Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
28 results found in orientation and mobility.
- Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS, Audible Pedestrian Signal, Audible Traffic Signal)
- A device integrated into pedestrian signal systems at traffic intersections that communicates walk and don't-walk information to pedestrians who are blind or have low vision through audible tones, ver…
- Clock Face Method (Clock Position Method, Clock Face Orientation, Clock Method)
- A technique for describing the spatial position of objects relative to a person by using the positions on an analog clock face. For example, an item directly in front of a person is at 12 o'clock, to …
- Clock Position (Clock face position, Clock orientation)
- A method of conveying direction to a person who is blind by mapping the 12-hour clock face onto the user's immediate surroundings, where 12 o'clock is directly ahead, 3 o'clock is to the right, 6 o'cl…
- Global Navigation (Macro navigation, Route-scale navigation)
- Navigation at the scale of routes and buildings — delivering a user from a starting point to a general destination area (a room, a platform, an exit). In blind-navigation research, global-navigation s…
- Landmark (Navigation Landmark, Environmental Landmark)
- A distinctive environmental feature used as a reference point during navigation and wayfinding. In Orientation and Mobility training for people with visual impairments, landmarks are categorized by th…
- Landmark Knowledge
- A type of spatial knowledge involving the recognition and memory of distinctive features or objects in an environment that serve as reference points for navigation. Landmarks are fixed objects at spec…
- Landmark Object (Navigation landmark, Target object)
- A specific physical object that serves as the terminal target of a navigation task — for example, an empty chair in a waiting area, a push-button at an elevator, a ticket barrier, a door handle, or a …
- Last-Few-Meters Problem (Last 10 Meters Problem, Last Mile Problem (Navigation))
- The navigation challenge that occurs when GPS or other positioning systems bring a person with a visual impairment to the general vicinity of their destination (typically within 5-10 meters) but canno…
- Last-few-meters Wayfinding (Last-meter wayfinding, Last-few-meters problem)
- The final segment of an indoor or outdoor journey, from the nearest routable point (a building lobby, a doorway, a kerbside pin on a map) to the exact end destination (a specific room, counter, or sea…
- Local Navigation (Local guidance, Fine-grained navigation)
- Navigation at the scale of a few metres, where the task is to bring a blind traveller into direct body-scale interaction with a specific landmark object — sitting in a particular chair, pressing an el…
- Mental Map (Cognitive Map, Mental Model of Space)
- An internal cognitive representation of a physical environment, including spatial relationships, landmarks, routes, and distances. For people with blindness or visual impairments, building a mental ma…
- Mobility and Orientation Trainer (MOT, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, O&M Specialist, O&M Instructor, Habilitation Specialist)
- A qualified professional who teaches orientation and mobility (O&M) skills to blind and partially sighted people, enabling safe and independent travel. MOTs assess individual needs and deliver persona…
- Obstacle Avoidance (Obstacle Detection)
- The ability to detect and navigate around physical barriers in one's path, a critical mobility skill for blind and visually impaired people. Traditional obstacle avoidance relies on long cane techniqu…
- Over-rotation (Rotation overshoot, Turn overshoot)
- The phenomenon where a person rotates beyond a target heading angle when following a turn instruction, typically caused by the delay between perceiving a stop signal and physically halting the rotatio…
- Palm Drawing (Palm Mapping, Palm Tracing)
- A technique used by Orientation and Mobility (O&M) specialists to teach routes to people who are blind or have low vision. The instructor holds the person's palm face up and traces the path of a route…
- Path Integration
- A cognitive navigation process in which a person tracks their position relative to a starting point by continuously monitoring their movements — including direction changes, distance traveled, and tur…
- Pre-journey Learning (Pre-visit Spatial Learning, Virtual Pre-exploration)
- The practice of learning about an environment's spatial layout before physically visiting it, typically through tactile maps, verbal descriptions, or virtual exploration tools. For people who are blin…
- Route Description (Verbal Route Description, Navigation Instructions)
- A verbal or written account of how to travel from one location to another, including directions, landmarks, warnings, and environmental features. Research with blind and partially sighted travelers ha…
- Shoreline (Shoreline Technique, Trailing)
- In orientation and mobility, a shoreline refers to a consistent edge or boundary that a blind traveler follows for orientation and navigation. This can include the edge where a wall meets the floor, t…
- Shoreline Technique (Trailing, Edge Following)
- An orientation and mobility technique used by people who are blind or have low vision in which the traveler follows a consistent edge or boundary — such as the edge of a sidewalk, a wall, a fence line…