Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
59 results found in virtual reality.
- Grasp Recognition
- Technology that detects and interprets how a user holds, grips, or manipulates objects, typically through sensors in VR controllers or camera-based hand tracking. In VR accessibility, grasp recognitio…
- Heads-Up Display (HUD)
- A transparent or overlay display that presents information in the user's direct line of sight without requiring them to look away from their current viewpoint. Originally developed for aviation, HUDs …
- Immersion
- The objective level of sensory fidelity that a VR system provides, including visual quality, spatial audio, and haptic feedback that work together to create a convincing virtual environment. Unlike pr…
- Immersive Storytelling (Interactive Narrative, VR Storytelling)
- A narrative approach that places users inside a story environment, allowing them to experience and interact with the narrative through spatial presence, sensory engagement, and active participation. I…
- Inclusive Immersion
- A design objective for VR that seeks to create maximally accessible and enjoyable virtual and augmented reality experiences for users with different capability levels. The concept recognizes that imme…
- Interaction Paradigm (Interaction Method, Input Paradigm)
- A model or approach for how users interact with a system, encompassing the input devices, techniques, and patterns of engagement. In VR, common interaction paradigms include controller-based input, ha…
- Joystick Locomotion (Continuous Locomotion, Thumbstick Locomotion)
- A VR locomotion method where users tilt a joystick or thumbstick on a controller to move continuously through the virtual environment while remaining physically stationary. This method is accessible f…
- Level of Detail (LOD)
- A technique in computer graphics and information design where the amount of detail presented varies based on context, typically distance or user interaction. In 3-D environments, objects farther from …
- Locomotion (VR Locomotion)
- Methods by which users navigate and move through virtual environments in VR. Common locomotion techniques include free-roam (physical walking that maps to virtual movement), joystick-based continuous …
- Locomotion Technique (VR Locomotion, Virtual Travel Technique)
- A locomotion technique is a method for navigating or moving through a virtual environment in virtual reality (VR). Because physical space is limited and many users are seated, locomotion techniques si…
- Motion Sickness (Cybersickness, Simulator Sickness, VR Sickness)
- A condition characterized by nausea, disorientation, and discomfort experienced when using virtual reality, simulators, or viewing motion-heavy content. In VR accessibility, motion sickness disproport…
- Object Hierarchy (Object Group, Hierarchical Object Organization)
- A structured organization of objects into parent-child relationships that allows users to navigate from high-level categories to increasingly specific details. In accessible virtual environments, obje…
- Physical Layer Accessibility
- The dimension of VR accessibility concerned with whether users can physically access and operate VR hardware and interaction paradigms. This includes the setup process (putting on head-mounted display…
- Point-of-Interest Techniques (POI Techniques)
- Interaction methods in VR that allow users to select and navigate to specific points of interest in the virtual environment, designed to be accessible for people with limited mobility. These technique…
- Presence (Virtual Presence, Sense of Presence)
- The subjective sense of being in a virtual environment, often described as the feeling of "being there" rather than simply observing a digital display. Presence is a central construct in VR research a…
- Ray Casting (Raycasting)
- An interaction technique in 3-D environments where an invisible ray is projected from a point (such as a user's finger position or controller) into the virtual scene to determine which object the ray …
- Remote Accessibility Assessment (Virtual Accessibility Assessment, Pre-Visit Accessibility Check)
- The practice of evaluating the physical accessibility of an unfamiliar environment without being physically present. Wheelchair users and others with mobility disabilities routinely assess spaces in a…
- Scene Reading (Scene Reader, 3-D Screen Reading)
- An interaction paradigm that extends touch-based screen reading concepts from 2-D interfaces to 3-D virtual environments, enabling blind and low vision users to explore virtual scenes nonvisually. Sce…
- Sense of Presence (Virtual Presence, Spatial Presence)
- The subjective feeling of "being there" in a virtual environment, encompassing spatial presence (feeling physically located in the virtual space), involvement (attention directed at the virtual world)…
- Simulator Sickness (VR Sickness, Cybersickness, Motion Sickness in VR)
- A form of motion sickness experienced in virtual reality caused by a mismatch between visual perception of movement and the vestibular system's sense of physical motion. Symptoms include nausea, dizzi…