Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
6660 terms — page 323 of 333
- WIMP (Windows Icons Menus Pointer)
- An acronym for Windows, Icons, Menus, and Pointers — the dominant graphical user interface paradigm used by most desktop operating systems since the 1980s. WIMP interfaces rely on a pointing device (t…
- WURFL (Wireless Universal Resource File)
- An open-source device description repository that catalogs the capabilities of mobile devices in a large XML file. WURFL collects information about device features such as screen size, image format su…
- WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get)
- An acronym for "What You See Is What You Get," describing a user interface paradigm where content displayed on screen during editing closely resembles the final output (such as a printed document). Wh…
- Wake Word (Hotword, Trigger Word, Activation Word)
- A specific word or phrase that activates a voice-controlled device, such as "Hey Google," "Alexa," or "Hey Siri." The wake word must be spoken before any command for the device to begin listening. Wak…
- Walk-up-and-use System (Walk-up-and-use Design, Zero Training Interface)
- A design paradigm for public access systems where any user should be able to successfully complete tasks without prior training, instruction, or experience with the specific system. Walk-up-and-use sy…
- Walkability (Walkability Index, Pedestrian Accessibility)
- A measure of how conducive an area is to walking, considering factors such as the presence, quality, and connectivity of sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, street lighting, and proximity to destinations…
- Walkability Index (Walk Score, Walkability Score, Pedestrian Accessibility Index)
- A numerical metric that quantifies how walkable a neighborhood or location is based on the proximity and density of destinations reachable on foot, such as grocery stores, schools, parks, restaurants,…
- Watershed Algorithm (Watershed Segmentation, Watershed Transform)
- An image segmentation technique inspired by geographical hydrology, where the gradient magnitude of an image is treated as a topographical surface. The algorithm simulates water flowing downhill from …
- Wav2Vec (Wav2Vec2, Wav2Vec 2.0)
- A family of self-supervised speech representation models from Meta AI that learn rich acoustic embeddings directly from raw waveform audio without requiring transcribed training data. Wav2Vec 2.0, int…
- Wavefront Analyzer (Aberrometer, Wavefront Sensor)
- An optical instrument that measures how light waves are distorted as they pass through the eye's optical system, producing a detailed map of the eye's refractive characteristics called a wavefront abe…
- Wayfinding (Navigation, Orientation and mobility)
- The process by which people orient themselves in physical or digital spaces, determine their destination, and navigate a route to reach it. Wayfinding encompasses the cognitive, sensory, and physical …
- Wayfinding (Navigation, Orientation)
- The process by which people orient themselves and navigate through physical or digital environments. Accessible wayfinding encompasses multiple modalities: visual signage with sufficient contrast and …
- Weak Central Coherence (WCC, Central Coherence Theory)
- A cognitive theory proposing that individuals with autism tend to process information in a detail-focused, piecemeal way rather than integrating it into a coherent whole. In the context of web accessi…
- Wearable Assistive Technology (Wearable AT, Assistive Wearables)
- Electronic devices worn on the body—such as smartwatches, smart glasses, rings, or headbands—that provide assistive functionality for people with disabilities. Wearable assistive technology leverages …
- Wearable Camera (Body-worn Camera, Head-mounted Camera, Egocentric Camera)
- A camera worn on the body — typically mounted on glasses, a hat, or the chest — that captures images or video from the wearer's perspective (egocentric view). In assistive technology for blind and low…
- Wearable Computing (Wearable Technology, Wearables)
- Electronic devices and computing systems designed to be worn on the body, integrated into clothing, or carried as accessories. Wearable computers can continuously monitor the user and their environmen…
- Wearable Haptic Device (Haptic Wearable, Vibrotactile Wearable)
- A body-worn device that delivers tactile feedback through vibration motors, actuators, or other mechanisms to convey information to the wearer through the sense of touch. Wearable haptic devices range…
- Wearable Haptics (Wearable Haptic Device)
- Haptic feedback systems designed to be worn on the body — rings, wristbands, gloves, vests, shoes, or exoskeletons — that deliver tactile, vibrotactile, or kinesthetic cues during mobile, hands-free u…
- Wearable Immersive Virtual Reality (WIVR, Wearable VR)
- A category of virtual reality systems designed to be worn on the body, typically using lightweight, portable headsets such as smartphone-based viewers (e.g., Google Cardboard). WIVR prioritizes afford…
- Wearable Sensing (Wearable Sensors, Wearable Monitoring)
- The use of body-worn devices such as smartwatches, wristbands, and biosensor patches to continuously monitor physiological signals including heart rate, electrodermal activity, skin temperature, blood…