Glossary

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Collaborative Learning(also: Cooperative Learning)

An educational approach involving two or more individuals working together to build knowledge or skills through interaction, information sharing, and joint problem-solving. In sign language education, collaborative learning aligns with social constructivist and sociocultural…

Collaborative Note-Taking(also: Shared Note-Taking, Co-Note-Taking)

An educational practice where two or more people collectively take notes, annotate content, exchange feedback, and ask questions about material being learned. In the context of disability support in higher education, collaborative note-taking transforms the traditionally…

Community of Practice(also: CoP)

A group of people who share a common interest or concern and learn together through regular interaction, sharing knowledge, and collaborative problem-solving. In technology adoption contexts, communities of practice form organically when groups such as older adults in…

Computational Thinking(also: Algorithmic Thinking)

A problem-solving approach that involves breaking complex problems into smaller steps, identifying patterns, abstracting details, and designing step-by-step solutions—similar to how a computer processes instructions. In the context of smart home accessibility, computational…

Computer Science Education(also: CS Education)

The field of teaching and learning computing concepts, programming, and computational thinking across K-12, post-secondary, and professional contexts. CS education relies heavily on visual representations — code editors, diagrams of data structures and algorithms, flowcharts,…

Computer-Aided Instruction(also: CAI, Computer-Assisted Learning, Computer-Based Instruction)

Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) is the use of computer software to deliver educational content, practice exercises, and assessment in a structured learning environment. In accessibility contexts, CAI is particularly valuable for individuals with disabilities because it can…

Computer-Assisted Language Learning(also: CALL, Computer-Aided Language Learning)

Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) refers to the use of computers and digital technology to support language education and pronunciation training. CALL systems often incorporate automatic speech recognition to provide feedback on learner pronunciation, detect…

Computer-Based Intervention(also: CBI, Technology-Based Intervention, Digital Intervention)

A structured programme delivered through computer technology that aims to teach, rehabilitate, or support skill development. In accessibility contexts, computer-based interventions use software applications — often on tablets or other mainstream devices — to provide interactive…

Computer-Based Speech Training(also: CBST, Computer-Aided Speech Training, CAST)

Computer-based speech training (CBST) refers to software systems designed to help individuals improve their speech production through automated exercises, feedback, and practice. These systems typically present target words or utterances, capture the user's speech through a…

Connected Learning

A culturally-embedded learning paradigm developed by Mizŭko Ito and colleagues that frames rich learning as emerging from interest-driven, peer-supported, and academically-oriented activities across a network of everyday settings — including online affinity communities, fandoms,…

Constructionism(also: Constructionist Learning)

A learning theory developed by Seymour Papert proposing that people learn most effectively when actively constructing artifacts that are personally meaningful. In accessibility and therapeutic contexts, constructionism informs the design of technologies that give users…

Constructivism(also: Constructivist Learning Theory)

An educational theory that holds that learners actively construct their own understanding and knowledge through experience, exploration, and reflection rather than passively receiving information. In accessibility and assistive technology contexts, constructivism informs the…

Continuing Professional Development(also: CPD, Professional Development)

The ongoing process through which professionals maintain, update, and expand their knowledge and skills throughout their careers. In the context of digital accessibility, CPD programs train developers, designers, content creators, and educators on inclusive design practices,…

Cooperative Inquiry(also: Co-Inquiry)

A participatory design methodology that involves children as full design partners throughout the technology development process, from initial brainstorming through prototyping and evaluation. Developed by Allison Druin and colleagues, cooperative inquiry treats children not…

Corrective feedback(also: Error correction feedback, Instructional feedback)

Specific information provided to a user after an action that identifies what was done incorrectly and how to improve on the next attempt. In accessible interaction design, corrective feedback for blind users is typically delivered through text-to-speech (e.g., "make it longer,"…

Course Management System(also: CMS, Learning Management System, LMS)

A software platform used by educational institutions to create, manage, and deliver course content, track student performance, and facilitate communication between instructors and students. Examples include Blackboard, Canvas, and Moodle. Course management systems present…

Crip time(also: Crip temporality)

A disability studies concept, developed by scholar Alison Kafer, that recognizes how disabled and chronically ill people experience and navigate time differently due to bodily, cognitive, or systemic factors. Rather than forcing conformity to linear, clock-based productivity…

