Glossary

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DIY assistive technology(also: DIY-AT, Maker assistive technology, Open-source AT)

Assistive devices and tools created or customised by end users, volunteers, or makers using accessible fabrication methods such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and off-the-shelf components. DIY-AT offers advantages over commercial assistive technology including lower cost,…

Deaf Tech(also: Deaf-Centered Technology)

A framework and design orientation for technologies created by, with, and centering Deaf communities. Deaf Tech emphasizes participatory design, cultural relevance, and alignment with Deaf epistemologies and practices, rather than positioning Deaf users as end-consumers of…

DeafSpace(also: Deaf Space, Deaf architecture)

A set of architectural and environmental design principles developed by architect Hansel Bauman in collaboration with the Deaf community at Gallaudet University, grounded in the sensory and spatial experience of deaf people. DeafSpace addresses five core elements: space and…

DeafSpace(also: Deaf Space, Deaf Geography)

A design philosophy and set of architectural and spatial principles developed from understanding how deaf people experience and navigate physical and digital environments. DeafSpace considers factors like visual access, lighting, spatial orientation, and the need for…

Design Fixation(also: Fixation Effect)

A cognitive phenomenon in the design process where exposure to existing examples or initial solutions constrains creative thinking, causing designers to replicate or only minimally modify those examples rather than exploring original alternatives. In AI-assisted design, fixation…

Design Probe(also: Technology Probe, Design Provocation)

A research method in which a functional or semi-functional prototype is deployed with participants not primarily to test usability, but to provoke discussion, elicit design insights, and explore future possibilities. Design probes are deliberately open-ended, encouraging…

Design Saviorism

A problematic dynamic in design practice where nondisabled designers position themselves as rescuers of disabled people, seeking praise while attempting to fix something that is not broken. Design saviorism perpetuates power imbalances by centering the designer's perspective…

Design System(also: Component Library, UI Kit)

A collection of reusable components, patterns, guidelines, and assets that together define the visual language and interaction standards for a product or organization. Design systems typically include UI components, typography, color palettes, icons, illustrations, and…

Design for All(also: DfA, Design pour Tous)

A European design philosophy that aims to create products, environments, and services usable by the widest possible range of people without adaptation or specialized design. Originating from the European Institute for Design and Disability (now Design for All Europe), this…

Design for Social Accessibility(also: Social accessibility framework, DSA)

A design framework that extends traditional accessibility approaches by addressing not only the functional usability of technology but also the social contexts and implications of its use. Design for Social Accessibility is built on three tenets: incorporating users with and…

Design justice

A framework that centers the perspectives and leadership of people most affected by design outcomes, challenging traditional design processes that often reinforce existing power structures. Coined and developed by Sasha Costanza-Chock, design justice draws on social movement…

Design probe(also: Technology probe, Cultural probe)

A research methodology in human-computer interaction where a prototype or artefact is deployed with participants not primarily to test usability, but to provoke reflection, surface unanticipated needs, and explore a design space. Unlike usability testing, which evaluates how…

Design space(also: Interaction modality)

A medium, physical or abstract, through which a user and a device exchange information. The visual design space uses sight (screens, displays), the sonic design space uses hearing (speech, earcons, music), and the haptic design space uses touch (braille displays, vibration,…

Design space properties

The characteristics of information within a design space, classified by the type of cognitive processing they require. Direct properties relate to perception and automatic processing — colour, brightness, and pitch are perceived immediately without conscious effort. Indirect…

Design space structure

A framework characterising how raw information is organised within a design space. Nesbitt classifies information conveyed through sensory channels as nominal (categorical, such as labels), quantitative (measurable, subdivided into temporal, spatial, and geographical), and…

Diegetic Prototype(also: Diegetic Prop)

A research and design method that uses modified versions of real-world content to demonstrate potential future interventions or technologies within a familiar context. In accessibility research, diegetic prototypes allow participants to experience and evaluate proposed…

Digital Living Media(also: Living Media Interface, Biotic Design)

Systems that combine living organisms with electronic components as part of a digital interface. In accessibility contexts, digital living media have been explored as motivational tools for children with disabilities, where the growth of a living organism (such as a mushroom…

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