Glossary

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C-Print(also: C-Print Pro)

A meaning-for-meaning real-time captioning service where a trained captioner produces a condensed transcription of spoken classroom content, as opposed to the verbatim word-for-word transcription provided by CART. C-Print captioners are trained in text-condensing strategies that…

CART(also: Communication Access Real-time Translation, Communication Access Realtime Transcription, Real-time captioning)

A service in which a trained stenographer or speech-to-text reporter transcribes spoken language into text in real time, typically displayed on a screen for deaf or hard of hearing participants during meetings, lectures, and live events. CART providers use specialised…

CART(also: Communication Access Realtime Translation, Computer-Aided Real-Time Translation)

A real-time captioning service in which a trained stenographer uses a specialized keyboard to transcribe spoken language into text as it is spoken, typically achieving accuracy rates above 98%. CART is considered the gold standard for real-time captioning accuracy but is…

CART(also: Communication Access Realtime Translation, Real-Time Captioning, Realtime Captioning)

A professional service providing instant, verbatim text display of spoken content, typically delivered by trained stenographers using specialized equipment. CART achieves accuracy rates of 98% or higher, far exceeding automatic speech recognition systems. It is commonly used in…

CCTV(also: Closed Circuit Television, Video Magnifier, Desktop Video Magnifier)

A camera-based magnification system used by people with low vision to enlarge text and images on a monitor. Traditional CCTVs consist of a camera mounted over a reading platform that captures material placed beneath it and displays it magnified on an attached screen. Modern…

CCTV Magnifier(also: Closed-Circuit Television Magnifier, Video Magnifier, Desktop Video Magnifier)

An assistive device that uses a camera to capture an image of text or objects and displays it magnified on a screen, typically a television or computer monitor. CCTV magnifiers are one of the most widely used low vision aids, offering high levels of magnification, adjustable…

CSUN Assistive Technology Conference(also: CSUN, CSUN Conference, ATIA Conference at CSUN)

The largest annual assistive technology conference in the world, organized by California State University, Northridge's Center on Disabilities. Founded in 1985, the conference brings together thousands of attendees including AT users, professionals, developers, educators, and…

CaBot(also: Carry-on Robot, Carnegie Mellon Suitcase Robot)

A research project begun in 2017 at Carnegie Mellon University that developed a suitcase-shaped autonomous navigation robot to guide blind and low-vision travellers through indoor public spaces. CaBot pioneered the "grip-the-handle-and-walk" interaction pattern, combining LiDAR,…

Calibration-Free Interface(also: Zero-Shot Interface, Plug-and-Play Interface, Cross-User Model)

An input system that works for a new user without any per-user training or calibration data, typically by relying on models trained on large multi-user datasets that capture enough physiological and behavioural variation to generalise. Voice assistants and mixed-reality hand…

Calm Technology(also: Peripheral Computing, Ambient Computing)

A design philosophy originated at Xerox PARC in which technology communicates information through the periphery of a user's attention rather than demanding direct focus. Calm technology moves between the centre and periphery of attention, providing awareness without constant…

Camera Aiming(also: Camera Pointing, Camera Guidance)

The challenge blind users face in correctly positioning and aiming a camera to capture the intended visual content. Since blind users cannot see the camera viewfinder, they may inadvertently capture too much, too little, or entirely unintended content, contributing to privacy…

Camera Framing(also: Photo Framing, Object Framing)

The act of positioning a camera so that the intended subject is properly captured within the image frame — not cropped, not too small, and centered enough for clear identification. Camera framing presents a significant accessibility challenge for blind and low-vision users who…

Camera Guidance(also: Camera Aiming Assistance, Framing Assistance)

Non-visual feedback systems that help blind users position a camera to capture usable images of documents, objects, or scenes. Guidance may include spoken directional instructions (e.g., "move up", "move left"), audio tones indicating proximity to a target, or vibration…

Camera Mouse(also: Head-Controlled Mouse Pointer, Head Tracking Mouse)

A computer-vision-based mouse-replacement system that tracks a user's head motion through a standard webcam to control the mouse pointer on screen. Developed at Boston University by Margrit Betke and James Gips, Camera Mouse is freely available and enables people with severe…

Camera Phone(also: Smartphone Camera, Mobile Camera)

A camera phone is a mobile phone equipped with a built-in image sensor, which in an accessibility context serves as the input device for a wide class of vision-based assistive applications. Modern smartphone cameras enable live scene description (Seeing AI, Be My AI), object…

Camera-based assistive technology(also: Camera-based AT, Vision-based AT, VBAT)

Assistive technologies that use cameras (typically smartphone cameras or smart glasses) combined with computer vision and AI to provide visual information to blind and low-vision users. Applications include object recognition, text reading (OCR), scene description, face…

