Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
840 results found in assistive technology.
- Predictive Text (Text Prediction, Word Prediction, Autocomplete)
- A software feature that suggests words or phrases as the user types, based on context, language models, and the user's typing history. Predictive text is a significant accessibility feature for people…
- Preference Customization (User Preference Configuration, Personalization Settings)
- The ability for users, particularly those using assistive technologies, to configure how they receive and interact with digital content based on their individual needs, preferences, and context. In ac…
- Press-and-Listen Paradigm (Sequential Navigation, Linear Content Consumption)
- The fundamental interaction model of screen reader assistive technology, where users press keyboard shortcuts to move through web content elements one at a time and listen to each element being announ…
- Privacy Leak (Accidental Disclosure, Privacy Disclosure)
- The unintentional capture and sharing of sensitive personal information through visual assistance technologies. Research has found that approximately 10% of images submitted to VAT services contain pr…
- Proactive description (Proactive notification, Unsolicited description)
- The ability of an assistive system to automatically provide relevant visual or environmental information without requiring the user to explicitly request it. For blind and visually impaired users navi…
- Procedural Feedback System (Process-Oriented Guidance System)
- An assistive technology paradigm that provides dynamic, step-by-step support throughout complex multi-step tasks rather than addressing isolated moments of need. Unlike traditional assistive tools tha…
- Procedural Task Tracking (Task Progress Tracking, Step Tracking)
- The automated monitoring of a user's progress through a multi-step task, identifying which steps have been completed, which are in progress, and which remain. In accessibility contexts, procedural tas…
- Programming by Demonstration (PBD, Record and Replay, Macro Recording)
- A technique for creating automated sequences of actions by recording a user performing the task manually, rather than requiring the user to write code or scripts. The system observes the user's intera…
- Prosthesis (Prosthetic, Prosthetic device, Artificial limb)
- A prosthesis is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, most commonly a limb. Prosthetics range from cosmetic devices that restore appearance to functional devices that enable specific…
- Proxemic Interaction (Proximity-Based Interaction, Proxemics)
- An interaction design approach that uses the spatial relationship between users, devices, and objects in the environment — including distance, orientation, and movement — to trigger contextual actions…
- Proximity Detection (Proximity Sensing, Proximity-Based Localization)
- A method of determining a user's approximate location by measuring their closeness to known reference points, such as BLE beacons or Wi-Fi access points, based on signal strength. In accessible indoor…
- Proxy (Support Person, Intermediary User)
- In accessibility contexts, a person who assists someone with a disability in using technology or accessing services. Proxies may include family members, caregivers, support workers, or friends who hel…
- Proxy Interface (Accessibility Proxy, Alternative Interface)
- An intermediary user interface that sits between the user and the original content, re-presenting information in a more accessible format without modifying the underlying source. In accessibility cont…
- Proxy User (Proxy Participant, Surrogate User)
- A person without a disability who participates in research or usability testing as a stand-in for the intended end user with a disability. Proxies are commonly used in AAC and assistive technology res…
- Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS)
- A 26-item self-report questionnaire designed to measure the psychosocial impact of an assistive technology device on a person's functional independence, well-being, and quality of life. PIADS assesses…
- Pulse Oximetry (Pulse Oximeter, SpO2 Monitoring)
- A non-invasive method of monitoring blood oxygen saturation (O2sat) and heart rate using a sensor typically placed on the finger or wrist. Pulse oximeters use light absorption through the skin to esti…
- QR Code (Quick Response Code)
- A two-dimensional barcode that encodes information such as text, URLs, or other data in a square matrix of black and white modules. In accessibility contexts, QR codes serve as a bridge between physic…
- QR code accessibility (QR code labels, Machine-readable labels)
- The use of Quick Response (QR) codes as an alternative to Braille or printed text for encoding information in tactile graphics, product labels, or physical environments that can be read by smartphone …
- Quality Assurance (QA)
- Systematic processes for ensuring that products or services meet defined standards of quality before reaching end users. In 3D-printed assistive technology programs, quality assurance includes inspect…
- Quality of Life Technology (QoLT, QoL Technology)
- An umbrella term encompassing technologies designed to maintain or enhance the health, functioning, and independence of older adults and people with disabilities. Quality of life technology includes a…