Glossary

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Computer Self-Efficacy(also: CSE, Technology Self-Efficacy)

A person's belief in their own ability to successfully perform tasks using a computer. Computer Self-Efficacy (CSE) is a strong predictor of technology adoption and is inversely correlated with Computer Anxiety — people with low CSE are more likely to experience anxiety, avoid…

Conceptual Model(also: Mental Model)

A user's internal understanding of how a system works, including what actions are possible, what the current state is, and what the consequences of actions will be. Conceptual models are critical in accessibility because users who cannot build an accurate mental representation…

Concurrent Exploration(also: Concurrent Slide Access, Simultaneous Exploration)

The ability for screen reader users to independently browse and interact with visual content (such as presentation slides) at the same time as a presenter is speaking, mirroring the way sighted audience members can freely scan visual materials while listening. Concurrent…

Confabulation (Clinical)(also: Clinical Confabulation)

Confabulation in a clinical sense is the unconscious production of fabricated, distorted, or misinterpreted memories without the intent to deceive - the person genuinely believes what they are recounting. It is associated with dementia (particularly Alzheimer's and Korsakoff's…

Confirmation Message(also: Positive Feedback, On-track Feedback, Progress Confirmation)

A system message that reassures users they are performing a task correctly or are on the right path, as opposed to only providing error messages or corrective instructions. In assistive technology and cognitive accessibility, confirmation messages have been shown to be…

Constrained Creativity(also: Constrained Design, Creative Constraints)

Constrained creativity is a design approach that supports creative expression by deliberately limiting the choices available to users, providing structure and boundaries within which they can create. In accessibility, constrained creativity has proven especially valuable for…

Constructivism(also: Constructivist Learning Theory)

An educational theory that holds that learners actively construct their own understanding and knowledge through experience, exploration, and reflection rather than passively receiving information. In accessibility and assistive technology contexts, constructivism informs the…

Content Simplification(also: Content-Level Simplification)

Simplification approaches that modify the actual informational content of text, including summarization, removal of non-essential details, and restructuring of information presentation. Content simplification goes beyond lexical and syntactic simplification (which preserve all…

Context-Aware Interface(also: Context-Sensitive Interface, Adaptive Interface)

A user interface that dynamically adapts its content, features, or behavior based on the user's current context, such as their location, current task, time of day, or the website they are visiting. In cognitive accessibility, context-aware interfaces are particularly valuable…

Contextual Learning(also: Context-Dependent Learning)

The tendency of both humans and AI systems to learn patterns and behaviours from the surrounding context rather than from abstract rules. In web development, contextual learning means that developers working on accessible codebases are more likely to produce accessible code…

Conversational Programming(also: natural language programming, LLM-driven scene modification)

Conversational programming is a paradigm in which users modify software behaviour or digital environments through natural language dialogue with an AI system, rather than through traditional developer-defined controls, menus, or code. In accessibility contexts, conversational…

Conversational Scaffolding(also: Scaffolded Interaction)

Human or technology-provided support, prompts, or guidance that helps individuals accomplish communication tasks they might struggle with independently. In voice assistant contexts, scaffolding includes features like setting up calendars, providing reminders, and offering…

Coreference(also: Coreference Resolution, Anaphora Resolution)

The linguistic phenomenon of two or more expressions in a text referring to the same real-world entity — for example, "Sam", "she", and "the scientist" all referring to the same person. Coreference resolution is the NLP task of automatically linking these expressions into…

Crip time(also: Crip temporality)

A disability studies concept, developed by scholar Alison Kafer, that recognizes how disabled and chronically ill people experience and navigate time differently due to bodily, cognitive, or systemic factors. Rather than forcing conformity to linear, clock-based productivity…

Critical Listening(also: Analytical Listening, Active Listening)

Critical listening is the skill of analytically evaluating audio content to identify specific qualities such as tonal balance, clarity, spatial positioning, dynamic range, and technical flaws like distortion or noise. In audio production, critical listening is a core…

Cross-Referencing(also: Verification by Comparison)

A strategy used by blind people to verify AI output by comparing information from multiple sources or against prior personal knowledge. In the context of privacy tools, participants suggested that assessment descriptors describing multiple objects in a familiar space would…

Cross-modal Congruency

The temporal, spatial, and semantic alignment of sensory cues during an interaction — for example, a visual event and its accompanying sound occurring at the same moment and in the same location, with matching emotional tone. Congruency differs from correspondence:…

Crystallized Intelligence(also: Gc)

Crystallized intelligence refers to the accumulated knowledge, skills, vocabulary, and general information a person acquires through experience and education over their lifetime. Unlike fluid intelligence, which declines with age, crystallized intelligence tends to remain stable…

Customization Paradox(also: Paradox of Choice in Customization)

The phenomenon where providing more customization options to reduce barriers paradoxically creates new barriers through increased cognitive load, decision fatigue, and distraction from the customization interface itself. The customization paradox is particularly acute for ADHD…