Glossary

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AHEAD(also: Association on Higher Education And Disability)

The Association on Higher Education And Disability, a professional organization that provides resources, guidelines, and program standards for disability services offices in postsecondary education. AHEAD develops standards that outline minimum essential services disability…

AI in Education(also: AIEd, Educational AI)

The application of artificial intelligence technologies in educational settings, including intelligent tutoring systems, automated assessment, personalized learning pathways, content generation, and teacher support tools. AI in education has expanded rapidly with generative AI,…

AI literacy(also: Artificial intelligence literacy, Algorithm literacy)

The knowledge, skills, and critical awareness needed to understand, evaluate, and effectively engage with artificial intelligence systems. For people with disabilities, AI literacy is particularly important because lack of understanding about how AI tools work — including their…

ASL education technology(also: Sign language learning technology)

Technology designed to support the teaching and learning of American Sign Language, ranging from video-based instructional platforms and feedback systems to computer vision tools that analyse signing performance. ASL education technology is an accessibility enabler because…

Abacus(also: Cranmer Abacus, Counting Frame)

A manual calculating tool consisting of a frame with rods and movable beads used for arithmetic operations. For visually impaired users, adapted versions like the Cranmer abacus feature beads that stay in place when moved and a backing to prevent displacement. The abacus enables…

Academic Ableism

Systemic discrimination against disabled people within academic institutions and research practices. In higher education, academic ableism manifests through inaccessible learning environments, expectations of productivity that do not account for disability, and research…

Academic Accessibility(also: Accessibility in academia, Scholarly accessibility)

The degree to which the tools, publications, venues, and institutional practices of academic research and higher education are usable by disabled students, faculty, and researchers. Academic accessibility spans scholarly PDFs and figures, reference and qualitative-analysis…

Academic Accommodation(also: Educational Accommodation, Reasonable Adjustment in Education)

Modifications to academic requirements, procedures, or environments that enable students and scholars with disabilities to participate equally in educational activities. Academic accommodations may include extended time for exams, alternative format materials, note-taking…

Academic Accommodations(also: Educational Accommodations, Disability Accommodations)

Modifications to academic requirements, environments, or procedures provided to students with disabilities to ensure equal access to education. Common accommodations include extended test time, note-taking services, priority seating, alternative format materials, and reduced…

AccessComputing

An NSF-funded alliance led by the University of Washington that works to increase the participation of people with disabilities in computing fields. AccessComputing connects students with disabilities to mentors, internships, and resources in computing education and careers,…

Accessibility Awareness

The level of knowledge and understanding that individuals, particularly software developers and designers, have about accessibility requirements, standards, and the needs of people with disabilities. Research consistently shows that low accessibility awareness among industry…

Accessibility Education(also: A11y Education)

The teaching and learning of accessibility principles, practices, and standards across educational settings. Accessibility education encompasses both teaching students with disabilities in accessible ways and teaching all students about accessibility so they can create inclusive…

Accessibility Simulation(also: Disability Simulation)

A pedagogical technique in which learners experience simulated conditions of disability to build understanding of accessibility barriers. Common approaches include simulation games, virtual reality experiences, and exercises that restrict sensory or motor capabilities. While…

Accessibility education(also: A11y education, Accessibility curriculum)

The integration of accessibility and universal design topics into formal educational programs, particularly in computer science, design, and engineering curricula. Effective accessibility education combines theoretical understanding of disability models and standards with…

Accessible Education(also: Inclusive Education)

The practice of designing educational environments, materials, and technologies so that all students, including those with disabilities, can participate fully and equally. Accessible education encompasses physical accessibility of classrooms and campuses, digital accessibility…

Accessible Music Education(also: Inclusive Music Teaching)

Educational approaches and technologies that enable people with disabilities to learn music effectively. This includes alternative notation systems like Braille music, audio-based instruction, tactile learning materials, and adaptive instruments. Accessible music education…

Accessible eLearning(also: Accessible Online Learning, Inclusive eLearning)

Digital learning content and platforms designed to be usable by people with disabilities. For people with intellectual disabilities, accessible eLearning requires step-by-step approaches, visual demonstrations with audio narration, consistent layouts, familiar metaphors from…

Accommodation(also: Reasonable Accommodation, Academic Accommodation, Disability Accommodation)

