Glossary

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PTSD(also: Post-traumatic stress disorder, Post-traumatic stress)

A psychiatric condition that can develop after exposure to traumatic events, characterized by intrusive memories, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, negative changes in mood and cognition, and heightened arousal responses including hypervigilance and exaggerated startle. In…

Paralysis(also: Paralyzed, Paresis)

The partial or complete loss of voluntary muscle function, resulting from damage to the motor nervous system. Common causes include spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, motor neuron diseases such as ALS, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and brainstem lesions…

Partial Trisomy 9p(also: 9p Duplication Syndrome, Rethore Syndrome)

A rare chromosomal condition in which a portion of the short arm of chromosome 9 is present in triplicate rather than in duplicate. The condition is associated with intellectual disability, distinctive craniofacial features, developmental delay, and in many cases co-occurring…

People with Dementia(also: PwD)

A person-first term used in accessibility and dementia research to refer to individuals living with dementia — an umbrella term covering progressive neurological conditions (such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia) that…

People with Severe Motor Disabilities(also: PSMD)

A term used in assistive technology and human-robot interaction research to describe individuals whose motor impairments are severe enough that they cannot reliably use their hands or arms for everyday tasks, and who therefore depend on hands-free control modalities such as eye…

Peripheral Neuropathy(also: Neuropathy)

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition resulting from damage to the peripheral nerves, which carry signals between the brain, spinal cord, and the rest of the body. Symptoms typically include numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain, most commonly in the hands and feet. For…

Phonophobia(also: Sound Phobia, Ligyrophobia)

Phonophobia is an intense fear or aversion to specific sounds or loud noises that goes beyond simple discomfort, often leading to avoidance behaviors such as fleeing from environments where triggering sounds may occur. Unlike hyperacusis (heightened sensitivity to sound volume)…

Photosensitive epilepsy(also: PSE, Photosensitivity, Visually-provoked epilepsy)

A form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by visual stimuli such as flashing lights, strobing effects, rapid colour transitions, or high-contrast repeating patterns. It affects approximately 3 to 5 percent of people with epilepsy and is more common in children and…

Photosensitivity(also: Light Sensitivity, Photophobia)

An abnormal sensitivity to light that can cause discomfort, pain, or visual disturbance. Photosensitivity affects many people with visual impairments and certain neurological conditions including migraine and epilepsy. In digital accessibility, photosensitivity considerations…

Post-Exertion Malaise(also: PEM, Post-Exertional Malaise, Crash)

A disproportionate worsening of symptoms following physical, cognitive, or emotional exertion that would not cause comparable effects in a healthy person. Post-exertion malaise is a hallmark symptom of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and occurs in…

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(also: PTSD)

A mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event such as violence, natural disaster, serious accident, or combat. Symptoms include intrusive memories or flashbacks, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, negative changes in thinking and…

Post-lingual Deafness(also: Post-linguistic Deafness, Acquired Deafness, Late-Onset Deafness)

Deafness that occurs after a person has acquired spoken language, meaning they have existing literacy in written and spoken language. Post-lingual deaf users can typically read and write fluently, making text-based accessibility features like captions and transcripts highly…

Postlingual Deafness(also: Postlingually Deaf, Acquired Hearing Loss)

Hearing loss that occurs after a person has acquired spoken language, typically after about age three to five. Postlingually deaf people usually retain spoken-language fluency, literacy, and memory of sound, which affects their rehabilitation trajectory and their experience of…

Pre-lingual Deafness(also: Pre-linguistic Deafness, Congenital Deafness)

Deafness that occurs before a person acquires spoken language, either present from birth or developing in early childhood. People with pre-lingual deafness typically use sign language as their primary means of communication and may have limited literacy in written/spoken…

Prelingual Deafness(also: Prelingually Deaf, Congenital Deafness)

Deafness present at birth or acquired before a child has developed spoken language, typically before around age three. Prelingually deaf individuals commonly learn a signed language as a first language and may have different literacy trajectories in the surrounding…

Presbyopia(also: Age-Related Farsightedness)

An age-related vision condition where the eye gradually loses its ability to focus on nearby objects, typically becoming noticeable in the early to mid-40s. Presbyopia affects virtually everyone as they age and significantly impacts web accessibility, making small text difficult…

Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities(also: PMLD, Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities, PIMD)

Profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) refers to a combination of profound intellectual disability with additional physical, sensory, or health impairments that together create extremely complex support needs. Individuals with PMLD typically require high levels of…

Progressive Disability(also: Degenerative Condition, Progressive Condition)

A disability or condition that worsens over time, requiring adaptive strategies and technologies that can evolve with changing abilities. Progressive disabilities such as dementia, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy pose unique design challenges because assistive…

Protanomaly(also: Protan Anomalous Trichromacy)

A type of colour vision deficiency where the long-wavelength (red) cone cells have a shifted sensitivity range rather than being absent entirely. Protanomaly is a milder form of protan CVD compared to protanopia, resulting in reduced but not absent ability to distinguish reds…

Protanopia(also: Protan Dichromacy, Red-Blind)

A type of colour vision deficiency caused by the complete absence of long-wavelength (red) cone cells in the retina. People with protanopia cannot distinguish between red and green and perceive reds as significantly darker than people with typical colour vision. This darkening…

Pseudobulbar Affect(also: PBA, Emotional Incontinence, Involuntary Emotional Expression Disorder)

A neurological condition characterized by episodes of involuntary, exaggerated, or inappropriate emotional expression — such as uncontrollable laughing or crying — that may not match the person's actual emotional state. Pseudobulbar affect occurs after damage to the neural…

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