Glossary

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Accessibility Map(also: Accessible Route Map, Wheelchair Accessibility Map)

A map that displays information about the physical accessibility features and barriers of an environment, such as the presence of curb ramps, steps, slopes, surface conditions, and accessible entrances. Accessibility maps are essential tools for people with mobility…

Accessible Pedestrian Signal(also: APS, Audible Pedestrian Signal, Audible Traffic Signal)

A device integrated into pedestrian signal systems at traffic intersections that communicates walk and don't-walk information to pedestrians who are blind or have low vision through audible tones, verbal messages, vibrotactile surfaces, or a combination of these. APS devices…

Accessible Tourism(also: Inclusive Tourism, Tourism for All)

The practice of ensuring that tourism destinations, products, and services are accessible to all people regardless of their physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities. Accessible tourism encompasses the entire travel chain — from trip planning and booking through transport,…

Accessible Transportation(also: Inclusive Transportation, Transportation Accessibility)

Transportation systems, vehicles, infrastructure, and services designed to be usable by people with disabilities, including those with mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive impairments. Accessible transportation encompasses physical features (wheelchair ramps, tactile paving,…

Adaptive Seating(also: Specialized Seating, Custom Seating)

Wheelchair seating systems and positioning devices customized to meet an individual's specific postural needs, providing support for the trunk, head, and limbs to enable optimal function and comfort. Adaptive seating is often essential for people with cerebral palsy or other…

Airport Accessibility

The practices, technologies, policies, and physical design choices that enable travelers with disabilities to use airports independently and with dignity. In the United States, airport accessibility is governed partly by the FAA's Airport Disability Compliance Program (AC…

Ankle Foot Orthosis(also: AFO, Ankle Brace, Foot Drop Brace)

An external medical device that encompasses the ankle joint and all or part of the foot, designed to support the ankle and improve gait in people with muscle weakness, spasticity, or structural deformity. AFOs are commonly prescribed for conditions such as cerebral palsy,…

Braille Labeling(also: Braille Labels, Braille Signage)

The practice of adding braille text to physical objects, signs, models, or controls to make them accessible to blind users who read braille. While braille labeling is important for accessibility in public spaces (elevator buttons, room signs, museum exhibits), it is not a…

Contemporary Dance Accessibility(also: Inclusive Dance, Accessible Dance)

The practice of making contemporary dance learning, teaching, and performance accessible to people with disabilities, particularly those who are blind or have low vision. Unlike structured dance forms that follow fixed sequences, contemporary dance emphasises movement qualities…

Crowdsourced Accessibility(also: Crowdsourced Accessibility Auditing, Citizen-Sourced Accessibility)

The practice of collecting accessibility information about physical or digital environments through contributions from large numbers of people, rather than relying solely on professional auditors. In the physical accessibility context, crowdsourcing approaches include virtual…

Crowdsourced Accessibility Mapping(also: Collaborative Accessibility Mapping, Citizen-Sourced Accessibility Data)

The practice of using contributions from members of the public to identify, report, and map accessibility barriers and features in physical or digital environments. In urban contexts, crowdsourced accessibility mapping typically involves mobile applications that allow citizens…

Curb Ramp(also: Curb Cut, Dropped Kerb, Kerb Ramp)

A small ramp built into or applied to the curb at pedestrian crossings and other transitions between a sidewalk and a roadway, providing a smooth transition for wheelchair users, people with mobility aids, strollers, and others. Curb ramps are a fundamental element of accessible…

Curb Ramp(also: Curb Cut, Dropped Kerb, Pram Ramp)

A sloped transition between a sidewalk and a street that allows wheelchair users, people with strollers, and others to cross without navigating a vertical curb. Curb ramps are essential infrastructure for pedestrian accessibility—their absence, poor maintenance, or improper…

Ergonomics(also: Human factors engineering)

The scientific discipline concerned with understanding interactions between humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data, and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance (IEA…

Exergame(also: Exercise Game, Active Video Game, Exergaming)

A video game that requires physical movement or exercise as the primary input mechanism, combining gameplay with physical activity. Exergames have been developed for consoles, virtual reality systems, and mobile devices, with applications in rehabilitation, fitness, and physical…

Fibromyalgia(also: FM, Fibromyalgia syndrome)

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive difficulties often called "fibro fog." It affects approximately 2-4% of the population, predominantly women, and is considered an invisible disability…

Grab Bar(also: Safety Rail, Support Bar, Handrail)

A rigid, wall-mounted bar designed to provide support and stability for people who need assistance maintaining balance, transferring between positions, or preventing falls. Grab bars are most commonly installed near toilets, bathtubs, and showers, but may also be placed in…

