Glossary

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

47 results found in mobile accessibility.

Live Transcribe (Google Live Transcribe)
An Android accessibility feature developed by Google that provides real-time speech-to-text transcription, displaying spoken words as text on the smartphone screen. Live Transcribe supports over 80 la…
Lookout (Google Lookout)
An Android accessibility application developed by Google that uses the smartphone camera and machine learning to identify objects, read text, scan documents, and describe surroundings for blind and pa…
M-Pesa (Mobile Money)
A mobile money transfer and financial services platform widely used in Kenya and other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, allowing users to deposit, withdraw, transfer money, and pay for goods and services …
Mobile Web Best Practices (MWBP, MWBP 1.0)
A W3C recommendation published in 2006 that defines good usability and accessibility practices for delivering web content to mobile devices. Derived from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (…
Near-Miss Detection (Near-Miss Interaction)
A strategy for identifying when a user almost but not quite succeeds at a device interaction, suggesting they might benefit from an accessibility accommodation. For example, if a user repeatedly attem…
Nomadic Text Entry (Mobile Text Entry, On-the-Go Texting)
The practice of inputting text on a mobile device while moving through or actively engaging with the physical environment, as opposed to typing while stationary. For people who are blind or visually i…
Nonvisual Interaction (Eyes-Free Interaction, Screenless Interaction)
Interaction with computing devices without relying on visual feedback, using alternative channels such as audio, tactile, or proprioceptive cues. Nonvisual interaction is essential for blind and low-v…
Offline Access (Offline Mode, Disconnected Access, Offline-First)
The ability to use digital content, applications, or services without an active internet connection. Offline access is an important accessibility consideration because it ensures that users in areas w…
Smartphones as Assistive Technology (Mobile AT, Phone-Based AT)
The use of mainstream smartphones as assistive devices through built-in accessibility features (screen readers, magnification, live captions, sound amplification) and downloadable applications that su…
Sound Amplifier (Google Sound Amplifier)
An Android accessibility feature that uses the smartphone's microphone and headphones to amplify and filter ambient sounds in real-time, making it easier for hard of hearing users to hear conversation…
Steady Tapping
The ability to place a finger on a touchscreen target and hold it still long enough for the system to register a deliberate tap, as opposed to the unintentional movements caused by hand tremor. For us…
Tactile Overlay (Touch Overlay, Tactile Screen Overlay)
A physical sheet or frame placed on top of a touchscreen or flat surface that provides raised tactile landmarks, borders, buttons, and contextual information for users who are blind or have low vision…
TalkBack (Android TalkBack, Google TalkBack)
The built-in screen reader for Android devices, developed by Google as part of the Android Accessibility Suite. TalkBack provides spoken feedback, vibration, and other audible cues to help blind and v…
Textonym (T9 Ambiguity)
Words that share the same sequence of key presses on a telephone-style number pad, such as "bat" and "cat" which both map to the key sequence 2-2-8. Textonyms are a significant design consideration in…
Touch Accessibility (Touchscreen Accessibility)
The design and adaptation of touch-based interfaces to be usable by people with diverse motor, sensory, and cognitive abilities. Touch accessibility addresses challenges including insufficient target …
Touch Screen Accessibility (Touchscreen Accessibility, Touch Input Accessibility)
The design and implementation of touch-based interfaces so they can be effectively used by people with various disabilities, including those with motor impairments, low vision, or blindness. Touch scr…
Touch target (Tap target, Touch target size, Target size)
The interactive area on a touchscreen or pen-based display that responds to user input when tapped or pressed. Touch target size is a critical accessibility consideration because targets that are too …
Touchscreen text entry (Mobile typing, Virtual keyboard input)
The process of entering text on a touchscreen device using a virtual keyboard, which presents significant accessibility challenges for blind and visually impaired users who cannot see key boundaries o…
Transportation Accessibility (Accessible Transportation, Mobility Accessibility)
The design and provision of transportation systems, services, and infrastructure that are usable by people with disabilities. Transportation accessibility encompasses physical access to vehicles and t…
UAProf (User Agent Profile)
A specification from the Open Mobile Alliance that extends the CC/PP (Composite Capability/Preference Profiles) framework to describe mobile device capabilities in a standardized RDF-based format. UAP…