Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
840 results found in assistive technology.
- On-Body Gesture (On-Body Interaction, Body-Based Gesture)
- A gesture performed on or against one's own body rather than on a device surface or in the air. Examples include tapping the thigh, swiping along the forearm, or touching the ear to trigger a command …
- On-Screen Keyboard (Virtual Keyboard, Software Keyboard, OSK)
- A software application that displays a visual representation of a keyboard on the computer screen, allowing users to type by selecting keys with a pointing device, head tracker, eye gaze system, or sw…
- One-Handed Input (Single-Handed Operation, One-Handed Operation)
- One-handed input refers to interaction techniques and interface designs that can be operated using a single hand, accommodating users who have limited use of one limb due to amputation, hemiplegia, st…
- Open-Source Hardware (OSHW)
- Physical devices and components whose design specifications are publicly available for anyone to study, modify, distribute, and manufacture. In the assistive technology space, open-source hardware ena…
- OpenDyslexic (Open Dyslexic)
- A free, open-source typeface specifically designed to improve readability for people with dyslexia. The font uses heavier bottom portions on letters to help prevent visual rotation and uses unique let…
- Optacon (Optical-to-Tactile Converter)
- A historical assistive device developed in the 1970s that enabled blind people to read printed text by converting visual images of letters into tactile vibration patterns felt with the fingertip. User…
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR, Text Recognition)
- Technology that converts images of text—whether typed, handwritten, or printed—into machine-readable text data. OCR is used in accessibility to extract text from images, documents, video frames, and r…
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR) (OCR, Text Recognition)
- Technology that converts images of text — such as scanned documents, photographs of signs, or PDF pages stored as images — into machine-readable text that can be processed by screen readers, search en…
- Opticon (Optical-to-Tactile Converter)
- An early assistive technology device developed by Dr. James Bliss in the 1960s that converts printed text into a tactile vibrating pattern that can be read with the fingertip. The Opticon uses a small…
- 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…
- PDF Remediation (PDF Tagging, PDF Accessibility Remediation, Document Remediation)
- The process of adding structural tags to an existing PDF document to make it accessible to assistive technologies such as screen readers. Remediation involves identifying logical content elements (hea…
- PHANTOM (PHANTOM Omni, PHANTOM Desktop, SensAble PHANTOM)
- A family of force-feedback haptic devices originally developed by SensAble Technologies (now part of 3D Systems). PHANTOM devices use a pen-like stylus that users grasp while motors apply forces to cr…
- Page Turner (Page Turning Aid)
- Any device, tool, or person that assists a musician in turning the pages of a music score during performance. Traditional page turners are human assistants who sit beside a musician and turn pages on …
- Paradox of the Active User
- The Paradox of the Active User, identified by Carroll and Rosson (1987), refers to the observation that computer users systematically avoid investing time in learning more efficient tools or methods, …
- Parametric design (Parametric modeling)
- A design approach in which objects are defined by adjustable parameters (dimensions, angles, ratios) rather than direct geometric manipulation, allowing users to customize designs by changing numerica…
- Passive Sensing (Passive Monitoring, Ambient Sensing)
- The collection of behavioral and physiological data through sensors without requiring active user input. In mental health contexts, passive sensing uses smartphone sensors (GPS, accelerometer, microph…
- Passive notification (Automatic notification, Push notification)
- Information delivered to a user automatically without requiring active input, triggered by context such as location, time, or system state. In assistive navigation for people with visual impairments, …
- Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR, Inertial Navigation)
- A localization technique that estimates a pedestrian's position by tracking their movement from a known starting point using inertial sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes) found in smartphones. The …
- Peltier Module (Peltier Device, Thermoelectric Module, TEC Module)
- A Peltier module is a thermoelectric device that creates a temperature difference when electrical current is applied, with one side heating up and the other cooling down. In assistive technology, flex…
- Perceptual Computing (Perceptual Intelligence)
- A computing paradigm in which systems use sensors such as cameras, microphones, and motion detectors to perceive and interpret human behaviour, including gestures, facial expressions, speech, and body…