Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
123 results found in communication.
- Floor Holding (Holding the Floor, Turn Holding)
- The conversational practice of maintaining one's turn to speak, signaling to others that one has not finished and intends to continue. For AAC users, floor holding is particularly challenging because …
- Fringe Vocabulary (Fringe Words, Context-Specific Vocabulary)
- Topic-specific or situation-specific words in an AAC system, typically nouns and other content words that are needed in particular contexts but not used frequently across all conversations. Examples i…
- Gaze Typing (Eye Typing, Gaze-Based Text Entry, Eye-Typing)
- A text input method that uses eye tracking technology to allow users to type by looking at keys on a virtual on-screen keyboard. The most common technique is dwell-based selection, where the user fixa…
- German Sign Language (DGS, Deutsche Gebärdensprache)
- The sign language used by the deaf community in Germany, recognised as an independent natural language with its own grammar, syntax, and vocabulary distinct from spoken German. Like other sign languag…
- Gloss (Sign Gloss, Gloss Notation)
- A form of transliteration used in sign language research where written words from a spoken language (typically the dominant spoken language of the region, such as English) are used as labels to repres…
- Grid Display (Symbol Grid, Grid-Based AAC)
- A common AAC layout format that presents communication options as symbols, icons, or words arranged in a grid pattern of rows and columns. Grid displays are widely used in speech-generating devices an…
- Haptic Communication (Social Haptics, Tactile Communication, Haptic Interaction)
- A method of conveying information through touch-based signals, vibrations, or physical patterns on the body. Haptic communication is particularly important for individuals with deafblindness or other …
- Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL)
- Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL) is the primary sign language used by the deaf and hard of hearing community in Hong Kong. It has its own distinct grammar and linguistic rules that differ significantly …
- Improvisational Music Therapy (IMT, Creative Music Therapy)
- A therapeutic approach in which the therapist and client spontaneously create music together without predetermined structure or composed material. This form of music therapy allows non-verbal communic…
- Indian Sign Language (ISL, Indo-Pakistani Sign Language, IPSL)
- The sign language used predominantly by the Deaf community in India. Indian Sign Language has its own distinct grammar and vocabulary that differs substantially from American Sign Language (ASL) and o…
- Interaction Symmetry (Balanced Interaction)
- The degree to which conversation partners have equal opportunities and means to participate in an interaction. In face-to-face spoken conversation, interaction is relatively symmetric—both partners ca…
- Interactive Communication Model
- A model of communication that extends the linear model by incorporating feedback from the receiver back to the sender, creating a two-way exchange. In AAC contexts, interactive high-tech devices enabl…
- Intergenerational Communication (Cross-generational Communication)
- Communication between people of different generations, particularly between older adults and younger family members or caregivers, which can be complicated by differing expectations, technology litera…
- Just-in-Time Programming (JIT Programming, Real-Time AAC Configuration)
- A method of configuring AAC devices in real time by capturing an image of a current activity, social interaction, or object and immediately creating a visual scene display with relevant communication …
- Just-in-Time Support (JIT Support, Just-in-Time Programming, JIT Vocabulary)
- In augmentative and alternative communication, the programming and availability of language concepts at the moment they are needed, rather than requiring pre-planning. Just-in-time support can be ment…
- Kenyan Sign Language (KSL)
- The primary sign language used by the deaf community in Kenya, recognized as a national language in Kenya's 2010 Constitution. KSL has its own grammar, syntax, and vocabulary distinct from spoken Kisw…
- Language Erasure (Linguistic Erasure, Language Flattening)
- The process by which a language's unique characteristics, variations, dialects, and cultural significance are diminished, homogenized, or eliminated — often through the dominance of a majority languag…
- Libras (Brazilian Sign Language, Língua Brasileira de Sinais)
- The official sign language of the Deaf community in Brazil, recognized by Brazilian federal law (Law No. 10.436/2002) as a legitimate means of communication and expression. Libras has its own grammar,…
- Linear Communication Model (Shannon-Weaver Model, Sender-Receiver Model)
- A model of communication in which information flows in one direction from a sender to a receiver through a channel, with no feedback mechanism. In the context of AAC, a linear model means the user con…
- Linguistic Accessibility
- The principle that information, services, and opportunities for participation should be available in a person's preferred language and communication modality. For Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals,…