Glossary

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

10 results found in navigation and wayfinding.

Accessible Mapping (Accessibility Mapping, Accessible Pedestrian Maps)
The creation and use of maps and geographic information systems that represent the accessibility characteristics of physical environments — including sidewalk inclines, curb cuts, surface types, path …
Accessible Maps (Accessible Mapping, Accessible Cartography)
Maps and navigation tools designed to be usable by people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, motor, and cognitive impairments. Accessible maps address both the digital accessibility …
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE, Bluetooth LE, Bluetooth Smart)
A wireless communication technology designed for short-range data transmission with minimal power consumption. In accessibility contexts, BLE is widely used for indoor positioning and wayfinding syste…
Emergency Evacuation Accessibility (Accessible Emergency Egress, Inclusive Emergency Evacuation)
The design of emergency evacuation procedures, systems, and infrastructure that enable people with disabilities to independently and safely exit buildings during emergencies. Traditional evacuation sy…
Indoor Positioning (Indoor Localization, Indoor Location)
Technology that determines a person's location within an indoor environment where GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable. Indoor positioning systems use various technologies including BLE beacons, …
Indoor Wayfinding (Indoor Navigation Wayfinding)
The process of navigating within enclosed spaces such as buildings, airports, shopping centers, and hospitals. Indoor wayfinding presents unique accessibility challenges because GPS signals are unavai…
Occupancy Grid (Occupancy Map, Mental Occupancy Grid)
A spatial representation that divides an environment into a grid of cells, each indicating whether that location is occupied by an object, free space, or unknown. In accessibility and assistive techno…
Pedestrian Accessibility (Sidewalk Accessibility, Walkability)
The degree to which outdoor pedestrian infrastructure — sidewalks, crosswalks, curb cuts, ramps, stairs, and pathways — enables people with diverse mobility needs to travel safely and independently on…
Project Sidewalk
An open-source web-based crowdsourcing tool developed at the University of Washington that enables volunteers to virtually audit sidewalk accessibility using Google Street View panoramas. Contributors…
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…