Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
840 results found in assistive technology.
- Haptic Perception (Tactile Perception, Touch Perception)
- The ability to perceive and interpret information through the sense of touch, including the detection of texture, shape, temperature, pressure, and vibration. Haptic perception is a primary informatio…
- Haptic Technology (Haptics, Touch Technology)
- Technology that creates tactile experiences through the application of forces, vibrations, or motions to the user, enabling interaction through the sense of touch. Haptic technologies range from simpl…
- Haptic Toolkit (Tactile Prototyping Toolkit)
- A collection of physical materials designed to enable hands-on design and prototyping through touch rather than vision. In accessible design research, haptic toolkits are developed specifically for bl…
- Haptic Wearable (Haptic Wearable Device, Wearable Haptic Technology)
- A body-worn electronic device that communicates information through touch sensations such as vibration, pressure, or temperature changes. In accessibility contexts, haptic wearables can serve as assis…
- Haptics (Haptic Technology, Haptic Feedback)
- Technology that creates tactile sensations through vibrations, forces, or motions to simulate touch and physical interaction with digital content. In accessibility, haptics enables people who are blin…
- Head Pointer (Head Mouse, Head Tracking Device)
- An assistive technology input device that translates head movements into cursor movements on screen, allowing people who cannot use their hands or arms to control a computer. Head pointers can be phys…
- Head Tracking (Head Movement Tracking, Head-Controlled Input, Head Tracker)
- An assistive technology input method that translates natural head movements into computer cursor control or other input actions. Head tracking systems use cameras, infrared sensors, or depth sensors t…
- Head Wand (Head Pointer, Head Stick, Mouth Stick)
- A head wand is an assistive input device consisting of a pointer attached to a headband or held in the mouth, allowing people with limited or no hand and arm function to operate a keyboard, touchscree…
- Head-Mounted Display (HMD, VR Headset, AR Headset)
- A wearable device worn on the head that places a display in front of the user's eyes to present virtual or augmented content. HMDs range from fully immersive VR headsets (like Meta Quest) that replace…
- Head-based Pointing (Head Tracking, Head Mouse, Head-controlled Input)
- An alternative input method that allows users to control an on-screen cursor by moving their head, typically tracked via a camera, infrared sensor, or inertial measurement unit. Head-based pointing is…
- Head-mounted display (HMD, Smart glasses, Head-worn display)
- A wearable device that positions a display in front of one or both eyes, either overlaying digital content onto the real world (optical see-through) or replacing the visual field with a camera-capture…
- Health Monitoring (Remote Patient Monitoring, Health Surveillance)
- The continuous or periodic collection of health-related data using sensors, wearables, or smart home technology to track an individual's wellbeing and detect problems. Health monitoring systems may tr…
- Hearing Aid (Hearing Aids)
- An electronic device worn in or behind the ear that amplifies sound to assist people with hearing loss. Modern hearing aids include digital signal processing, directional microphones, and connectivity…
- Home Automation (Domotics, Smart Home Automation)
- The use of technology to automatically control household systems and appliances such as lighting, heating, ventilation, security, and entertainment. Home automation systems use sensors, timers, and pr…
- Human Augmentation (Body Augmentation, Augmentative Technology)
- Technologies that extend or enhance human physical or cognitive capabilities beyond their current state, including robotic exoskeletons, prosthetic limbs, sensory substitution devices, and brain-compu…
- Human Machine Interface (HMI, Human-Computer Interface)
- The point of interaction between a human user and a machine, encompassing all hardware and software through which users control and receive feedback from a system. In accessible design, HMIs must supp…
- Human-Powered Accessibility (Human Computation for Accessibility, Crowd-Powered Assistive Technology)
- An approach to assistive technology that uses remote human workers — whether paid crowdworkers, volunteers, or trained agents — to provide accessibility services that automated systems cannot yet deli…
- Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)
- The interdisciplinary field studying how humans and robots communicate, collaborate, and coexist. In accessibility contexts, HRI research explores how robots can be designed to support people with dis…
- IBM Home Page Reader (Home Page Reader, HPR)
- IBM Home Page Reader (HPR) was a pioneering voice browser developed by IBM that provided audio-based web browsing for people with visual disabilities. Unlike screen readers that operate as an overlay …
- IDE Accessibility (Accessible IDE, Development Environment Accessibility)
- IDE accessibility refers to making integrated development environments — the software applications used for writing, testing, and debugging code — usable by developers with disabilities. IDEs like Vis…