Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
59 results found in virtual reality.
- 360-Degree Video (360 Video, VR360, Spherical Video, Omnidirectional Video)
- Video content recorded or rendered to cover the full 360-degree sphere around the viewer, allowing them to look in any direction during playback. When viewed in a virtual reality headset, 360-degree v…
- Accessible VR Gaming (Accessible Virtual Reality Games, Inclusive VR Gaming)
- The design and development of virtual reality games and experiences that can be independently played and enjoyed by people with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision, deaf or …
- Accessible Virtual Environments (Accessible Virtual Worlds)
- Virtual spaces and worlds designed to be navigable and usable by people with disabilities, including consideration of locomotion methods, barrier placement, spatial layout, and environmental features.…
- Avatar (Virtual Avatar)
- A digital representation of a human user in a virtual environment that facilitates interaction with other users, entities, and the environment. Avatars range from simple floating hands to full-body re…
- Avatar Customization (Avatar Creation, Character Customization)
- The ability for users to modify the appearance, characteristics, and features of their virtual avatar, including body shape, clothing, accessories, and disability-related features such as wheelchairs …
- Bimanual Interaction (Two-Handed Interaction)
- Interaction techniques in computing and VR that require the coordinated use of both hands simultaneously, such as holding two controllers, performing gestures with both hands, or operating dual joysti…
- Body Ownership Illusion (BOI)
- A perceptual phenomenon in virtual reality where users perceive a virtual body or avatar as their own, experiencing it as an extension of their physical self. This illusion is fostered when the virtua…
- Body-Centric Design
- Design approaches in technology that center on the user's physical body as the primary means of interaction, such as VR systems that rely on body tracking, gestures, and physical movement. While body-…
- Co-Embodiment (Shared Embodiment, Collaborative Embodiment)
- A design concept where multiple users jointly control or inhabit a single virtual body or avatar, each contributing different aspects of the character's movements or actions. In CoSignPlay, co-embodim…
- Collaborative virtual environment (CVE, Shared virtual space)
- A computer-based distributed virtual space where multiple users can interact with one another and with virtual objects in real time from separate physical locations. For children with autism, CVEs off…
- Degrees of Freedom (DoF, 3DoF, 6DoF)
- In virtual and extended reality, degrees of freedom refers to the number of independent movement axes available to a user within a virtual environment. Three degrees of freedom (3DoF) allows rotationa…
- Diegetic Sound (In-Game Sound, In-World Sound)
- Sound that originates from within the world of a game, film, or virtual environment—sounds that characters within that world could theoretically hear. In gaming and VR, diegetic sounds include environ…
- Diegetic Sound (In-World Sound, Source Sound)
- Sound that originates from a source within the narrative world of a game, film, or virtual reality environment — meaning the characters or inhabitants of that world could theoretically hear it. Exampl…
- Digital Layer Accessibility
- The dimension of VR accessibility concerned with user representation through avatars and the design of virtual worlds and environments. On the avatar side, this includes whether users can create avata…
- Disability Representation in VR
- The portrayal and inclusion of disabilities in virtual reality environments, encompassing avatar design, assistive device depiction, and environmental features that acknowledge disability. Research sh…
- Embodied Cognition (Embodiment)
- A theory in cognitive science proposing that the mind is not an isolated entity but is deeply integrated with the body's sensorimotor systems. In other words, how we think, perceive, and make decision…
- Embodiment (Virtual Embodiment)
- The sense of inhabiting and controlling a virtual body in VR, feeling that the avatar is an extension of oneself rather than a separate entity. Embodiment is fostered through synchronized tracking of …
- Escapism
- The use of entertainment, fantasy, or immersive experiences to temporarily disconnect from real-world concerns, limitations, or stressors. In VR accessibility research, escapism is a significant motiv…
- Experiential Layer Accessibility
- The dimension of VR accessibility concerned with the quality, comfort, and safety of the VR experience for disabled users. This includes physical comfort (avoiding pain, exhaustion, and motion sicknes…
- Free-Roam Locomotion (Room-Scale VR, Physical Locomotion)
- A VR locomotion method where the user's real-world physical movement is directly mapped to movement in the virtual environment—walking forward in the real room moves the user forward in VR. While free…