Glossary

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Achromatopsia(also: Rod Monochromacy, Total Color Blindness, Complete Achromatopsia)

A rare inherited vision condition in which a person has little or no ability to perceive color, seeing the world primarily in shades of grey. People with achromatopsia typically also experience light sensitivity (photophobia), reduced visual acuity, and involuntary eye movements…

Age-Related Dexterity Changes(also: Motor Decline in Aging, Age-Related Motor Impairment)

The gradual decline in fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, and manual dexterity that commonly occurs with aging, affecting the ability to use input devices like mice, keyboards, and touchscreens. These changes are caused by factors including reduced spatial abilities,…

Age-Related Functional Limitations(also: Ageing-Related Accessibility Needs, Age-Related Impairments)

The gradual changes in sensory, motor, and cognitive abilities that commonly occur with ageing, including declining vision, hearing loss, reduced dexterity and fine motor control, and changes in memory and processing speed. These functional limitations often overlap…

Age-Related Impairment(also: Age-Related Decline, Aging-Related Disability)

Functional limitations that commonly develop with advancing age, often involving multiple interacting mild impairments rather than a single major disability. Age-related impairments may affect vision (presbyopia, reduced contrast sensitivity, cataracts), hearing (presbycusis),…

Age-Related Vision Loss(also: Age-Related Visual Impairment)

Vision impairment that occurs as a consequence of aging, representing the most common cause of blindness and low vision worldwide. Conditions include age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts. The prevalence of significant visual impairment…

Akinesia(also: Poverty of Movement)

The loss or impairment of the ability to initiate voluntary movement, distinct from muscle weakness or paralysis. In Parkinson's Disease, akinesia manifests as difficulty starting movements, reduced spontaneous movements like blinking or arm swing while walking, and a mask-like…

Albinism(also: Oculocutaneous Albinism, Ocular Albinism)

A group of inherited conditions characterized by reduced or absent melanin pigment production, affecting the skin, hair, and eyes. Ocular effects commonly include reduced visual acuity, nystagmus (involuntary eye movements), photophobia (light sensitivity), and reduced depth…

Amnesia(also: Memory Loss, Amnestic Disorder)

A neurological condition characterised by the partial or complete inability to recall past experiences (retrograde amnesia) or to form new memories (anterograde amnesia). Amnesia results from damage to brain structures responsible for memory processing, commonly caused by…

Aniridia

A rare congenital eye condition involving the partial or complete absence of the iris, often accompanied by reduced visual acuity, light sensitivity (photophobia), nystagmus, and sometimes glaucoma or cataracts. Digital accommodations typically include high screen brightness…

Anomalous Trichromat(also: Anomalous Trichromacy, Colour Anomaly)

A person who has all three types of cone cells in the retina but one type has a shifted spectral sensitivity, causing altered colour perception that is less severe than dichromacy. Anomalous trichromats include protanomalous individuals (shifted L-cones, reduced red…

Anterograde Amnesia

A form of amnesia in which a person is unable to form new memories following the onset of the condition, while memories from before the injury or illness may remain largely intact. Anterograde amnesia typically results from damage to the hippocampus or surrounding medial…

Articulation Disorder(also: speech sound disorder, phonological disorder)

A speech impairment characterized by difficulty producing speech sounds or phonemes correctly. Articulation disorders are classified into three categories: organic (caused by hearing loss or structural abnormalities), motor (caused by neurological conditions affecting motor…

Asperger Syndrome(also: Asperger's Syndrome, AS, Asperger's Disorder)

A neurodevelopmental condition previously classified as a distinct diagnosis within the autism spectrum, characterized by difficulties with social interaction and nonverbal communication, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. Unlike autistic…

Athetoid(also: Athetosis, Athetoid Movement)

A type of involuntary movement characterised by slow, continuous, writhing motions, particularly affecting the hands, fingers, and face. Athetoid movements are commonly associated with athetoid cerebral palsy, a subtype of cerebral palsy that results from damage to the basal…

Athetoid Cerebral Palsy(also: dyskinetic cerebral palsy, athetosis)

A type of cerebral palsy characterized by involuntary, slow, writhing movements (athetosis) that affect the face, trunk, and limbs. It accounts for about 10-15% of cerebral palsy cases and results from damage to the basal ganglia. People with athetoid cerebral palsy often…

Athetoid Cerebral Palsy(also: Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy, Athetosis)

A form of cerebral palsy characterized by involuntary, uncontrolled, slow writhing movements, particularly affecting the hands, feet, arms, and legs, and sometimes the muscles of the face and tongue. Athetoid cerebral palsy results from damage to the basal ganglia and is…

Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule(also: ADOS, ADOS-2)

A standardized diagnostic protocol for autism that uses structured and semi-structured social interaction tasks between an examiner and the person being assessed. First published in 1989 and designed based on a sample of children aged 6-18, it was followed by a second edition…

Autism Spectrum Disorder(also: ASD, Autism)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of behavior or interests. Autism exists on a spectrum, meaning it presents differently across individuals — some may have significant support needs while others…

Avoidance Behaviour(also: Avoidance Behaviors, Covert Stuttering)

Strategies used by people who stutter to conceal or prevent stuttering events, including substituting feared words with easier alternatives, talking around a word (circumlocution), using filler words to delay, avoiding certain speaking situations entirely, or pretending to have…

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