A modification, adjustment, or support provided to enable a person with a disability to participate equally in education, employment, or public services. In the United States, accommodations are mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the…

Accommodation Letter(also: Letter of Accommodation, LOA, Faculty Notification Letter)

A formal document produced by a university's disability services office that notifies faculty of their obligation to provide specific approved accommodations to a student with a disability. The letter details the accommodations but does not disclose the student's specific…

Activity Prompting(also: Skill Prompting)

A structured approach to encouraging skill development through customized, playful prompts that guide individuals through specific activities. In the context of disability and education, activity prompting involves designing short, engaging tasks tailored to a person's current…

Activity schedule(also: Visual schedule, Picture schedule)

A visual support tool that breaks down tasks or routines into sequential steps represented by photographs, pictograms, or text, enabling individuals with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, or cognitive impairments to independently follow procedures without…

Adapted Curriculum(also: Adapted Computer Curriculum, Modified Curriculum, Curriculum Adaptation)

An adapted curriculum is an educational programme that has been modified to accommodate the learning needs, styles, and abilities of students with disabilities while maintaining the core learning objectives of the standard curriculum. Adaptations may include one-on-one tutoring…

Applied Behavioral Analysis(also: ABA, Behavioral Analysis, Behaviour Analysis)

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a scientific approach to understanding and changing behavior through systematic observation, measurement, and evidence-based intervention. In accessibility and disability contexts, ABA principles — including positive reinforcement, prompting,…

Applied behavior analysis(also: ABA, Behavior modification, Lovaas method)

A therapeutic approach based on the science of learning and behavior, widely used in interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder. ABA uses systematic reinforcement — rewarding desired behaviors with objects, food, praise, or other motivators — to teach new skills…

Assistive Technology Curriculum(also: AT Curriculum, Adaptive Technology Curriculum, Accessibility Curriculum)

An assistive technology curriculum is a structured educational programme that teaches the principles, design, evaluation, and implementation of technology aids for people with disabilities. Such curricula typically span topics including disability awareness, accessibility…

Asynchronous Communication(also: Async Communication)

Communication that does not occur in real time, allowing participants to send and receive messages at different times. In educational and workplace contexts, examples include email, discussion forums, recorded lectures, and messaging platforms. Asynchronous communication…

Asynchronous Learning(also: Asynchronous Instruction)

A mode of education in which learners engage with instructional content on their own schedule rather than in real time with an instructor, typically via pre-recorded videos, written materials, or interactive modules. For accessibility, asynchronous learning removes some barriers…

Audio-Based Virtual Environment(also: Audio Virtual Environment, Sound-Based Virtual World, Auditory Virtual Environment)

An audio-based virtual environment is a computer-generated interactive space that uses sound — including 3D spatial audio, stereo effects, and environmental audio cues — as the primary channel for conveying information about the virtual world, enabling navigation, orientation,…

Automatic Promotion(also: No Detention Policy, Social Promotion)

An educational policy that promotes students to the next grade level regardless of their academic achievement, intended to prevent grade repetition and reduce dropout rates. India's Right to Education Act includes automatic promotion provisions that, while well-intentioned,…

Bilingual Education(also: Bilingual-Bicultural Education, Bi-Bi Education)

Bilingual education in the context of deaf education refers to teaching approaches that use both sign language and the written form of a spoken language as languages of instruction. Often called bilingual-bicultural (Bi-Bi) education, this model recognizes sign language as the…

Bilingual-Bicultural Education(also: Bi-Bi Education, Bilingual Bicultural Education)

Bilingual-bicultural (Bi-Bi) education is an approach to Deaf education in which children learn in both a natural sign language (e.g., ASL, BSL, LSF, LGP) as a first language and the surrounding written/spoken language as a second language, while engaging substantively with both…

Bimodal Bilingualism(also: Bimodal-Bilingual)

The ability to use two languages that exist in different modalities — typically a signed language (visual-gestural modality) and a spoken/written language (auditory-vocal modality). Unlike unimodal bilinguals who use two spoken languages, bimodal bilinguals can potentially…

Blended Learning(also: B-Learning, Hybrid Learning, Mixed-Mode Learning)

An educational approach that combines online digital media and methods with traditional face-to-face classroom activities. Blended learning integrates the flexibility and self-pacing of e-learning with the social interaction and immediacy of in-person instruction, allowing…

