Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
87 results found in visual impairment.
- Magnification inset (Magnified inset view, Zoom inset)
- A user interface element that displays a magnified view of a specific region of content within a smaller window overlaid on the original view. Unlike full-screen magnification, an inset preserves the …
- Math Accessibility (Mathematical Accessibility, STEM Accessibility)
- The practice of making mathematical content — including formulae, equations, graphs, and geometric representations — accessible to people with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments.…
- 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…
- Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses (Ray-Ban Meta, Meta Smart Glasses)
- Consumer smart glasses produced through a partnership between Meta and Ray-Ban that integrate cameras, speakers, and microphones into a conventional eyewear form factor. When paired with Meta's Live A…
- Nemeth Code (Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics and Science)
- A specialized braille code developed by Abraham Nemeth for representing mathematics, science notation, and technical symbols. Nemeth Code provides a comprehensive system for expressing equations, frac…
- Obstacle Detection (Obstacle Avoidance)
- Technology or techniques that identify physical barriers in a person's path and alert them in time to take corrective action. For people who are blind or visually impaired, obstacle detection systems …
- Omnidirectional Camera (360-Degree Camera, 360 Camera, Panoramic Camera)
- A camera equipped with multiple wide-angle or fish-eye lenses that captures a complete 360-degree view of its surroundings in a single shot. The resulting equirectangular image can be projected into c…
- Orientation and Mobility (O&M)
- A professional field and set of skills that enable blind and visually impaired people to travel safely and independently in their environments. Orientation refers to understanding one's position in sp…
- Perkins Brailler (Brailler, Braille Writer)
- A mechanical device for writing braille, manufactured by the Perkins School for the Blind since 1951. The Perkins Brailler has six keys corresponding to the six dots of a braille cell, a space bar, a …
- Photosensitivity (Light Sensitivity, Photophobia)
- An abnormal sensitivity to light that can cause discomfort, pain, or visual disturbance. Photosensitivity affects many people with visual impairments and certain neurological conditions including migr…
- Pitch Mapping (Pitch-Y Mapping, Frequency Mapping)
- A sonification technique that maps data values to auditory pitch, where higher values produce higher-pitched sounds and lower values produce lower-pitched sounds. In accessibility contexts, pitch mapp…
- Presentation video (Lecture recording, Recorded lecture)
- A video recording of an instructor delivering content alongside visual materials such as slides, whiteboards, or demonstrations. Presentation videos present unique accessibility challenges because the…
- Proactive description (Proactive notification, Unsolicited description)
- The ability of an assistive system to automatically provide relevant visual or environmental information without requiring the user to explicitly request it. For blind and visually impaired users navi…
- QR code accessibility (QR code labels, Machine-readable labels)
- The use of Quick Response (QR) codes as an alternative to Braille or printed text for encoding information in tactile graphics, product labels, or physical environments that can be read by smartphone …
- Relief Chart (3D Chart, Haptic Chart, Relief Graph)
- A tactile data visualization that uses height (the third dimension) to encode data values, making charts accessible to people with visual impairments through touch. Unlike flat tactile graphics that u…
- Remote Sighted Assistance (Remote Visual Assistance, Visual Interpreting, Remote Sighted Guide)
- A service model in which a sighted person provides real-time visual information to a blind or visually impaired person remotely, typically through a smartphone video call. The blind user points their …
- Remote sighted assistance (RSA, Visual interpreting service)
- A service connecting blind or visually impaired individuals with sighted helpers through live video calls, enabling real-time visual guidance for everyday tasks. Services like Be My Eyes (volunteer-ba…
- Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP, Retina Pigmentosa, Rod-Cone Dystrophy)
- A group of inherited genetic disorders that cause progressive degeneration of the retina, leading to gradual vision loss. Initial symptoms typically include difficulty seeing in low light (night blind…
- Retinopathy (Diabetic Retinopathy, Retinal Disease)
- A group of eye conditions affecting the retina that can cause vision loss or blindness. Diabetic retinopathy, caused by damage to blood vessels in the retina due to diabetes, is one of the leading cau…
- Sighted Braille Learner (Visual Braille Learner)
- A person with typical vision who learns to read and write braille, usually for professional or personal reasons such as teaching blind students or supporting a blind family member. Sighted braille lea…