Green Space Accessibility(also: Outdoor Leisure Accessibility, Park Accessibility)

The design and adaptation of natural environments such as parks, gardens, forests, and countryside areas to be usable and enjoyable by people with disabilities. Green space accessibility encompasses multiple dimensions: accessible information for planning visits, navigable…

Gross Motor Skills(also: Large Motor Skills, Gross Motor Function)

Motor skills involving large muscle groups that enable whole-body movements such as walking, running, jumping, climbing, and maintaining balance and posture. Unlike fine motor skills which involve precise small movements, gross motor skills provide the foundation for stability…

Guide Runner(also: Sighted Guide Runner, Running Guide)

A sighted person who accompanies a blind or visually impaired runner during training or competition, providing verbal navigation cues and physical guidance typically through a tether connecting the two runners. Guide runners must match the ability level of the BVI runner,…

Home Accessibility Audit(also: Home Safety Assessment, Indoor Accessibility Assessment, HSSAT)

A systematic evaluation of a residential space to identify barriers to access, safety hazards, and opportunities for modification to support people with disabilities, older adults, or families with young children. Audits typically use standardized checklists — such as the Home…

Hypotonia(also: Low Muscle Tone, Muscle Hypotonia, Floppy Muscle Syndrome)

A condition characterized by decreased muscle tone, resulting in reduced resistance to passive movement and often affecting posture and motor control. Hypotonia is common in many developmental disabilities including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and various genetic conditions.…

Indoor Accessibility(also: Home Accessibility, Domestic Accessibility)

The degree to which indoor spaces — including homes, workplaces, and public buildings — can be safely and independently used by people with disabilities. Indoor accessibility encompasses physical features such as door widths, counter heights, light switch placement, grab bar…

Kiosk Accessibility(also: Self-Service Kiosk Accessibility, Interactive Kiosk Accessibility)

The practice of designing and implementing self-service kiosks and public digital terminals so they can be used by people with a wide range of abilities, including those with visual, hearing, motor, and cognitive disabilities. Kiosk accessibility encompasses hardware…

Mobility Aid(also: Mobility Device, Mobility Equipment)

A mobility aid is any device designed to assist people with mobility impairments in moving from one place to another, including wheelchairs, walkers, rollators, canes, crutches, and powered scooters. These devices are a subcategory of assistive technology focused specifically on…

Motor Coordination(also: Movement Coordination, Coordination)

The ability to integrate sensory information and muscle movements to perform smooth, accurate, and controlled physical actions. Motor coordination encompasses both gross motor skills (large body movements like walking) and fine motor skills (precise hand and finger movements).…

Motor Skills(also: Motor Abilities, Motor Function)

The learned abilities to perform movements with accuracy, speed, and coordination. Motor skills are typically divided into gross motor skills (large muscle movements like walking, jumping, balance) and fine motor skills (small muscle movements like writing, grasping, buttoning).…

Muscle Atrophy(also: Muscular Atrophy)

A condition involving the wasting or loss of muscle tissue, resulting in decreased muscle strength and endurance. Muscle atrophy can occur due to disuse, neurological conditions, or disease, and often affects an individual's ability to perform daily tasks independently. In the…

Music-Induced Analgesia(also: music analgesia, music-based pain relief)

The phenomenon by which listening to music reduces the subjective experience of pain. Research consistently shows that self-selected, personally meaningful music produces stronger analgesic effects than researcher-prescribed music, suggesting that emotional engagement,…

Orthosis(also: Orthotic, Orthotic Device, Brace)

An externally applied medical device used to modify the structural and functional characteristics of the neuromuscular and skeletal system. Orthoses support, align, prevent, or correct deformities and improve the function of movable parts of the body. Common types include ankle…

Pain Communication(also: pain expression, communicating pain)

The verbal and non-verbal processes through which a person conveys their pain experience to others, including family members, carers, and healthcare professionals. Chronic pain presents particular communication challenges because it is inherently subjective and invisible, often…

Pain Invalidation(also: chronic pain disbelief, pain dismissal)

The experience of having one's pain dismissed, disbelieved, or minimised by others, including healthcare professionals, family members, and social contacts. Pain invalidation is a pervasive barrier for people with chronic pain conditions, particularly primary pain syndromes such…

Pain Self-Management(also: chronic pain self-management)

A person-centred approach to living with chronic pain in which the individual takes an active role in managing their own condition through daily coping strategies, behavioural adaptations, and use of support resources, rather than relying solely on clinical interventions. Pain…

Parcel Locker(also: Package Locker, Smart Locker, Delivery Locker)

