Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
12 results found in sensory.
- Affective Touch (Social Touch, Emotional Touch)
- The emotional and social dimension of touch, distinct from discriminative touch that identifies object properties. Affective touch is mediated primarily by C-tactile (CT) afferents in hairy skin and p…
- Auditory Display (Audio Display, Auditory Interface)
- The use of sound to convey information, data, or interface state to users. Auditory displays encompass a range of techniques including sonification, earcons, auditory icons, and speech output. In acce…
- C-tactile Afferents (CT afferents, C-tactile fibres, CT fibres)
- Unmyelinated, slow-conducting nerve fibres found in hairy skin that respond selectively to gentle, slow stroking touch at velocities of approximately 1-10 cm/s. C-tactile afferents are strongly associ…
- Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT, Deep Pressure Stimulation, Deep Touch Pressure)
- A therapeutic approach that uses firm, distributed tactile pressure — such as from weighted blankets, compression garments, or inflatable vests — to reduce anxiety, stress, and physiological arousal. …
- Desensitization (Haptic Adaptation, Vibrotactile Adaptation)
- Desensitization in the context of haptic feedback refers to the gradual reduction in a person's sensitivity to continuous or repeated vibrotactile stimulation on the skin. When haptic actuators vibrat…
- Frisson (Aesthetic Chills, Musical Chills, Piloerection)
- A psychophysiological response to music, art, or other aesthetic stimuli characterised by a pleasurable shiver or chills sensation accompanied by piloerection (goosebumps) and transient increases in h…
- Hearing Impairment (Hearing Loss, Hard of Hearing)
- A partial or total inability to hear sounds in one or both ears, ranging from mild to profound. Hearing impairment can be congenital or acquired, and may worsen with age (presbycusis). In digital acce…
- Perfect Pitch (Absolute Pitch, AP)
- The innate ability to identify or reproduce musical pitches without the aid of a reference note. People with perfect pitch can recognize and name any musical note by its pitch alone. For blind and low…
- Phantom Sensation (Phantom Vibration, Vibrotactile Illusion)
- A phantom sensation is a perceptual illusion in which two vibrotactile actuators stimulating the skin simultaneously create the feeling of a single vibration at a point between them. By varying the am…
- Sensory Disability (Sensory Impairment)
- A disability that affects one or more of the senses — most commonly vision and hearing, but also including touch, taste, and smell. Sensory disabilities encompass conditions such as blindness, low vis…
- Sensory Sensitivity (Sensory Sensitivities, Hyper-/Hyposensitivity)
- Heightened or reduced responses to sensory input including sounds, lights, textures, tastes, and smells. Sensory sensitivity is common among autistic people, with approximately 74% experiencing atypic…
- Shutdown (Autistic Shutdown)
- A response to overwhelming sensory, emotional, or cognitive input in which an autistic person withdraws or retreats from their environment. Unlike meltdowns (which are outward expressions of distress)…