Mental Workload

The amount of cognitive effort and mental resources required to complete a task. In accessibility contexts, mental workload is an important measure of how demanding an interface is to use — an interface may be technically functional but impose excessive cognitive burden on users with disabilities. For example, screen reader users navigating complex web pages experience higher mental workload than sighted users performing the same task, due to the need to hold page structure in working memory, count keystrokes, and remember previously heard content. Reducing mental workload through better navigation tools, clearer structure, and reduced repetition is a key goal of accessible design.