Cane Technique(also: White Cane Technique, Long Cane Technique)

The set of physical methods a blind or low-vision person uses to manipulate a long white cane while traveling. Common techniques include the two-point touch (side-to-side sweeping, touching ground at each step), constant-contact (sliding the cane tip along the ground in an arc),…

Capability model(also: User capability profile)

A structured representation of an individual user's abilities across relevant dimensions such as sight, hearing, mobility, and cognition. In accessibility and adaptive interface design, capability models are used to characterize what interaction modalities and design spaces are…

Capacitive marker(also: Capacitive fiducial, Conductive marker)

A conductive structure embedded in a physical object that registers as a touch point on a capacitive touchscreen, enabling the device to detect the object's position and orientation without cameras or external sensors. In accessible tactile graphics, capacitive markers printed…

Caption Crawler(also: Reverse Image Search Alt Text)

A technique and tool that retrieves existing alternative text for web images by performing reverse image searches to find the same image on other websites where it has already been described. Rather than generating new descriptions, Caption Crawler reuses human-written alt text…

Captioned Telephone(also: CapTel, Captioned Phone)

A telecommunications device that displays real-time captions of what the other party is saying during a phone call, enabling people who are hard of hearing to read the conversation while also listening. Captions are generated by a trained communications assistant who re-voices…

Captioning(also: Captions, Closed captions, Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing)

The conversion of spoken dialogue, sound effects, and other auditory information into synchronised text displayed alongside audiovisual content. Captioning makes audio content accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing and also benefits people in noisy environments,…

Care Ecosystem(also: Assistive Technology Ecosystem, AT Ecosystem)

A network of interconnected stakeholders—including clinicians, makers, recipients, caregivers, and organizations—who collectively support the provision, customization, and maintenance of assistive technology. Care ecosystems recognize that successful AT use depends not just on…

Care Technology(also: Care robots, Robots for care, Assistive care technology)

Technology designed to support caregiving activities in institutional or home settings, including robotic systems, monitoring devices, and digital tools that assist care workers and care recipients. Care technology encompasses a broad range of applications from documentation…

Caregiver(also: Carer, Care partner, Support person)

A person who provides ongoing assistance to someone with a disability, chronic condition, or age-related need, encompassing both formal caregivers (paid professionals) and informal caregivers (family members, friends, partners). In accessibility and assistive technology,…

Caregiver Support(also: Carer Support, Family Support)

Assistance, training, and resources provided to family members, paid carers, and other individuals who support people with disabilities in daily life. In the context of assistive technology, caregiver support is essential because caregivers often play a critical role in setting…

Cause and Effect Software(also: Cause and Effect Games, Contingency Learning Software)

Simple interactive software designed for users with significant cognitive or motor disabilities, where any input (such as pressing a switch) produces an immediate sensory response (visual, auditory, or both). These programs help users understand the relationship between their…

Cell Navigation(also: Table Cell Navigation, Cell-by-Cell Navigation)

Cell navigation is a method of accessing tabular data non-visually by moving between individual cells using directional commands (up, down, left, right). Rather than reading a table linearly from top-to-bottom, cell navigation allows screen reader users to traverse the…

Chairable(also: Chair-based interface, Wheelchair-integrated technology)

A design concept for input and output devices that are integrated directly into a wheelchair frame, enabling users to interact with assistive technology without requiring a separate smartphone, wearable device, or other external hardware. Chairables might include thin flexible…

Chairable Technology(also: Chairable Input, Chairable Devices)

Input devices and interactive technologies designed to integrate with the form of a wheelchair, analogous to how wearable technology fits with an individual's clothing. Chairable technology recognises that power wheelchair users spend most of their waking hours in their chairs…

Chairable computing(also: Chairable input, Wheelchair-integrated computing)

A design paradigm in which input devices and computing interfaces are integrated into the form factor of a wheelchair — particularly armrests, trays, and frames — analogous to how wearable computing fits with clothing. Chairable devices are always within reach, require no setup…

ChamBadge(also: Chambadge)

A wearable accessible cell phone device developed as part of the Talking Braille ubiquitous computing system for indoor wayfinding. The ChamBadge combines a cell phone with a bone-conduction headset, an infrared transceiver, and wireless networking capabilities, worn behind the…

Charge-Coupled Device(also: CCD)

An electronic light sensor used in cameras and scanners that converts light into electrical signals. CCDs capture images by accumulating electric charge in proportion to the intensity of light hitting each pixel. In accessibility applications, CCD sensors are used in optical…

ChatGPT(also: GPT, OpenAI ChatGPT)