A self-service pickup cabinet where e-commerce parcels are deposited by couriers and retrieved by recipients using a code, QR scan, or mobile-app unlock. Parcel lockers are increasingly mandatory in apartment buildings and urban fulfilment networks. Accessibility barriers are…

Physical Accessibility(also: Physical Access, Architectural Accessibility)

Physical accessibility refers to the design of buildings, environments, and public spaces so they can be independently used by people with physical disabilities, including those who use mobility aids. It encompasses features such as ramps, elevators, accessible restrooms,…

Physical Rehabilitation(also: Physiotherapy, Physical Therapy)

A therapeutic process aimed at restoring, maintaining, or improving physical function, mobility, and strength through structured exercises and interventions. Physical rehabilitation is essential for people with motor disabilities, injuries, or neurological conditions to regain…

Postural Support(also: Seating Support, Positioning Support)

Equipment and strategies that help maintain a person's body in a stable, functional position for activities including communication, eating, and using assistive technology. Adequate postural support is a prerequisite for many assistive technologies, particularly gaze-based…

Prosthesis(also: Prosthetic, Prosthetic device, Artificial limb)

A prosthesis is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, most commonly a limb. Prosthetics range from cosmetic devices that restore appearance to functional devices that enable specific activities. Modern prosthetics may include mechanical components, myoelectric…

Prosthetics(also: Prostheses, Prosthetic Devices, Artificial Limbs)

Artificial devices designed to replace missing body parts, most commonly limbs lost through amputation, congenital absence, or trauma. Modern prosthetics range from basic cosmetic devices to highly functional myoelectric arms controlled by muscle signals and…

Public Digital Terminal(also: PDT, Self-Service Terminal, Self-Service Kiosk)

A publicly available interactive electronic device that provides services or information to users, such as ATMs, ticket vending machines, check-in kiosks, and information points. Public digital terminals present significant accessibility challenges because users cannot install…

Remote Accessibility Assessment(also: Virtual Accessibility Assessment, Pre-Visit Accessibility Check)

The practice of evaluating the physical accessibility of an unfamiliar environment without being physically present. Wheelchair users and others with mobility disabilities routinely assess spaces in advance to avoid dangerous, inaccessible, or frustrating situations. Current…

Shared Control(also: Collaborative Control, Shared Autonomy)

An assistive technology design approach in which control over a system is dynamically distributed between a user with a disability and an assistant (human or automated), allowing each party to manage the aspects best suited to their abilities. Unlike fully independent or fully…

Shared Mobility(also: Shared Transportation)

Transportation services in which vehicles, rides, or trips are shared among multiple users, including ridesharing (Uber, Lyft), carsharing (Zipcar), bikesharing, scooter-sharing, microtransit, and — increasingly — autonomous-vehicle shuttles. Shared mobility is relevant to…

Sidewalk Accessibility(also: Pedestrian Accessibility, Walkway Accessibility)

Sidewalk accessibility refers to the degree to which pedestrian pathways and related infrastructure — including sidewalks, curb ramps, crosswalks, and pedestrian signals — can be safely and independently used by people with disabilities, particularly those with mobility…

Somaesthetic Appreciation(also: somaesthetics)

A design philosophy concerned with cultivating heightened bodily awareness and first-person experience as a resource for interaction design. Derived from philosopher Richard Shusterman's somaesthetics, it positions the body not merely as a tool or data source, but as a site of…

Step-Free Access(also: Level Access, Barrier-Free Access)

A route or entrance to a building, transport station, or public space that does not require the use of steps or stairs, enabling access for wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments, parents with pushchairs, and travellers with heavy luggage. In transport contexts,…

Surface Level Change(also: Elevation Change, Grade Change)

Any change in the height of the ground or floor surface, including stairs, curbs, ramps, steps, potholes, and raised thresholds. Surface level changes are a significant mobility challenge and safety hazard for people with low vision and other disabilities. Detecting these…

Tactile Dome(also: Truncated Dome, Detectable Warning Surface)

Small raised bumps arranged in a grid pattern on ground surfaces to provide a tactile warning of an upcoming hazard, such as a curb edge, train platform edge, or street crossing. Tactile domes are part of the broader category of tactile walking surface indicators and are…

Tactile Modelling(also: Tactile Demonstration, Touch-Based Instruction)

A teaching technique used in movement and dance education for blind and low-vision learners, where the student physically explores the teacher's body position by touch to understand the shape, form, and spatial relationships of a pose or movement. While effective for…

Tactile Paving(also: Tactile Ground Surface Indicators, TGSI, Detectable Warning Surface)

A system of textured ground surface indicators installed on footpaths, train platforms, and building floors to assist pedestrians who are blind or have low vision with navigation and hazard detection. Tactile paving typically uses two patterns: raised dots (truncated domes) to…