Glossary

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Deafblind(also: Deaf-Blind, Deafblindness, Dual Sensory Loss)

A condition involving combined hearing and vision loss that significantly affects communication, access to information, and mobility. Deafblindness is not simply the sum of deafness and blindness — it creates unique challenges that require distinct support strategies, including…

Deafblindness(also: Deaf-Blindness, Dual Sensory Impairment, Combined Vision and Hearing Loss)

Deafblindness is a combined vision and hearing impairment that creates unique challenges beyond those associated with either sensory loss alone. It is not simply the sum of deafness and blindness — the combination creates distinct communication, information access, and mobility…

Decreased Sound Tolerance(also: DST, Sound Intolerance)

Decreased sound tolerance (DST) is an umbrella term for conditions in which everyday sounds are perceived as uncomfortably loud, threatening, or emotionally distressing. It encompasses hyperacusis (abnormal sensitivity to sound volume), misophonia (strong emotional reactions to…

Dementia(also: Major neurocognitive disorder)

An umbrella term for a group of symptoms related to progressive decline in memory, thinking, behaviour, and the ability to perform everyday activities, caused by diseases or injuries affecting the brain. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause, accounting for 60-70% of…

Deuteranomaly(also: Deutan Anomalous Trichromacy)

The most common type of colour vision deficiency, where the medium-wavelength (green) cone cells have a shifted sensitivity range. Deuteranomaly is a milder form of deutan CVD compared to deuteranopia, resulting in reduced ability to distinguish certain reds from greens. It…

Deuteranopia(also: Deutan Dichromacy, Green-Blind)

A type of colour vision deficiency caused by the complete absence of medium-wavelength (green) cone cells in the retina. Deuteranopia is the most common form of dichromacy, causing difficulty distinguishing red from green. Unlike protanopia, deuteranopia does not significantly…

Developmental Learning Disorder(also: DLD, Specific Learning Disorder, Learning Disability)

A group of neurodevelopmental conditions that affect the acquisition and use of specific academic skills such as reading, writing, or mathematics. Developmental Learning Disorders include dyslexia (affecting reading), dysgraphia (affecting writing), and dyscalculia (affecting…

Dichromacy(also: Dichromatic Vision)

A category of colour vision deficiency in which one of the three types of cone cells is completely absent, reducing colour perception to two primary channels instead of three. The three forms are protanopia (missing red cones), deuteranopia (missing green cones), and tritanopia…

Digital accessibility for ageing(also: Age-related accessibility, Accessible ageing, Senior accessibility)

The practice of designing digital technologies that remain usable as people experience age-related changes in vision (presbyopia, contrast sensitivity loss, cataracts), hearing (presbycusis), motor control (reduced dexterity, tremor), cognition (slower processing, working memory…

Disordered Speech(also: Pathological Speech, Atypical Speech)

Speech that differs from typical patterns due to motor, neurological, structural, or developmental conditions. Disordered speech encompasses conditions like dysarthria, apraxia, stuttering, and speech differences from cerebral palsy or Parkinson's disease. For accessibility,…

Drop Foot(also: Foot Drop, Peroneal Nerve Palsy)

A condition characterized by difficulty lifting the front part of the foot, causing the toes to drag along the ground during walking. Drop foot is not a disease itself but a symptom of an underlying neurological, muscular, or anatomical problem, commonly caused by nerve injury…

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy(also: DMD, Duchenne MD)

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a severe genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness, caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene on the X chromosome. It primarily affects boys, with symptoms typically appearing between ages 2-5 and…

Dysarthria(also: Motor speech disorder, Neuromotor speech impairment)

A group of speech disorders caused by weakness, paralysis, or lack of coordination in the muscles used for speaking, resulting from damage to the brain or nervous system. Speech may sound slurred, slow, or difficult to understand, though the person's language comprehension and…

Dyscalculia(also: Math Learning Disability, Number Blindness, Mathematics Disorder)

A specific learning disorder that affects the ability to acquire, understand, and manipulate numerical and mathematical concepts. People with dyscalculia may have difficulty with number sense, memorizing arithmetic facts, performing calculations, and understanding mathematical…

Dysgraphia(also: Disorder of written expression, Specific learning disorder in written expression)

A neurological learning disability that affects written expression, including handwriting legibility, spelling accuracy, and the ability to organize thoughts in writing. Dysgraphia can make text entry and written composition cognitively exhausting, creating significant barriers…

Dyspraxia(also: Developmental Coordination Disorder, DCD)

A neurodevelopmental condition affecting motor planning, coordination, and the sequencing of movements. People with dyspraxia have difficulty translating intended actions into coordinated physical movements, despite having adequate muscle strength and understanding of what they…

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