Critical Period(also: Critical Period Hypothesis, Sensitive Period)

A developmental window during early childhood when the brain is especially receptive to acquiring language. If sufficient language input is not received during this period, language development may be significantly and permanently impaired. The critical period is particularly…

Cross-Modal Consistency(also: Multimodal Consistency, Cross-Modal Alignment)

The alignment and coherence of information presented simultaneously through different sensory channels — such as touch and hearing, or vision and sound. In accessible education, cross-modal consistency ensures that what a blind user feels through tactile graphics matches what…

Cultural Barrier(also: Cultural Challenge)

Social and cultural norms that impede learning or participation in certain activities. In sign language education, cultural barriers significantly affect hearing learners' ability to produce non-manual signs, as exaggerated facial expressions required in ASL may feel…

Culture of Accessibility

An organizational or institutional environment in which accessibility is embedded as a core value throughout all processes, practices, and products rather than treated as an afterthought or compliance requirement. In educational contexts, a culture of accessibility means…

DO-IT(also: Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology)

A pioneering program founded at the University of Washington in 1992 by Sheryl Burgstahler, funded by the National Science Foundation, to increase the participation of students with disabilities in science, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. DO-IT…

Daily Living Skills(also: Activities of Daily Living, ADLs, Self-Care Skills)

The fundamental self-care tasks that individuals perform routinely, including personal hygiene (tooth-brushing, hand-washing, bathing), dressing, eating, toileting, and basic household tasks. For individuals with disabilities, particularly autism and intellectual disabilities,…

Data Comics(also: Visual Data Comics, Narrative Visualization)

An emerging genre of data visualization that presents complex information in a sequential, comic-like format with discrete panels that progressively reveal data and narrative. Data comics break down composite visualizations into smaller, digestible pieces that build upon each…

Data Literacy(also: Data Fluency)

The ability to read, understand, create, and communicate data as information. Data literacy encompasses skills such as knowing how to interpret charts and graphs, identify trends and outliers, understand statistical concepts, and make evidence-based decisions from data. As data…

Deaf Education(also: Deaf Pedagogy, Education of the Deaf)

Deaf education encompasses the teaching methods, curricula, and educational systems designed to meet the learning needs of deaf and hard of hearing students. It spans a range of approaches from oral methods emphasizing speech and lipreading, to bilingual-bicultural programs that…

Deaf Literacy

The reading and writing abilities of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, particularly in the dominant spoken/written language of their country. Research consistently shows that a majority of deaf high school graduates in the United States have English reading levels at or…

Deaf Pedagogy

An educational framework that centers Deaf students' visual and multimodal resources, resists deficit models of deafness, and embraces translanguaging and visual-relational classroom norms. Deaf pedagogy treats sign language as the medium of instruction, arranges classrooms for…

Decimal System(also: Base-10 System, Decimal Number System)

The standard numeral system using ten digits (0-9) where the value of each digit depends on its position, with each position representing a power of ten. Understanding the decimal system requires grasping place value — that the digit 4 represents different quantities in 400, 40,…

Developmental Learning Disorder(also: DLD, Specific Learning Disorder, Learning Disability)

A group of neurodevelopmental conditions that affect the acquisition and use of specific academic skills such as reading, writing, or mathematics. Developmental Learning Disorders include dyslexia (affecting reading), dysgraphia (affecting writing), and dyscalculia (affecting…

Diagram Accessibility(also: Accessible Diagrams, Scientific Diagram Accessibility)

The practice of making visual diagrams — including scientific figures, flowcharts, organizational charts, and technical schematics — accessible to people with visual impairments, learning disabilities, or other conditions that affect visual processing. Diagram accessibility goes…

Differentiated Instruction(also: Differentiated Teaching, Individualized Instruction)

A teaching approach that tailors instruction, content, process, and assessment to meet the diverse learning needs of individual students within a classroom. Differentiated instruction is particularly challenging in multi-grade classrooms at schools for the blind, where students…

Digital Campus(also: Virtual Campus, Online Campus)

The entirety of an educational institution's online presence, platforms, tools, and digital resources used to deliver learning experiences. The digital campus encompasses learning management systems, course content, assessment tools, library resources, and support services…

Digital Literacy(also: Digital Skills, Computer Literacy)

