Memory

The cognitive capacity to encode, store, and retrieve information and past experiences. Memory is typically distinguished into short-term/working memory, long-term memory (which includes episodic, semantic, and procedural subtypes), and autobiographical memory of one's own life. For accessibility, memory-related impairments — from mild age-related decline to dementia, traumatic brain injury, aphasia, or intellectual disability — affect how people navigate interfaces, recall credentials, follow multi-step instructions, and engage with time-sensitive content. Accessible design should minimise memory load, provide persistent context, support reminiscence and identity continuity, and avoid ephemeral cues.