such as blood glucose levels, blood pressure readings, activity data, or medication schedules — in visual formats including graphs, charts, trend line…
Health Literacy (Digital Health Literacy, eHealth Literacy)
The degree to which individuals can obtain, process, understand, and act on health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. In the digital context, health literacy extends…
Homebound (Housebound)
A status in which an individual has difficulty leaving their home without assistive devices or help from others, typically due to illness, injury, or environmental factors such as lack of transportati…
Hyper-aged Society (Super-aged Society)
A country or region where people aged 65 and over make up more than 21% of the total population. The term distinguishes extreme demographic aging from merely "aging" (7%+) or "aged" (14%+) societies. …
Informal Carer (Informal Caregiver, Family Carer, Unpaid Carer)
A person who provides regular care and support to a family member, friend, or neighbour who has a disability, chronic illness, mental health condition, or age-related needs, without being paid as a pr…
Information chunking (Chunking)
The practice of organizing information into smaller, manageable groups or segments to reduce cognitive load and improve comprehension and retention. Rooted in cognitive psychology research on working …
Instructional design (Learning design)
The systematic process of creating educational or instructional materials and experiences that facilitate effective learning and task completion. In accessibility, instructional design principles ensu…