Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
123 results found in communication.
- Complex Communication Needs (CCN)
- A term describing the communication challenges faced by individuals who cannot rely on speech alone to meet all their communication needs in daily life. People with complex communication needs may use…
- Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)
- Communication that occurs through digital devices and platforms, including text messaging, email, video conferencing, voice chat, and social media. Computer-mediated communication raises accessibility…
- Conversational Agency (Communicative Agency)
- An individual's capacity to express themselves and achieve their communicative goals within a conversation. Conversational agency encompasses not just the ability to transmit messages but also the abi…
- Conversational Flow (Dialogue Flow, Conversation Rhythm)
- The natural rhythm and progression of a conversation, including the smooth exchange of turns, timely responses, appropriate pauses, and coherent topic development. Conversational flow depends on both …
- Core Vocabulary (Core Words)
- A small set of high-frequency words — typically pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and prepositions — that make up approximately 80% of what people say in everyday communication. Examples include words like…
- Cued Speech (Cued Language)
- A visual communication system that combines mouth movements of speech with hand shapes and positions (cues) near the face to make spoken language visually accessible. Unlike sign language, which is an…
- Deictic Reference (Deixis, Pointing Reference)
- Communication that refers to something by pointing or indicating rather than describing it explicitly—words like "this," "that," "here," and "there." In face-to-face communication, deictic references …
- Delegated Agency (Delegated Technical Agency)
- Delegated agency occurs in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) when a close conversation partner (such as a parent or aide) acts on behalf of an augmented communicator to advance the comm…
- Disability Language (Disability Terminology, Disability Nomenclature)
- The words and phrases used to refer to disabled people and disability, which carry significant social, political, and cultural implications. Disability language encompasses identity-first language (e.…
- Disordered Speech (Pathological Speech, Atypical Speech)
- Speech that differs from typical patterns due to motor, neurological, structural, or developmental conditions. Disordered speech encompasses conditions like dysarthria, apraxia, stuttering, and speech…
- Echolalia (Echoing, Echolalic Speech)
- The repetition or echoing of words, phrases, or sounds spoken by others, commonly observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and some other developmental conditions. Echolalia can be immedi…
- Embodied Communication (Embodied Interaction)
- Communication that involves the whole body as a resource for meaning-making, including gestures, posture, facial expressions, gaze, touch, and physical movement through space. Embodied communication r…
- Emergent Communicator (Beginning Communicator, Pre-Symbolic Communicator)
- A person who is in the early stages of learning to use symbolic communication — understanding that symbols, words, pictures, or signs can represent objects, actions, and concepts. Emergent communicato…
- English Literacy (Reading Literacy, English Reading Literacy)
- The ability to read, write, and comprehend written English. In the context of deaf and hard-of-hearing accessibility, English literacy is a significant consideration because many DHH individuals — par…
- Expressive Communication (Expressive AAC, Rich Communication)
- Communication that conveys not just informational content but also emotion, personality, attitude, humor, and social nuance. For AAC users, achieving expressive communication is a significant challeng…
- Extra-Speech Information (ESI, Paralinguistic Information)
- Aspects of spoken language beyond the words themselves that convey additional meaning, including how something is said rather than what is said. Examples include tone of voice (yelling, whispering), v…
- Eye Gaze (Gaze, Gaze Direction, Visual Gaze)
- The direction and focus of a person's eyes during visual attention, used both as a communication signal and as a measurable indicator of cognitive processing. In sign language communication, eye gaze …
- Eye Gaze Communication (Gaze-Based Communication, Eye Tracking Communication)
- The use of eye movements and gaze direction as a means of communication, either naturally (making eye contact, looking at objects to indicate interest) or through technology (eye-tracking systems that…
- Facial Expression
- The use of facial muscles to convey emotions, reactions, or linguistic meaning. In sign languages such as ASL, facial expressions serve a grammatical function far beyond conveying emotion — they mark …
- Finger Braille (Tactile Finger Spelling)
- A communication method used primarily by deaf-blind people, in which a sender taps or presses on the fingers of the receiver to represent Braille dot patterns, simulating typing on a Braille typewrite…