Glossary

Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.

178 results found in web accessibility.

MutationObserver (DOM Mutation Observer, Mutation Records API)
An HTML5 browser API that monitors and reports changes to the Document Object Model (DOM) structure of a web page in real time, including additions and removals of elements, attribute changes, and tex…
National Accessibility Portal (NAP, South African National Accessibility Portal)
A South African government-supported web portal developed by the Meraka Institute (CSIR) to provide accessible information sharing for the disability sector. The NAP was designed from inception as an …
National Transition Strategy (NTS) (NTS, Web Accessibility National Transition Strategy)
The Australian Government's National Transition Strategy was a formal policy established in June 2010 requiring all federal, state, and territory government websites to conform to WCAG 2.0. It set sta…
Near-Duplicate Pages (ND Pages, Near-Duplicate Web Pages)
Near-duplicate pages are web pages that belong to the same functional state from a testing perspective but exhibit low visual or structural similarity due to dynamic content differences. Common causes…
Non-Visual Web Browser (Self-Voicing Browser, Audio Web Browser, Talking Browser)
A web browser specifically designed for users who cannot see the screen, providing audio-based or haptic interfaces for navigating and interacting with web content. Unlike standard screen readers that…
Opportunistic Accessibility (Opportunistic Accessibility Improvement)
Opportunistic accessibility is an approach to improving digital accessibility in which enhancements are automatically applied to the maximum extent possible without causing negative side effects. Rath…
Overlay Fact Sheet (Accessibility Overlay Fact Sheet)
A public document signed by over 600 accessibility experts, lawyers, and contributors to web accessibility guidelines that critically evaluates the claims made by accessibility overlay vendors. The fa…
Page Linearization (Content Linearization, DOM Linearization, Source Order)
The process by which screen readers and other assistive technologies present web page content as a sequential, one-dimensional stream of text, typically following the order of elements in the HTML sou…
Page Sampling (Page Selection Strategy, Website Sampling)
The methodology used to select which pages within a website will be evaluated during an accessibility assessment. Common strategies include evaluating only the home page, testing specific page types (…
Page Segmentation (Web Page Segmentation, VIPS)
The process of dividing a web page into distinct visual or structural blocks based on layout cues such as whitespace, borders, colors, and font properties. Page segmentation algorithms like Vision Bas…
Personalization Semantics (WAI-Adapt)
A W3C specification that defines standardized semantics enabling content to be adapted to individual user needs and preferences. Personalization Semantics allows web authors to add metadata attributes…
Personalized Accessibility (Personalized Web Accessibility, User-Tailored Accessibility)
An approach to accessibility evaluation and design that considers the specific disability profile, capabilities, and needs of individual users rather than treating accessibility as a single universal …
Photophobia (Light Sensitivity)
A genuine physiological sensitivity to bright light, flickering light, or intense visual patterns that causes symptoms such as headaches, migraines, nausea, dizziness, and disorientation. Despite its …
Photosensitivity (Photosensitive Epilepsy, PSE)
A neurological condition in which exposure to flickering light patterns, flashing graphics, or rapid luminance changes triggers physiological responses including seizures, migraines, nausea, dizziness…
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…
Platform Accessibility
The degree to which online platforms (websites, apps, social media, marketplace platforms) are usable by and inclusive of disabled people. Platform accessibility encompasses not only technical complia…
Print Illiteracy (Alipi)
A condition where a literate person is unable to meaningfully access or use written web content, not because they cannot read, but because the content is presented in a language, script, or format the…
Prosumer (Producer-Consumer, Prosumer Content Creator)
A person who both produces and consumes content, particularly on the web. Prosumers are not formally trained in web design or development but are responsible for creating and managing user-generated c…
Proxy Interface (Accessibility Proxy, Alternative Interface)
An intermediary user interface that sits between the user and the original content, re-presenting information in a more accessible format without modifying the underlying source. In accessibility cont…
Re-narration (Web Re-narration, Content Re-narration)
The process of creating alternative versions of web content — such as translations, simplifications, audio descriptions, or culturally adapted media — to make it accessible to audiences who cannot eff…