Glossary

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Braille Embosser(also: Braille Printer)

A specialized printer that produces braille text and tactile graphics by pressing raised dots into heavy paper or card stock. Braille embossers range from personal devices to high-volume production machines and vary in their ability to produce graphics versus text-only output.…

Braille Input(also: Braille Keyboard Input, Braille Screen Input)

A text entry method that allows users to type characters using Braille code on a device, rather than a standard QWERTY keyboard. On touchscreen devices, Braille input typically maps finger taps or gestures to the six dots of a Braille cell, enabling blind users who know Braille…

Braille Label(also: Braille Signage, Braille Tag)

A label or sign that includes text in Braille to provide information to people who read Braille. In museums and public spaces, Braille labels are placed on exhibits, room signs, elevator buttons, and informational displays. While important for accessibility, Braille labels alone…

Braille Labeling(also: Braille Labels, Braille Signage)

The practice of adding braille text to physical objects, signs, models, or controls to make them accessible to blind users who read braille. While braille labeling is important for accessibility in public spaces (elevator buttons, room signs, museum exhibits), it is not a…

Braille Notetaker(also: Braille Note Taker, Braille PDA)

A portable electronic device designed specifically for blind and low-vision users that combines a refreshable Braille display with a Braille keyboard for input, allowing users to take notes, read documents, browse the web, and manage files. Unlike general-purpose computers with…

Braille Screen Input(also: BSI)

A built-in iOS accessibility feature that turns the touchscreen of an iPhone or iPad into a virtual Braille keyboard. When activated through VoiceOver, users can type Braille characters by tapping the screen with multiple fingers simultaneously, mimicking the six-key layout of a…

Braille Slate and Stylus(also: Slate and Stylus, Braille Writing Frame)

A low-cost, portable tool for writing Braille by hand, consisting of a hinged metal or plastic template (slate) with rows of cells and a pointed tool (stylus) used to press dots into paper from the reverse side. The slate and stylus is the most common and affordable Braille…

Braille Translation(also: Braille Transcription, Text-to-Braille Translation)

The process of converting printed text or digital text content into Braille, either manually by a trained transcriber or automatically using software such as Duxbury. Braille translation involves more than simple character substitution — it requires knowledge of Braille codes,…

Braille Translation Software(also: Braille Transcription Software, Braille Converter)

Software that converts print text into braille or braille into print, applying the appropriate contraction rules, formatting conventions, and code systems (such as UEB or Nemeth). Braille translation software is essential for producing accessible materials but can be…

Braille Translator(also: Braille translation software)

Software that converts print text (and sometimes marked-up content such as LaTeX or MathML) into correctly formatted Braille output, applying contractions, code switches, and page-layout rules. Braille translators are essential to every alternative-format production pipeline,…

Braille display(also: Refreshable braille display, Braille terminal)

An electromechanical device that renders text as tactile braille characters using small pins that raise and lower dynamically. Braille displays connect to computers and mobile devices, enabling blind and deafblind users to read digital content through touch. They are…

BrailleNote(also: BrailleNote Touch, Braille Notetaker)

A portable electronic device designed for blind users that combines a refreshable braille display with note-taking, reading, and computing capabilities. BrailleNote devices (manufactured by HumanWare) allow users to type using a braille keyboard, read output on a refreshable…

Brailler(also: Braille Writer, Perkins Brailler)

A mechanical or electronic device for writing Braille, functioning similarly to a typewriter with six keys corresponding to the six dots of a Braille cell. Braillers are significantly faster and easier to use than a slate and stylus, and produce immediately readable output…

Brain-Computer Interface(also: BCI, Brain-Machine Interface, BMI)

A technology that enables direct communication between the brain and an external device by detecting and interpreting neural activity, typically through electroencephalography (EEG) or electromyography (EMG). In accessibility contexts, BCIs allow people with severe motor…

Brain-Computer Interface(also: BCI, Brain-Machine Interface, BMI)

A direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device that enables users to control computers, prosthetics, or other systems using neural signals rather than physical movement. BCIs are particularly significant for people with severe motor impairments such as…

Brain-Computer Interface(also: BCI, Brain-Machine Interface, BMI)

A technology that enables direct communication between the brain and an external device by detecting and interpreting neural signals. BCIs can use invasive methods (implanted electrodes) or non-invasive approaches (EEG headsets). In accessibility contexts, BCIs allow people with…

Brain-Machine Interface(also: BMI, Brain-Computer Interface, BCI)

A technology that translates brain activity—typically measured via electroencephalography (EEG), electrocorticography, or implanted electrodes—into commands for controlling external devices such as computers, robotic limbs, wheelchairs, or communication systems. For people with…

BrainGate(also: BrainGate2)

A long-running multi-site clinical trial program (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00912041) that evaluates implantable intracortical brain-computer interfaces in people with paralysis from spinal cord injury, ALS, brainstem stroke, and other neurological conditions. Participants receive…

Breath Control(also: Sip-and-Puff Control, Pneumatic Input)

An assistive technology input method that uses breath pressure — blowing or sipping through a sensor — to control a computer, device, or instrument. Breath control is particularly valuable for individuals with severe motor disabilities who retain respiratory function, such as…

Breathing Input(also: Breath-based Input, Puff Input)

An alternative computer input method that uses deliberate breath actions — such as puffing, blowing, or inhaling — detected by a microphone or pressure sensor as control signals for navigating interfaces and selecting items. Breathing input is designed for people with severe…

Browser Accessibility(also: Accessible Browsing, Web Browser Accessibility)

The degree to which web browsers themselves are usable by people with disabilities and age-related impairments, distinct from the accessibility of web content. Browser accessibility encompasses built-in features such as text zoom, high contrast modes, keyboard navigation, screen…

Browser Extension(also: Browser Plugin, Browser Add-On)

A software module that adds functionality to a web browser, typically installed from a browser's extension store. Browser extensions are a common delivery mechanism for accessibility tools because they can modify webpage content and behavior without requiring changes to the…

Browser Extension Accessibility(also: Accessible Browser Extension, Assistive Browser Extension)

The design and development of web browser extensions that either enhance the accessibility of existing web content or are themselves fully accessible to users of assistive technologies. Assistive browser extensions can augment web pages with additional accessible content,…

Browser Helper Object(also: BHO)

A plugin module for web browsers (originally Internet Explorer) that loads with each browser instance and has access to the Document Object Model and browser events. In accessibility contexts, BHOs have been used to implement client-side web page transformations such as text…

Brute-Force Fallback(also: Reset Strategy, Exhaustive Recovery)

A workaround strategy employed by assistive technology users when standard interaction methods fail, involving systematically trying all available options or completely restarting a task from a known good state. Brute-force fallbacks are particularly common among screen reader…

Bubble Cursor(also: Dynamic Cursor, Area Cursor)

An enhanced pointing technique that dynamically resizes the cursor's activation area to make target selection easier, particularly for users with motor impairments. The bubble cursor expands to encompass the nearest target, effectively enlarging the clickable region without…

Bubble Cursor(also: Area Cursor, Enhanced Area Cursor)

An assistive pointing technique where the cursor's activation area is dynamically enlarged to make it easier to select targets on screen. Rather than requiring precise pixel-level accuracy, a bubble cursor expands its clickable region, effectively reducing the precision needed…

Buddy Button

A widely used commercial assistive technology switch manufactured by AbleNet, designed for single-switch access to computers, communication devices, and adapted toys. Buddy Buttons are large, colorful, easy-to-activate mechanical switches that can be positioned on various body…

Bystander privacy(also: Third-party privacy, Incidental privacy)

The privacy concerns of people who are unintentionally captured or observed by technology being used by others. In the context of assistive technology, bystander privacy refers to the rights and concerns of sighted people who may be recorded, analyzed, or described by…