Glossary

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

259 results found in cognitive accessibility.

Disability Disclosure (Self-Disclosure, Disability Identity Disclosure)
The act of revealing one's disability status to others, including employers, educators, peers, or service providers. Disability disclosure is a complex, strategic decision influenced by stigma, fear o…
Disabling by Design (Designed Disability, Systemic Disablement)
A critical framework describing how systems, policies, and processes create disability through their design rather than through malicious intent. When a system requires cognitive, physical, or sensory…
Discrete Trial Training (DTT, Discrete Trial Teaching, Discrete Trial Instruction)
A structured teaching method used primarily with autistic children in which skills are broken down into small, distinct components and taught through repeated, controlled trials. Each trial follows a …
Distraction Management (Distraction Reduction, Attention Support)
Strategies, tools, and design approaches that help users minimize unwanted interruptions and maintain focus on their intended tasks, particularly in digital environments. For people with ADHD, distrac…
Distraction Reduction (Distraction Removal, Distraction Minimization)
Design strategies and technologies that minimize or eliminate elements that divert attention from primary content or tasks. In video accessibility for ADHD, distraction reduction involves identifying …
Distributed Accountability
A collaborative support strategy where responsibility for remembering tasks, meeting deadlines, and maintaining organizational systems is shared across a network of people rather than resting solely o…
Distributed Cognition (DCog)
A theoretical framework developed by Edwin Hutchins that views cognitive processes as distributed across individuals, artifacts, and the environment rather than confined to a single mind. In accessibi…
Doom Scrolling (Doomscrolling)
The tendency to continuously scroll through social media or news feeds despite the content being distressing or unproductive, often losing significant amounts of time in the process. Doom scrolling is…
Dopamine Hunger (Dopamine Seeking, Dopamine Starvation)
A colloquial ADHD-community term describing the drive to seek stimulating activities to compensate for differences in dopamine regulation characteristic of ADHD brains. It manifests as impulsivity, no…
Dysgraphia (Disorder of written expression, Specific learning disorder in written expression)
A neurological learning disability that affects written expression, including handwriting legibility, spelling accuracy, and the ability to organize thoughts in writing. Dysgraphia can make text entry…
Dyslexia
A specific learning disability that primarily affects reading, writing, and spelling skills. Dyslexia is neurological in origin and is characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recogn…
Dyslexia (Reading Disability, Developmental Dyslexia)
A neurologically-based learning disability that primarily affects the acquisition and processing of written language, manifesting as difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, and phonological proc…
Dyslexia Screening (Dyslexia Assessment, Reading Disability Screening)
The process of identifying individuals who may be at risk for dyslexia, typically through standardized tests that assess reading fluency, phonological awareness, rapid naming, and other cognitive indi…
Ear-EEG (Around-the-Ear EEG, cEEGrid)
Ear-EEG refers to electroencephalography (EEG) recorded using electrodes placed in and around the ear canal rather than on the scalp. Consumer-grade ear-EEG devices such as cEEGrid sensors are unobtru…
Early-Onset Dementia (Young-Onset Dementia, Working-Age Dementia)
Dementia diagnosed before the age of 65, affecting individuals who are often still in the workforce and digitally active. Early-onset dementia presents unique accessibility challenges because affected…
Easy Language (Easy-to-Read, Leichte Sprache, Easy Read, Einfache Sprache)
A simplified form of written language designed to make information accessible to people with reading difficulties, including those with intellectual disabilities, prelingual hearing impairments, learn…
Easy Read (Easy-to-Read, Easy Language, Plain Language for Cognitive Accessibility)
A method of presenting written information in a way that is accessible to people with intellectual disabilities, learning difficulties, or low literacy. Easy Read uses short sentences, common everyday…
Email Anxiety (Inbox Anxiety)
Intense anxiety, dread, or avoidance behavior around checking, opening, and responding to emails, commonly experienced by people with ADHD. Email anxiety can involve physical symptoms like racing hear…
Emotional Dysregulation (Emotion Dysregulation, Emotional Impulsivity, Affective Dysregulation, Deficient Emotional Self-Regulation)
Difficulty managing emotional responses, characterized by rapid, intense, and often disproportionate reactions to stimuli with limited reflection or regulation. Emotional dysregulation is a core yet f…
Emotional Regulation (Emotion Regulation, Affect Regulation)
The ability to manage, modify, and respond to emotional experiences in ways that are situationally appropriate and aligned with one's goals. Emotional regulation is a significant challenge for people …