Glossary

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

6660 terms — page 12 of 333

Accessibility Retrofitting (Retrofitting, Accessibility Remediation)
The process of modifying existing products, websites, buildings, or systems after the fact to make them accessible to people with disabilities. Retrofitting is typically more expensive, time-consuming…
Accessibility Scanner (Google Accessibility Scanner, Android Accessibility Scanner)
A testing tool developed by Google that scans Android app screens for common accessibility issues. The scanner checks for problems such as missing content descriptions on interactive elements, insuffi…
Accessibility Script (Accessibility Plugin, Screen Reader Script)
An accessibility script is a piece of code, often developed by the user community rather than the software vendor, that adds or improves screen reader support and keyboard accessibility in an applicat…
Accessibility Settings (Ease of Access, Accessibility Preferences)
A centralised area within an operating system or application where users can configure features that adapt the interface to their needs. Typical accessibility settings include display options (text si…
Accessibility Simulation (Disability Simulation)
A pedagogical technique in which learners experience simulated conditions of disability to build understanding of accessibility barriers. Common approaches include simulation games, virtual reality ex…
Accessibility Statement (Accessibility Page, Accessibility Declaration)
A public declaration on a website or application that describes its accessibility features, known limitations, conformance level with accessibility standards (such as WCAG), contact information for re…
Accessibility Tax (Crip Tax, Disability Tax, Access Tax)
The cumulative direct and indirect costs — financial, temporal, cognitive, and emotional — that disabled people pay to obtain the same access, outcomes, or opportunities available to non-disabled peer…
Accessibility Technology (Access Technology)
A broad term encompassing any technology used to address accessibility barriers, including both dedicated assistive technologies and mainstream technologies repurposed for access. Unlike the narrower …
Accessibility Testing (A11y Testing)
The practice of evaluating software, websites, or digital products to ensure they can be used by people with disabilities, including those using assistive technologies such as screen readers, voice re…
Accessibility Tree (A11y Tree, Accessible Tree)
A hierarchical data structure maintained by operating systems and browsers that represents the accessible elements of a user interface in a form that assistive technologies can interpret. The accessib…
Accessibility Violation (A11y Violation, Accessibility Error, Accessibility Issue)
Any instance where web content, code, or design fails to conform to established accessibility guidelines such as WCAG. Accessibility violations can be syntactic (missing required HTML elements or attr…
Accessibility Workaround (A11y Workaround, Assistive Workaround)
An alternative method, process, or tool that people with disabilities develop or adopt to accomplish tasks that are blocked by inaccessible design. Workarounds represent the hidden labor that disabled…
Accessibility conformance (WCAG conformance, Accessibility compliance)
The degree to which a digital product meets the requirements of an accessibility standard such as WCAG, typically assessed at Level A, AA, or AAA. While conformance provides a measurable baseline for …
Accessibility conformance report (ACR, VPAT, Voluntary Product Accessibility Template)
A document that records the degree to which a product or service meets accessibility standards such as WCAG, Section 508, or EN 301 549. In enterprise settings, conformance reports are a primary deliv…
Accessibility dataset (Disability-inclusive dataset, Accessible benchmark)
A publicly available research dataset that includes data collected from people with disabilities, enabling algorithm development and benchmarking on representative populations rather than exclusively …
Accessibility education (A11y education, Accessibility curriculum)
The integration of accessibility and universal design topics into formal educational programs, particularly in computer science, design, and engineering curricula. Effective accessibility education co…
Accessibility maturity model (Organizational accessibility maturity)
A framework for assessing how systematically an organization approaches digital accessibility, typically ranging from ad hoc or reactive practices to fully embedded, proactive processes. Maturity mode…
Accessibility on the Move (Mobile Accessibility, Accessibility in Transit)
A conceptual framing that recognizes accessibility as a continuous, context-dependent process that must be renegotiated when a person moves between different physical, cultural, social, and technical …
Accessibility ontology (A11y ontology, Accessibility knowledge graph)
A formal, structured representation of accessibility concepts, their properties, and the relationships between them, typically expressed in OWL (Web Ontology Language). Accessibility ontologies model …
Accessibility overlay (Accessibility widget, Accessibility plugin, Overlay tool)
A software layer, typically implemented as a JavaScript widget or browser extension, that applies modifications to a website's presentation or behavior with the goal of improving accessibility. Overla…