Glossary

Search results

Semantic decomposition

An analysis method that models a system as a hierarchy of ontological dependencies based on meaning and conceptual relationships, rather than breaking it down by functional tasks. In user interface design, semantic decomposition contrasts with traditional task-based…

Sensory erasure(also: Sensory exclusion)

The systematic marginalization or elimination of non-visual sensory modalities in the design of technologies, interfaces, and information systems. Sensory erasure occurs when platforms treat visual interaction as the only legitimate or primary mode of engagement, rendering…

Signer Placement(also: Interpreter Placement)

The spatial positioning of a sign language interpreter or signing instructor relative to instructional content in a video, videoconference, or immersive environment. Common arrangements include a side or corner window (typical in broadcast and videoconferencing), parallel…

Small Multiples

A series of similar graphics or charts arranged in a grid or sequence, each showing a different frame, condition, or time point, used to illustrate change or comparison. In tactile graphics, small multiples are the traditional method of representing movement or temporal change —…

Socio-Technical Aspirations

Individual- or community-driven ambition and desire to own or use a specific technology for personal benefit or societal acceptance or both. This concept, introduced by Sharma et al. (2020) as an extension to frameworks for assistive technology design, captures how technology…

Soma design(also: Somaesthetic design)

A design approach rooted in somaesthetics that foregrounds the sensing, feeling, living body as both the subject and medium of design. Soma design attends to the full range of bodily experience — touch, proprioception, movement, temperature, tension — rather than privileging…

Sonic design space(also: Auditory design space)

The physical medium related to human hearing through which a user and device may interact. The sonic design space encompasses speech (both natural and synthesised), non-speech audio such as earcons and sonification, music, and environmental sounds. For many users of assistive…

Sonification(also: Auditory display, Data sonification)

The use of non-speech audio to represent information, data, or environmental characteristics. In accessibility, sonification provides an alternative or complement to visual displays, encoding spatial, quantitative, or categorical information as sound properties such as pitch,…

Sound Design(also: Audio Design)

The craft of creating, selecting, and arranging audio elements - dialogue, music, ambient sound, foley, and effects - to shape the experience of a film, game, broadcast, or interactive product. For accessibility, sound design is doubly important: it carries narrative and…

Spatial substrate

A framework describing the orientation and positioning of information within a design space, using axes and a coordinate system appropriate to how a user perceives content in that space. In the visual design space, a spatial substrate is typically a two-dimensional plane (a…

Stakeholder Research(also: Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Involvement)

A research approach that identifies and engages all parties who have an interest in or are affected by a technology, product, or service. In accessibility research, stakeholder research involves consulting not just end users with disabilities but also family members, caregivers,…

Technosolutionism(also: Technological solutionism, Techno-solutionism, Tech solutionism)

The belief that complex social problems, including disability, can and should be solved primarily through technology. Popularised by Evgeny Morozov, the term describes a mindset that strips nuance from social issues and recasts them as neat technical problems with computable…

Temporal encoding

The representation of information through change over time within a spatial substrate. In the visual design space, temporal encoding corresponds to animation — a point or shape moving, appearing, or changing on screen. In the sonic design space, temporal encoding is the primary…

Transitional Object(also: Comfort Object)

A concept from developmental psychology, introduced by D. W. Winnicott, referring to a soft, often tactile object - a blanket, stuffed toy, or similar - that a child uses to support self-soothing and the transition between dependence on a caregiver and independent experience.…

Typographic Encoding(also: Visual Typography Mapping)

The practice of using typographic properties—such as font size, weight, color, spacing, opacity, and baseline shift—to encode non-textual information within written content. In accessibility contexts, typographic encoding is used to represent paralinguistic speech features in…

Typography(also: Typographic Design)

The art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and visually appealing. In accessibility contexts, typography encompasses font selection, size, weight, spacing (letter spacing, word spacing, line height), alignment, and contrast. Research has…

Uncanny valley

A concept in robotics and animation describing the discomfort people feel when a humanoid figure looks almost, but not quite, realistic. As robots or avatars approach human likeness, they can provoke feelings of eeriness or revulsion before reaching full realism. In…

Universal Design(also: UD)

A design philosophy and practice that aims to create products, environments, and systems usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Originating in architecture with Ron Mace at North Carolina State University,…

Universal design(also: UD, Design for all, Inclusive design)

A design philosophy that aims to create products, environments, and systems that are usable by the widest possible range of people without the need for adaptation or specialised design. Coined by architect Ronald Mace in 1997, universal design is guided by seven principles:…

Universal design for learning(also: UDL)

An educational framework based on research in the learning sciences that guides the development of flexible learning experiences to accommodate individual learning differences. UDL provides multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression, ensuring that…

Usability(also: Ease of Use)

Usability is the extent to which a product, system, or service can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use, as defined by ISO 9241-11. It goes beyond mere accessibility compliance to…

User persona(also: Persona, Design persona)

A fictional but research-based representation of a user archetype that captures key characteristics, goals, behaviours, and pain points of a segment of the target audience. In accessibility design, personas representing disabled users help development teams move beyond…

User profile(also: User model, Personal needs and preferences profile, PNP)

A structured collection of data describing a user's characteristics, capabilities, preferences, and requirements for interacting with a computing system. In accessibility, user profiles inform how interfaces should adapt to meet individual needs. Traditional approaches (such as…

User-Sensitive Inclusive Design(also: USID)

A design methodology that adapts user-centered design principles for contexts where the target user population is highly diverse and where individual differences — including those related to disability — are significant design factors. Unlike Universal Design which aims for…

Version segregation(also: Parallel versions, Separate accessible version)

A design practice in which a separate, simplified, or modified version of a product, game, or platform is created specifically for disabled users rather than making the main version accessible. While intended to improve access, version segregation often results in social…

Virtual environment(also: Virtual world, VR environment, 3D virtual space)

A computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional space that users can navigate and interact with, typically rendered visually through screens or head-mounted displays. Virtual environments range from simple 3D spaces to complex simulated worlds used in gaming, training,…

Visual Aesthetics(also: Aesthetic Quality, Visual Appeal)

The subjective qualities of visual content that contribute to its perceived beauty, mood, style, and emotional impact, including elements like color harmony, composition, lighting, contrast, and overall visual coherence. In accessibility contexts, conveying visual aesthetics to…

Visual authoring(also: Visual content creation)

The process of creating or editing visual content such as images, graphics, videos, or layouts. Visual authoring has traditionally been one of the least accessible creative activities for blind and low vision users because it requires real-time visual feedback to evaluate and…

Visual design space

The physical medium related to human sight through which a user and device may interact. The visual design space is the dominant channel in most user interfaces, encompassing text, images, video, colour, layout, animation, and spatial arrangement. The overwhelming bias toward…

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…

Wayfinding(also: Navigation, Orientation and mobility)

The process by which people orient themselves in physical or digital spaces, determine their destination, and navigate a route to reach it. Wayfinding encompasses the cognitive, sensory, and physical strategies people use to understand where they are, where they need to go, and…

Wireframe(also: Wireframing, UI Mockup, Page Schematic)

A visual guide representing the skeletal framework of a website or application, showing page layout, content placement, and navigation structure before detailed design begins. Wireframes are fundamental to web development planning and information architecture. However,…