Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
134 results found in inclusive design.
- Tactile Icon (Tactile Symbol, 3D Icon, Raised Icon)
- A small raised or three-dimensional symbol placed on a tactile map or diagram that represents a real-world object, location, or concept through touch. Tactile icons can be abstract (geometric shapes r…
- Tangible Design Language (Physical Design Language)
- An approach to design communication that uses physical objects, props, and prototypes to enable participants to express their needs, ideas, and preferences through hands-on interaction rather than abs…
- Tangible Technology (Tangible Interface, Tangible User Interface, TUI)
- Technology that connects physical objects to digital systems, allowing users to interact with computing through touching, manipulating, and moving real-world objects rather than through screens or key…
- Technology Empowerment (User Empowerment, Disability Technology Empowerment)
- An approach to accessibility that goes beyond user-centered design to actively train and support people with disabilities to become technology creators, developers, and researchers rather than solely …
- Techshop Method (Techshops, QUT Techshop)
- A reciprocal co-design research method where researchers learn about participants' perspectives on technology as participants learn about and engage with it. Developed for inclusive technology researc…
- Third Wave Accessibility (Third Wave HCI Accessibility)
- An approach to accessibility that considers the full context of people's lives rather than focusing narrowly on task completion or interface design. Third wave accessibility recognizes that technology…
- Tokenism (Token Inclusion)
- The practice of including a small number of individuals from underrepresented groups primarily for the appearance of inclusivity rather than for meaningful participation or impact. In accessibility re…
- Ubiquitous Computing (Ubicomp, Pervasive Computing, Ambient Computing)
- Ubiquitous computing is a paradigm where computing is integrated seamlessly into everyday environments and objects, becoming an invisible part of daily life through sensors, smart devices, and network…
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
- An educational framework based on neuroscience research that guides the design of flexible learning experiences to accommodate individual learning differences. UDL provides three core principles: mult…
- User model (User modeling, User modelling)
- A computational representation of a user's characteristics, abilities, preferences, and behavior patterns, used to predict how they will interact with a system or to adapt an interface to their needs.…
- User-Sensitive Inclusive Design (USID)
- A design methodology that adapts user-centered design principles for contexts where the target user population is highly diverse and where individual differences — including those related to disabilit…
- Variable Ability (Fluctuating Ability, Dynamic Disability)
- The characteristic of many chronic illnesses and disabilities where a person's functional abilities change significantly over time — across days, hours, or even minutes. Variable ability includes both…
- Vocational Training (Vocational Education, Job Training, Occupational Training)
- Vocational training is education focused on developing practical skills and knowledge required for specific occupations or trades. In accessibility contexts, vocational training for people with disabi…
- Volunteer-Driven Accessibility (Community-Driven Accessibility)
- Accessibility solutions that depend on the unpaid labor of volunteers rather than being built into platforms or services by design. Examples include volunteer-created accessible e-newspapers for blind…