Blind Education(also: Education for the Blind, Visual Impairment Education)

Educational practices, methods, and systems designed to provide equitable learning opportunities for students who are blind or have low vision. Blind education encompasses specialized schools for the blind, mainstream inclusive settings with support services, and the use of…

Blind-Perspective Training(also: Non-Visual Training, Blindfold Training)

An educational and vocational training approach where all learners, regardless of their level of functional vision, are taught skills using non-visual techniques such as touch, hearing, and proprioception. In this model, sighted trainees may be encouraged to wear a blindfold to…

Block-Based Programming(also: Visual Block Programming, Block Coding, Blocks-Based Programming)

A programming paradigm where users create code by selecting and connecting visual blocks that snap together like puzzle pieces, rather than typing text-based syntax. Each block represents a programming construct such as a loop, conditional, variable assignment, or function call.…

Blocks-Based Programming(also: Block Programming, Visual Block Programming, BBPE)

A programming paradigm designed to introduce coding concepts to beginners — particularly children — by representing code as visual, interlocking blocks that are dragged and dropped to construct programs, rather than requiring typed syntax. Popular environments include Scratch,…

Blocks4All

An accessible touchscreen-based block-based programming environment designed for students with visual impairments. Blocks4All enables drag-and-drop-like programming interactions on touchscreen devices with screen reader support, making it one of the few on-screen block-based…

Body Awareness(also: Body Schema, Body Image)

The understanding of one's own body including its structure, posture, position in space, and relationship to the environment. Body awareness encompasses both the physical sense of where body parts are (proprioception) and the cognitive understanding of body shape, proportions,…

Braille Literacy(also: Braille Reading and Writing)

The ability to read and write using the braille system, a tactile code of raised dots representing letters, numbers, and symbols. Braille literacy is fundamental to educational achievement, employment, and independence for people who are blind or have low vision. It encompasses…

Braille Textbook(also: Braille Book, Braille Edition)

A textbook transcribed into Braille for use by students and teachers who are blind. Braille textbooks are significantly larger and more expensive to produce than print textbooks, often requiring multiple volumes for a single print book. In India, government-provided Braille…

Braille literacy(also: Braille fluency)

The ability to read and write using the Braille tactile writing system of raised dots. Braille literacy rates among blind people have declined significantly — from over 50% in the 1960s to under 10% in some countries — due to factors including mainstreaming in education, reduced…

Brave Space

A community or environment where people are encouraged to step outside their comfort zones, approach their limits, and try new things while being supported by those around them — as opposed to a "safe space" focused primarily on comfort and protection. In makerspaces and…

C-Print(also: C-Print Pro)

A meaning-for-meaning real-time captioning service where a trained captioner produces a condensed transcription of spoken classroom content, as opposed to the verbatim word-for-word transcription provided by CART. C-Print captioners are trained in text-condensing strategies that…

Capacity Building(also: Research Capacity Building, Capability Development)

The process of developing and strengthening the skills, resources, and infrastructure that enable individuals, communities, and organizations to carry out research, develop technologies, and advocate for their needs effectively. In accessibility, capacity building involves…

Career Development Learning(also: CDL, Career Readiness Education)

Educational activities and resources that develop students' capabilities for transitioning from higher education to employment, including self-awareness, opportunity awareness, decision-making, and transition skills. For students with disabilities, accessible career development…

Children with Vision Impairments(also: CVI, Students with Visual Impairments, Blind Students)

Children and young people who are blind or have low vision, requiring adapted educational approaches including Braille instruction, tactile learning materials, audio resources, and assistive technology. India has the world's largest population of children with vision…

Choice-Making(also: Choice Board, Aided Choice)

A structured communication and learning strategy in which an individual is presented with two or more options and supported to make a selection, often using pictures, objects, or symbols. Choice-making is a foundational skill in autism education and therapy, serving multiple…

Code Jumper(also: Project Torino)

An accessible physical programming toolkit originally developed by Microsoft Research (under the name Project Torino) that uses tangible pods connected by cables to teach programming concepts to children with visual impairments. Each pod represents a programming construct such…

Cognitive Load Theory(also: CLT)

An instructional design theory proposing that learning is hindered when too much information is processed at once, overwhelming working memory. In sign language learning, cognitive load is particularly high because learners must simultaneously process and produce multiple…