ChatGPT is a conversational generative AI assistant developed by OpenAI, based on the GPT family of large language models. Users interact via a text chat interface and, in newer versions, through voice, image, and file upload. ChatGPT is widely used as an accessibility tool —…

Chatbot(also: Virtual Assistant, Conversational Agent, Dialog System)

A software application that uses text or speech to conduct conversations with users, simulating human-like dialogue to provide information, perform tasks, or guide users through processes. In accessibility, chatbots and conversational user interfaces present both opportunities…

Chest-Mounted Camera(also: Body-Worn Camera, Torso Camera)

A wearable camera mounted on the user's chest or torso to capture a first-person perspective of activities. In accessibility research, chest-mounted cameras are used to record BLV users' daily activities like cooking for dataset collection and to provide visual input for…

Chord Entry(also: Chording, Chord Input, Chordal Input)

A method of text input where multiple keys are pressed simultaneously to produce a single character, rather than pressing keys sequentially. In braille keyboards such as the Perkins Brailler, chord entry involves pressing combinations of six keys at once to represent different…

Chording Keyboard(also: Chord Keyboard, Chorded Keyboard, Chording Input)

A text input device that generates characters by pressing multiple keys or moving multiple inputs simultaneously rather than pressing individual keys sequentially as on a standard keyboard. Similar to how piano chords combine multiple notes, each character is produced by a…

ChromeVox(also: ChromeVox Classic)

ChromeVox is an open-source screen reader developed by Google, built as a Chrome browser extension and serving as the default screen reader for Chrome OS (Chromebooks). Unlike traditional screen readers that rely on operating system accessibility APIs, ChromeVox communicates…

Clear Face Mask(also: Transparent Face Mask, Window Face Mask, See-Through Mask)

A face covering that incorporates a transparent panel over the mouth area, allowing deaf and hard of hearing people to lip-read and observe facial expressions during conversation. Clear face masks emerged as an important accessibility solution during the COVID-19 pandemic, when…

ClearSpeak

A set of rules for generating natural-sounding spoken descriptions of mathematical expressions, developed by ETS (Educational Testing Service). ClearSpeak uses conversational phrasing like "the fraction with numerator... and denominator..." rather than the more explicit…

Click-Time Distribution(also: Timing Profile, Click Precision)

A statistical model of when a switch user activates their switch relative to a target timing event, used to characterize the precision and consistency of a user's motor control. In the Nomon interface, the click-time distribution measures how accurately a user clicks when a…

Clicking Error(also: Click Slip, Selection Error)

An unintended mouse input that occurs during the clicking phase of target selection, distinct from errors in cursor positioning. Common clicking errors include slipping off the target (the cursor moves between button press and release), accidental clicks made while the mouse is…

Clock Face Method(also: Clock Position Method, Clock Face Orientation, Clock Method)

A technique for describing the spatial position of objects relative to a person by using the positions on an analog clock face. For example, an item directly in front of a person is at 12 o'clock, to the right is at 3 o'clock, directly behind is at 6 o'clock, and to the left is…

Cloud Accessibility(also: Cloud-Based Accessibility)

The use of cloud computing technologies to deliver, manage, and personalize accessibility features and assistive technologies. Cloud accessibility enables users to store their accessibility preferences remotely and have them applied automatically to any device or platform they…

Cloud-Based Assistive Technology(also: Assistive Technology as a Service, ATaaS, Cloud AT)

An approach to delivering assistive technology through cloud computing, where personalised accessibility software configurations, preferences, and tools are stored remotely and delivered on demand to any device via the internet. This model addresses the portability problem:…

Clutching(also: Clutch Mechanism, Clutch Gesture)

In gesture- and motion-based input systems, a mechanism that lets the user temporarily disengage the recogniser so that everyday, non-communicative movements — reaching, adjusting posture, gesturing socially — do not trigger false activations. Named after the mechanical clutch…

Co-Adaptive Design(also: Co-Adaptive Interaction, Mutual Adaptation)

A design approach where both the technology and its users adapt to each other over time through ongoing interaction. Rather than designing a fixed system that users must learn to operate, co-adaptive design creates flexible tools that evolve through use as users develop personal…

Co-Making(also: Co-Fabrication, Collaborative Making)

Co-making is a participatory practice in which people with disabilities work directly with collaborators — researchers, AI assistants, peers, or family members — to build physical assistive technology together, rather than being passive recipients of devices designed and…

Co-Pilot Mode(also: Copilot Mode, Xbox Copilot)

Co-Pilot Mode is an accessibility feature, introduced by Microsoft on Xbox in 2017 and since adopted elsewhere, that lets two controllers be combined so they act as a single logical controller driving the same in-game player. The feature was created primarily for disabled…