Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
259 results found in cognitive accessibility.
- On-Demand Simplification (On-demand text simplification, User-initiated simplification)
- An interaction pattern for Automatic Text Simplification reading-assistance tools in which the user explicitly requests a simpler version of a word, phrase, or sentence — typically via hover, click, o…
- 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…
- Orthographic Depth (Orthographic Transparency, Spelling Transparency)
- The degree of consistency in the relationship between letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes) in a writing system. Languages with shallow or transparent orthography — like Finnish, Spanish, and Ital…
- Overselectivity (Stimulus Overselectivity, Overselective Attention)
- A learning challenge in which an individual attends to only one or a few features of a stimulus while ignoring other relevant features, resulting in an inability to discriminate between stimuli that s…
- Pain Invalidation (chronic pain disbelief, pain dismissal)
- The experience of having one's pain dismissed, disbelieved, or minimised by others, including healthcare professionals, family members, and social contacts. Pain invalidation is a pervasive barrier fo…
- Pain Self-Management (chronic pain self-management)
- A person-centred approach to living with chronic pain in which the individual takes an active role in managing their own condition through daily coping strategies, behavioural adaptations, and use of …
- 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, …
- Path Integration
- A cognitive navigation process in which a person tracks their position relative to a starting point by continuously monitoring their movements — including direction changes, distance traveled, and tur…
- Perception-Action Cycle (PAC)
- In human-computer interaction research, the perception-action cycle (PAC) describes the continuous loop in which a user perceives information from the environment — such as the position of an on-scree…
- Perceptual speed (Processing speed, Cognitive processing speed)
- The speed at which an individual can accurately perceive, compare, and respond to visual or auditory stimuli, typically measured through timed tasks requiring rapid symbol comparison or pattern matchi…
- Peripheral Awareness (Peripheral Perception, Ambient Awareness)
- The innate ability to unconsciously maintain and constantly update a sense of one's social and physical surroundings without actively directing attention to them. In accessibility contexts, peripheral…
- Personalization Semantics (WAI-Adapt)
- A W3C specification that defines standardized semantics enabling content to be adapted to individual user needs and preferences. Personalization Semantics allows web authors to add metadata attributes…
- Phonological Awareness (Phonemic Awareness, Sound Awareness)
- The ability to recognize and manipulate the sound structures of spoken language, including syllables, rhymes, and individual phonemes. Phonological awareness is a foundational skill for reading and wr…
- Pictograms (Pictogram, Picture Symbols, PCS)
- Simplified pictorial symbols that represent concepts, objects, activities, emotions, or places, widely used as a form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and as a visual support for au…
- Pictograph (Pictogram, Picture Symbol, Graphic Symbol)
- A simplified visual symbol or image that represents a word, concept, or action, used as an alternative or supplement to written text. Pictograph systems such as Sclera, Beta, and Widgit are widely use…
- Plain Language (Plain English, Clear Language, Simple Language)
- Plain language is communication that is clear, concise, and well-organized so that the intended audience can easily find, understand, and use the information. In accessibility, plain language is essen…
- Practice Effects (Test-Retest Practice Effects, Familiarity Effects)
- Practice effects in cognitive assessment refer to the improvement in test scores that occurs not from genuine cognitive change but from increased familiarity with test content and format across repeat…
- Prior Authorization (Pre-Authorization, Pre-Auth, PA)
- A requirement by health insurance companies that a healthcare provider obtain approval before a prescribed medication or treatment is covered. Prior authorization processes often involve multi-step bu…
- Procedural task analysis (Task decomposition, Step-by-step analysis)
- A method of breaking down complex tasks into sequential, discrete steps to understand user workflows and identify points of difficulty. In accessibility contexts, procedural task analysis reveals wher…
- Process Model of Emotion Regulation (Gross Process Model)
- A theoretical framework developed by James Gross that conceptualizes emotion regulation as a dynamic, continuous process with four main stages: identification (recognizing an emotion that needs regula…