Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
6660 terms — page 8 of 333
- Accelerated Speech (Time-Compressed Speech, Speed-Up Speech)
- Audio output played at faster than normal speaking rate, commonly used by people with visual impairments when interacting with screen readers and other audio-based assistive technologies. Research sho…
- Accelerometer
- A sensor that measures acceleration forces, including the constant force of gravity, along one or more axes. Accelerometers in smartphones and wearable devices detect device orientation, movement, and…
- Acceptance Testing (User Acceptance Testing, UAT, Acceptance Tests)
- A form of software testing that validates whether a system meets its specified requirements from the end user's perspective. In accessibility, acceptance tests simulate real user interaction scenarios…
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- A form of cognitive behavioral therapy that encourages acceptance of unwanted thoughts and feelings rather than fighting or suppressing them, combined with commitment to actions aligned with personal …
- Access Barrier (Accessibility Barrier, Barrier to Access)
- Any obstacle that prevents or diminishes a disabled person's ability to complete a task, participate in an activity, or access information. Access barriers are not limited to complete inability (failu…
- Access Barriers (Barriers to Access)
- Obstacles that prevent or impede disabled people from fully participating in activities, accessing services, or using technologies. Access barriers can be physical (inaccessible buildings), digital (w…
- Access Conflict (Accessibility Conflict, Competing Access Needs)
- A situation in which the accessibility requirements of one person conflict with or undermine the accessibility requirements of another person. For example, a student prone to migraines may need low li…
- Access Differential (Accessibility Gap, Access Gap)
- Access differential is the gap between the access that nondisabled people experience and the access that people with disabilities experience when using the same technologies, services, or environments…
- Access For All (ISO/IEC 24751, IMS Access For All, AfA)
- An international standard (ISO/IEC 24751) for describing user accessibility needs and preferences in a portable, application-independent format. Originally developed by the IMS Global Learning Consort…
- Access Friction (Accessibility Friction)
- The effort, frustration, or barriers encountered when attempting to access technology, services, or environments. Access friction can range from minor inconveniences to complete exclusion and may resu…
- Access Intimacy
- A concept coined by disability justice activist Mia Mingus describing the elusive, deeply felt connection that occurs when someone else genuinely understands and responds to your access needs. Access …
- Access Keys (Accesskeys, Keyboard Shortcuts)
- Access keys are keyboard shortcuts defined in HTML using the accesskey attribute that allow users to activate or focus on specific elements — such as links or form controls — by pressing a key combina…
- Access Labor (Accommodation Labor, Disability Labor)
- The uncompensated work that disabled people must perform to secure, maintain, and manage their own accessibility accommodations within systems not designed for them. Access labor includes navigating b…
- Access Needs (Accessibility Needs, Access Requirements)
- The specific requirements a person has in order to access information, environments, services, or activities on an equal basis. Access needs vary by individual and context, and may relate to sensory, …
- Access Work (Access Labour)
- The often invisible labor that disabled people and their allies perform to negotiate, secure, and maintain access to spaces, services, and activities. Access work includes tasks such as researching ac…
- Access aisle
- A marked, level area adjacent to an accessible parking space that provides critical clearance for people with disabilities to deploy wheelchairs, ramps, or other mobility devices when entering and exi…
- Access as Friction
- A disability-studies framing, articulated by Jackson, Haagaard, and Williams, that reframes accessibility work as productive friction rather than seamless accommodation. Rather than smoothing every in…
- Access hack (Accessibility workaround, Adaptive strategy, Crip hack)
- A creative workaround, adaptation, or improvised solution that a disabled person develops to navigate an inaccessible tool, environment, or system. Access hacks range from physical modifications (adap…
- Access labour (Access labor, Disability labour, Accommodation labour)
- The additional physical, cognitive, and emotional work that disabled people must perform to navigate inaccessible environments, systems, and social situations. This includes researching whether venues…
- Access to Information (Information Access)
- In the context of web accessibility, the concept that certain accessibility criteria are fundamentally about whether users can reach and perceive content at all, as distinct from criteria that improve…