Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
77 results found in web development.
- DOM (Document Object Model)
- A programming interface that represents an HTML or XML document as a tree structure of objects, where each node corresponds to a part of the document such as elements, attributes, and text content. Th…
- DOM Tree (Document Object Model, DOM)
- A programming interface that represents an HTML or XML document as a hierarchical tree structure, where each node corresponds to a part of the document such as an element, attribute, or text content. …
- Decorative Image (Decorative Graphic, Presentational Image)
- An image that serves a purely aesthetic or visual design purpose and does not convey meaningful information to the user. According to WCAG guidelines, decorative images should receive empty alt text (…
- Delivery Context
- Delivery context is a term defined by the W3C Device Independence Working Group to describe the set of attributes that characterize the environment in which web content is delivered and consumed. This…
- Device Independence (Device-Independent Design, Input Agnostic Design)
- A web design principle that ensures content and functionality are accessible regardless of the input device or interaction method used to access them. Device-independent design avoids assumptions abou…
- Device-Dependent Event Handler (Device-Dependent Event, Mouse-Dependent Event Handler)
- An event handler in web development that is triggered only by a specific input device, such as a mouse click or touch gesture, rather than being accessible through multiple input methods. Device-depen…
- Dojo Toolkit (Dojo)
- An open-source JavaScript toolkit for building Ajax web applications, notable in accessibility history for being one of the first major frameworks to incorporate WAI-ARIA support. In 2006, IBM contrib…
- Dynamic HTML (DHTML)
- A collection of technologies — including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and the Document Object Model (DOM) — used together to create interactive and animated web content that can change after a page has load…
- Form Label (Input Label, Form Field Label)
- A text label programmatically associated with an interactive form control (such as a text input, button, checkbox, or dropdown) that identifies the purpose or function of that control to all users. In…
- Functional Image
- An image that serves as an interactive control, such as a link, button, or form input, rather than simply conveying information. When an image is used as a link or button, its alternative text must de…
- Graceful degradation (Graceful degradation)
- A design strategy in which web content built with newer or advanced technologies continues to function and remain accessible when those technologies are not supported by a user's browser or assistive …
- HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
- The standard markup language used to create and structure content on the World Wide Web. HTML uses elements (tags) to define the semantic structure of documents, including headings, paragraphs, links,…
- HTML Canvas (Canvas API, Canvas Element)
- An HTML element used to draw graphics on a web page via JavaScript, rendering content as a bitmap image rather than as structured DOM elements. Unlike SVG, canvas content is not inherently accessible …
- Heading hierarchy (Heading structure, Heading levels)
- The logical, nested structure of HTML heading elements (h1 through h6) that organizes web content into a navigable outline. A well-structured heading hierarchy uses heading levels sequentially without…
- Hijax (Progressive enhancement with Ajax)
- A web development approach coined by Jeremy Keith that applies progressive enhancement principles to Ajax applications. Hijax starts with a fully functional, accessible HTML page and then layers Ajax …
- IDE (Integrated Development Environment)
- A software application that provides a comprehensive environment for writing, testing, and debugging code. Common IDEs include Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA, and Xcode. In accessibility contexts, …
- Image Map (Clickable Map, Imagemap)
- An HTML feature that allows different regions of a single image to be designated as separate hyperlinks, each pointing to a different URL. Image maps can be client-side (coordinates and links defined …
- Internationalization (i18n)
- The process of designing and developing software, websites, or applications so that they can be adapted to different languages, regions, and cultural conventions without requiring engineering changes.…
- LLM Accessibility (AI-Generated Accessibility, Generative AI Accessibility)
- The study and practice of how large language models (LLMs) and generative AI tools handle digital accessibility in their outputs, particularly when generating code, user interfaces, or content. Resear…
- Landmarks (ARIA Landmarks, Page Landmarks, Landmark Regions)
- Designated regions of a web page that provide structural navigation points for assistive technology users. ARIA landmark roles include banner, navigation, main, complementary, contentinfo, search, for…