Glossary
Terms used in accessibility research and practice. Each entry has a definition, common aliases, and category tags.
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- ACCMD(also: ACCessibility MetaData, IMS ACCessibility MetaData)
- A metadata specification developed by the IMS Global Learning Consortium for describing the accessibility characteristics of learning resources. ACCMD provides a structured way to document whether a resource contains auditory, visual, textual, or tactile information, and to…
- Access Conflict(also: Accessibility Conflict, Competing Access Needs)
- A situation in which the accessibility requirements of one person conflict with or undermine the accessibility requirements of another person. For example, a student prone to migraines may need low lighting in a classroom, while a student with low vision requires bright, direct…
- Access Differential(also: Accessibility Gap, Access Gap)
- Access differential is the gap between the access that nondisabled people experience and the access that people with disabilities experience when using the same technologies, services, or environments. Unlike a binary view of accessibility (accessible or not), access…
- Accessible Programming(also: Accessible Software Development, Inclusive Coding)
- Accessible programming encompasses the tools, practices, and accommodations that enable people with disabilities to write, test, debug, and maintain software code. Challenges for disabled developers include inaccessible development environments, difficulty navigating code…
- Accessible Slides(also: Accessible Presentation Slides, Non-Visually Accessible Slides)
- Presentation slides that have been structured and annotated to be usable by people with disabilities, particularly blind and visually impaired users who access content via screen readers. Accessible slides include proper read order for elements, alternative text for images and…
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act(also: IDEA)
- A United States federal law that guarantees students with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment. Originally enacted in 1975 as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act and reauthorized as IDEA in 1990…
- Inequitable Access(also: Inadequate Accommodation)
- Inequitable access describes the situation where accommodations or accessibility measures are provided but fail to adequately address the underlying inaccessibility, leaving people with disabilities with access that is significantly inferior to what nondisabled people…
- Learning Management System(also: LMS)
- A software platform used to create, deliver, manage, and track educational content and learning activities. Common examples include Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, and Google Classroom. In the context of accessibility, LMS platforms are critical because they serve as the primary…
- Learning Object(also: LO, Reusable Learning Object, RLO)
- A self-contained, reusable unit of educational content that can be independently accessed, combined with other learning objects, and delivered across different learning management systems. Learning objects can include text, multimedia, interactive exercises, assessments, or any…
- Lecture Accessibility(also: Accessible Lectures, Accessible Educational Media)
- The practice of designing and delivering lectures and associated educational materials so that they are usable by students with disabilities, including those who are blind, have low vision, are deaf, or have other impairments. Lecture accessibility encompasses multiple…
- Math Accessibility(also: Mathematical Accessibility, STEM Accessibility)
- The practice of making mathematical content — including formulae, equations, graphs, and geometric representations — accessible to people with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments. Mathematical notation poses unique accessibility challenges because it is…
- Mathematical Accessibility(also: Math Accessibility, STEM Content Accessibility)
- The practice of making mathematical content — including equations, formulas, graphs, and notation — perceivable, operable, and understandable by people with disabilities. Mathematical content poses unique accessibility challenges because it is inherently spatial and symbolic,…
- Mis-accommodation(also: Failed Accommodation, Accommodation Failure)
- A situation where a disability accommodation that has been formally arranged fails to provide adequate access due to the unpredictability of real-world circumstances, context-specific limitations of the technology, or incorrect assumptions about the accommodation's…
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