Glossary
Terms used in accessibility research and practice. Each entry has a definition, common aliases, and category tags.
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- VR-ASL(also: Virtual Reality American Sign Language)
- A simplified adaptation of American Sign Language (ASL) designed for use in virtual reality environments where current controller tracking technology cannot capture the full range of hand and finger movements required for standard ASL. VR-ASL modifies or substitutes signs to…
- Video Phone(also: Videophone, VP)
- A telecommunications device that enables real-time video and audio communication between two or more parties. For Deaf and hard of hearing people, video phones are essential communication tools that allow conversation in sign language over distance, providing functional…
- Video Relay Service(also: VRS)
- A free, subscriber-based telecommunications service regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States that enables deaf individuals who use sign language to make phone calls to hearing individuals through a sign language interpreter via video link.…
- Video Remote Interpreting(also: VRI)
- A fee-based service that provides sign language interpretation via video conferencing technology, where the interpreter is located remotely rather than physically present with the deaf and hearing participants. VRI is commonly used when two of the three parties (the deaf person,…
- Video intelligibility(also: Signal intelligibility, Visual signal clarity)
- The degree to which a video signal can be perceived and understood by the viewer, determined by technical parameters including frame rate, bit rate, spatial resolution, and codec quality. Video intelligibility is distinct from comprehension — a viewer may perceive clear hand…
- Video relay service(also: VRS)
- A telecommunications service that enables deaf and hard-of-hearing sign language users to communicate with hearing people via telephone through a video link with a sign language interpreter. The deaf caller signs to the interpreter via video, and the interpreter speaks to the…
- Visual Attention Split(also: Split Attention, Divided Visual Attention)
- The cognitive challenge of needing to divide visual focus between two or more sources of information simultaneously. For deaf and hard of hearing people, visual attention split is a pervasive accessibility barrier: they must look at captions or a sign language interpreter while…
- Visual Layout Customization(also: Layout Customization, Video Layout Arrangement)
- The ability for users to rearrange, resize, reposition, lock, or remove visual elements in a digital interface to suit their individual needs. In videoconferencing, visual layout customization is critical for d/Deaf and hard of hearing users, who may need to enlarge the…
- Visual Speech Aid(also: Speech Reading Aid, Visual Communication Aid)
- A visual speech aid is an assistive device or system that converts auditory speech information into visual form to help individuals with hearing impairments follow spoken conversation. These aids may display text (as in captioning systems), phonetic symbols, lip-shape cues,…
- Visual dispersion(also: Visual splitting, Divided visual attention)
- The cognitive challenge faced by deaf and hard of hearing people when they must simultaneously monitor multiple visual information sources, such as an instructor, presentation slides, a sign language interpreter or captions, and their own notes. Because deaf individuals receive…
- Visuocentric Design(also: Visual-First Design, Deaf-Centric Design)
- An approach to interface and content design that prioritizes visual communication and spatial organization, particularly for users of visual languages like sign languages. Visuocentric design recognizes that deaf and hard of hearing users process information visually rather than…
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