Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
840 results found in assistive technology.
- Voice Output Communication Aid (VOCA, Speech Output Device)
- An electronic augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device that produces synthesized or digitized speech output when a user selects symbols, words, or phrases. VOCAs range from simple singl…
- Voice Recognition (Speech Recognition, Voice Control, Voice Input)
- Technology that identifies and processes human speech to convert it into text or execute commands. Voice recognition serves as a critical assistive technology for people with motor disabilities who ca…
- Voice Vista
- A free audio-based navigation application for blind and low-vision users that uses 3D spatial audio to announce nearby streets, intersections, points of interest, and set beacons as the user walks. Vo…
- Voice and Video-Capable Language Model (VVLM, Multimodal AI Assistant, Video-Capable LLM)
- A large language model that can process real-time or near-real-time video and audio input alongside text, enabling conversational interaction about the visual world. VVLMs represent a shift from stati…
- Voice banking (Voice preservation, Speech banking)
- The process of recording and storing samples of a person's natural voice so that a synthetic version can be created for future use with text-to-speech systems. Voice banking is particularly important …
- Voice navigation (Voice control, Voice input)
- An assistive technology that allows users to navigate and interact with digital content using spoken commands rather than a mouse, keyboard, or touchscreen. Voice navigation systems such as Dragon Nat…
- Voice prosthesis (speech prosthesis, voice restoration device)
- A device that enables speech production for people who have lost their natural voice, typically due to laryngectomy or severe laryngeal damage. Voice prostheses include external devices like electrola…
- Voice-Activated Personal Assistant (VAPA, Voice Assistant, Virtual Assistant)
- AI-powered software that responds to spoken commands to perform tasks such as scheduling, setting reminders, searching information, and controlling devices. Examples include Siri, Alexa, Google Assist…
- Voice-First Design (Voice-First Interface, Audio-First Design)
- A design approach for applications and interfaces where voice is the primary input and output modality, with visual elements being secondary or absent. Voice-first design is particularly relevant for …
- Voice-activated personal assistant (VAPA, Smart assistant, Virtual assistant, Voice assistant)
- An AI-powered software agent that responds to voice commands to perform tasks such as answering questions, controlling smart home devices, managing schedules, and reading content aloud. For people wit…
- VoiceOver
- The built-in screen reader provided by Apple across macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. VoiceOver is notable for being deeply integrated into the operating system rather than being a separate appli…
- VoiceXML (Voice Extensible Markup Language, VXML)
- VoiceXML (Voice Extensible Markup Language) is a W3C standard markup language for creating voice-based user interfaces, particularly interactive voice response (IVR) systems and voice browsers. VoiceX…
- VoxLens
- An open-source JavaScript plug-in developed at the University of Washington that improves the accessibility of online data visualizations for screen-reader users through a multimodal approach. VoxLens…
- Wearable Assistive Technology (Wearable AT, Assistive Wearables)
- Electronic devices worn on the body—such as smartwatches, smart glasses, rings, or headbands—that provide assistive functionality for people with disabilities. Wearable assistive technology leverages …
- Wearable Computing (Wearable Technology, Wearables)
- Electronic devices and computing systems designed to be worn on the body, integrated into clothing, or carried as accessories. Wearable computers can continuously monitor the user and their environmen…
- Wearable Immersive Virtual Reality (WIVR, Wearable VR)
- A category of virtual reality systems designed to be worn on the body, typically using lightweight, portable headsets such as smartphone-based viewers (e.g., Google Cardboard). WIVR prioritizes afford…
- Wearable Sensing (Wearable Sensors, Wearable Monitoring)
- The use of body-worn devices such as smartwatches, wristbands, and biosensor patches to continuously monitor physiological signals including heart rate, electrodermal activity, skin temperature, blood…
- Wearable Technology (Wearables, Wearable Devices)
- Electronic devices designed to be worn on the body, such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses, and haptic wristbands. In accessibility contexts, wearable technology offers unique advantage…
- Web Automation (Browser Automation, Web Macro)
- The process of automating browsing actions on behalf of a user, such as filling forms, navigating between pages, clicking links, or extracting content. Web automation can be achieved through macros (p…
- Web Proxy (HTTP Proxy, Intermediary, Edge Service, Proxy Server)
- A web proxy (or intermediary) is a server that sits between a user's browser and the origin web server, intercepting and potentially modifying HTTP requests and responses as they pass through. In the …