Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
6660 terms — page 283 of 333
- Surround sound (Multichannel audio, 5.1 audio, 7.1 audio)
- An audio reproduction technique that uses multiple speaker channels arranged around the listener to create an enveloping sound field. Common configurations include 5.1 (five speakers plus a subwoofer)…
- Surveillance
- The systematic, focused, and often routine observation of people, their activities, or their data for purposes of influence, management, entitlement, or control. In accessibility and HCI research, sur…
- Surveillance technology (Surveillance tech, Monitoring technology)
- Technologies that collect, analyse, and track data about individuals' behaviours, locations, bodies, or communications. In disability contexts, surveillance technology raises justice concerns because …
- Survey Accessibility (Accessible Surveys, Inclusive Survey Design)
- The practice of designing surveys, questionnaires, and assessment tools so they can be completed by people with diverse abilities, languages, and communication preferences. Survey accessibility encomp…
- Survey Knowledge (Configurational Knowledge, Map-like Knowledge)
- Survey knowledge is a type of spatial understanding that provides an overview or mental map of an environment, including the relationships between landmarks, streets, and points of interest. Unlike ro…
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, Global Goals)
- A collection of 17 interlinked global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity by 2030. Several SDGs are directly relevant to disability inclusion: SD…
- Sustainable Mobility (Sustainable Transportation, Green Mobility)
- Transportation systems and practices that meet current mobility needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, emphasizing reduced environmental impact, energy efficiency…
- Sustained Attention (Vigilance, Continuous Attention)
- The ability to maintain focus on a task or stimulus over an extended period of time. Sustained attention is a core executive function that can be impaired in conditions such as ADHD, traumatic brain i…
- Swarm robotics (Multi-robot systems)
- A field of robotics involving the coordination of multiple simple robots that work together as a group, inspired by collective behaviours in nature such as ant colonies or bird flocking. Individual ro…
- Swedish Sign Language (SSL, Svenskt teckenspråk)
- The sign language used by the Deaf community in Sweden, recognized as an official minority language since 1981. Like other national sign languages, SSL is a complete natural language with its own gram…
- Swell Form (Capsule Paper, Microcapsule Paper, Swell Touch Paper, Minolta Paper)
- A tactile graphics production method using special heat-sensitive paper coated with microcapsules. When black ink is printed on the paper and passed through a heating machine, the dark areas absorb he…
- Swell Paper (Capsule Paper, Microcapsule Paper, PIAF Paper)
- A special paper coated with heat-sensitive microcapsules that swell when exposed to heat, creating raised tactile surfaces from printed black areas. When passed through a heating device (such as a PIA…
- Swift Playgrounds (Apple Swift Playgrounds)
- A hybrid block-based and text-based programming environment developed by Apple for iPad and Mac that teaches coding using the Swift programming language. Swift Playgrounds is notable in the accessibil…
- Switch (Adaptive Switch, Accessibility Switch)
- An assistive technology input device that is activated by a single action such as pressing, squeezing, blowing, blinking, or moving a body part. Switches are designed for people with significant motor…
- Switch Access (Switch Control, Switch Scanning)
- A method of computer and device interaction that uses one or more switches as input devices, designed for people who cannot use standard keyboards, mice, or touchscreens due to motor impairments. Swit…
- Switch Keyboard (Scanning Keyboard, On-Screen Scanning Keyboard)
- A switch keyboard is a virtual keyboard interface designed for people with severe motor disabilities who cannot use a standard keyboard or pointing device. It works through a scanning mechanism: a cur…
- Switch Scanning (Scanning Mode, Auto Scanning)
- An input method for assistive technology where options are sequentially highlighted (scanned) and the user activates a single switch to select the currently highlighted item. This enables people with …
- Switch Scanning (Switch Access, Scanning Input)
- An alternative input method in which items on a screen are sequentially highlighted and the user activates a switch to select the desired item when it is highlighted. Switch scanning is used by people…
- Sycophancy (AI Sycophancy, Sycophantic AI)
- A behavioral tendency in large language models to agree with, flatter, or validate the user's stated views and self-assessments rather than offer accurate or critical feedback - even when the user is …
- Symbiotic Learning
- Symbiotic Learning is a conceptual framing introduced by Jiang et al. (CHI 2026) describing a mode of mixed-ability family learning in which parents and children mutually enable each other's participa…