The ability to effectively and critically use digital technologies for information access, communication, content creation, and problem-solving. Digital literacy for people with vision impairments encompasses proficiency with screen readers, keyboard navigation, accessible…

Digital Literacy(also: Digital Skills, Computer Literacy, ICT Literacy)

The ability to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information using digital technologies. Digital literacy extends beyond basic technical skills to include understanding how to use technology safely and effectively, critically evaluating online information, managing privacy…

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…

Digital Scaffolding(also: Inclusive Digital Scaffolding)

An educational framework that applies Vygotsky's scaffolding theory to the acquisition of digital skills by people with disabilities, particularly in low-and-middle-income countries. Digital scaffolding structures learning through four zones: the Out of Reach Zone (baseline…

Digital Skills Training(also: Digital Literacy Training, ICT Skills Training)

Structured instruction in using digital technologies effectively, including basic device operation, internet navigation, application use, and accessibility feature configuration. For people with disabilities in low-resource settings, digital skills training is often as important…

Digital literacy(also: Digital competence, Technology literacy)

The ability to find, evaluate, use, create, and communicate information using digital technologies, encompassing both technical skills (operating devices, using software) and critical thinking (evaluating online information, understanding privacy). Digital literacy is a…

DisCrit(also: Disability Critical Race Studies, Dis/ability Critical Race Studies)

DisCrit (Disability Critical Race Studies) is a theoretical framework that merges Disability Studies with Critical Race Theory to analyze how racism and ableism are interdependent systems that work together to marginalize people at the intersection of race and disability.…

Disability Awareness(also: Disability Awareness Training)

The understanding and recognition of the experiences, challenges, and rights of people with disabilities. Disability awareness encompasses knowledge of different types of disabilities, the barriers (physical, digital, attitudinal, and systemic) that people with disabilities…

Disability Services(also: Disability Service Office, DSO, Disability Resource Center)

Disability services refers to the office or department within an educational institution or organization responsible for coordinating accommodations and support for people with disabilities. In higher education, these offices verify disability documentation, issue accommodation…

Discrete Trial Training(also: DTT, Discrete Trial Teaching, Discrete Trial Instruction)

A structured teaching method used primarily with autistic children in which skills are broken down into small, distinct components and taught through repeated, controlled trials. Each trial follows a sequence: a clear instruction or stimulus is presented, the learner responds,…

Distance Education(also: Distance Learning, Long Distance Education, Remote Education)

A mode of education in which learners and instructors are physically separated, with teaching and learning mediated through communication technologies rather than face-to-face contact. Distance education predates the internet, historically using mail, radio, and television, but…

Dual Coding Theory(also: DCT)

A cognitive theory proposed by Allan Paivio in 1971 that posits humans process information through two distinct but interconnected channels: verbal (language-based) and non-verbal (imagery-based). When information is presented through both channels simultaneously, comprehension…

Dynamic Tactile Graphics(also: Interactive Tactile Graphics, Animated Tactile Graphics)

Tactile representations of visual information that can change, move, or respond to user interaction in real time, as opposed to traditional static tactile graphics which are fixed once produced. Dynamic tactile graphics can be created through shape displays with movable pins,…

Dyscalculia(also: Math Learning Disability, Number Blindness, Mathematics Disorder)

A specific learning disorder that affects the ability to acquire, understand, and manipulate numerical and mathematical concepts. People with dyscalculia may have difficulty with number sense, memorizing arithmetic facts, performing calculations, and understanding mathematical…

Dyslexia Screening(also: Dyslexia Assessment, Reading Disability Screening)

The process of identifying individuals who may be at risk for dyslexia, typically through standardized tests that assess reading fluency, phonological awareness, rapid naming, and other cognitive indicators associated with the condition. Traditional screening requires trained…

E-Learning(also: Electronic Learning, eLearning, Online Learning)

Education and training delivered through digital technologies, primarily via the internet and computer-based platforms. E-learning encompasses a range of approaches from fully online courses to supplementary digital materials, enabling learners to access content at their own…

E-learning accessibility(also: Online learning accessibility, Accessible e-learning)

The design and delivery of online educational content and platforms so that learners with disabilities can participate equally. This includes accessible learning management systems, video lectures with captions and descriptions, navigable course materials, and interactive…