Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
14 results found in smart home.
- Ageing in Place (Aging in Place)
- The ability of older adults to live independently and safely in their own home and community for as long as possible, regardless of age, income, or ability level. Ageing in place is increasingly promo…
- Amazon Alexa (Alexa, Echo)
- A cloud-based voice assistant developed by Amazon, available on Echo smart speakers, Echo Show smart displays, and third-party devices. Users interact with Alexa through wake-word-activated voice comm…
- Ambient assisted living (AAL, Smart home assistive living)
- Technology systems embedded in the home environment — including sensors, microphones, and smart devices — that monitor and support older adults or people with disabilities to live independently and sa…
- Distant speech recognition (Far-field ASR, Far-field speech recognition)
- Automatic speech recognition performed on audio captured by microphones positioned at a distance from the speaker (typically 2+ meters), rather than close-talk input from headsets or handheld devices.…
- Health Monitoring (Remote Patient Monitoring, Health Surveillance)
- The continuous or periodic collection of health-related data using sensors, wearables, or smart home technology to track an individual's wellbeing and detect problems. Health monitoring systems may tr…
- Personal Assistant (Virtual Assistant, Digital Assistant, Voice Assistant, Smart Assistant)
- A software agent that can perform tasks or provide services based on user commands or queries, typically through voice interaction. Popular examples include Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri,…
- Pilot-Passenger Model (Pilot/Passenger Framework)
- A model describing household technology dynamics where "pilots" are the users who set up and configure devices, while "passengers" are those who simply use the systems configured for them. In disabili…
- Prompting System (Prompting Device, Task Prompting Technology)
- An assistive technology that provides stepwise guidance through text, images, audio, or video instructions to help individuals complete multi-step tasks such as cooking, personal hygiene, or workplace…
- Quality of Life Technology (QoLT, QoL Technology)
- An umbrella term encompassing technologies designed to maintain or enhance the health, functioning, and independence of older adults and people with disabilities. Quality of life technology includes a…
- Reminder System (Prompting System, Cognitive Prosthetic)
- An assistive technology that provides timely cues, alerts, or step-by-step prompts to support task completion for people with memory or executive function difficulties. Reminder systems can range from…
- SHT Liaison (Smart Home Technology Liaison)
- A role identified in accessibility research where a non-disabled person—often a caregiver, family member, or friend—takes responsibility for researching, setting up, troubleshooting, and maintaining s…
- Smart Home (Home Automation, Connected Home)
- A residence equipped with networked devices and systems that can be monitored and controlled remotely or automatically, including lighting, heating, security, and entertainment systems. Smart home tec…
- Smart Home Accessibility (Accessible Smart Home, Smart Home Automation)
- The design and implementation of connected home technologies — such as voice-controlled lighting, automated door locks, smart thermostats, and appliance controls — in ways that are usable by people wi…
- Voice-Assisted Technology (VAT, Voice-Activated Technology)
- Technology that uses voice recognition and natural language processing to enable users to interact with devices, applications, and services through spoken commands. Voice-assisted technology encompass…