Glossary

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AAC Corpus(also: AAC Text Corpus, Augmentative Communication Corpus)

A collection of text produced by or representative of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device users, used for training and evaluating language models and word prediction systems. AAC corpora are notoriously difficult to assemble because AAC users produce text…

ABA Reversal Method(also: ABA Design, Reversal Design)

The ABA reversal method is a single-subject experimental design in which one participant is observed across three phases: a baseline (A), an intervention (B), and a return to baseline (A). By comparing performance across the A-B-A sequence, the design isolates the effect of the…

AI Auditing(also: Algorithmic Auditing, AI Audit)

The systematic evaluation of an AI system's outputs, behaviour, or training data to identify harms such as bias, stereotype reproduction, or accessibility failures. Audits may be conducted by industry professionals, external researchers, regulators, or end users, and are…

Ableist Microaggressions Scale(also: AMS)

A validated measurement instrument developed by Conover, Israel, and Nylund-Gibson (2017) to systematically assess the frequency and impact of subtle, everyday expressions of ableism. The AMS organises disability microaggressions into four empirically supported domains —…

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…

Accessible data capture(also: Inclusive data collection methods)

Research data collection methods and tools that can be independently operated by researchers with disabilities. Current standard data capture methods in HCI research — video cameras, GoPros, visual note-taking, screen-based recording software — present significant barriers to…

Acoustic Analysis(also: Acoustic Signal Analysis)

The computational examination of sound signals to extract measurable properties such as duration, fundamental frequency (pitch), intensity, spectral characteristics, and formant structure. In accessibility and clinical contexts, acoustic analysis is used to objectively assess…

Action Research(also: Participatory Action Research, PAR)

A research methodology that combines investigation with practical action, involving iterative cycles of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. In accessibility research, action research allows researchers to work alongside communities and organizations to simultaneously…

Action research(also: Participatory action research, PAR)

A research methodology that combines investigation with practical action, where researchers work collaboratively with community stakeholders to address real-world problems while simultaneously generating knowledge. Action research is cyclical — plan, act, observe, reflect — and…

Active Learning(also: AL)

A machine learning paradigm in which the algorithm iteratively selects the most informative unlabeled data points to query a human annotator for labels, enabling effective model training with minimal labeled data. Active learning uses sampling strategies such as uncertainty…

Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale(also: ASRS, ASRS-v1.1, Adult ADHD Self-Rating Scale)

A short self-report screening instrument for adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder developed by the World Health Organization in collaboration with researchers from Harvard Medical School. The most widely used version, ASRS-v1.1, is an 18-item questionnaire whose first…

Affinity Diagramming(also: Affinity Mapping, KJ Method)

A qualitative data analysis and design method where researchers or team members organize individual data points (observations, quotes, ideas) into groups based on natural relationships and themes. In accessibility research, affinity diagramming is commonly used to synthesize…

Agreement Rate(also: AR)

A statistical measure used in end-user gesture elicitation studies to quantify how much consensus participants show when proposing gestures or interactions for a given task (referent). Agreement rate ranges from 0 (no two proposals are equivalent) to 1 (all proposals are…

Algorithmic Audit(also: AI Audit, Algorithmic Auditing)

A structured evaluation of an algorithmic system that measures how its behaviour differs across users, groups, or contexts - typically to surface bias, fairness failures, or disparate impact. Accessibility-oriented audits go beyond aggregate accuracy to look at where and why a…

App Review Mining(also: App Store Review Analysis, User Review Mining)

The process of systematically extracting, classifying, and analyzing user reviews from app stores such as Google Play and the Apple App Store to identify patterns, issues, and feature requests. In accessibility research, app review mining is used to discover real-world…

Area of Interest(also: AOI, Region of Interest, ROI)

A defined region within a visual stimulus (such as a screen, webpage, or video frame) that researchers designate for analysis in an eye-tracking study. AOIs allow researchers to quantify how much visual attention participants direct toward specific elements — for example, the…

Artificial Eye(also: Eye Model, Optical Eye Model)

A physical device constructed from optical components to simulate the optical properties of a human eye. Typically consisting of a lens, adjustable aperture (simulating the iris), and an image sensor (simulating the retina), artificial eyes are used in vision research to test…

At-Risk Populations(also: Vulnerable Populations)

Groups that are more likely to experience harm from digital attacks, surveillance, institutional discrimination, or other threats, and are disproportionately affected when such harms occur. Originally a security research term, it extends beyond traditionally recognized…

Attention Network Test(also: ANT, ANT-I, ANT-Child)

A computer-administered cognitive task developed by Fan, Posner, and colleagues that measures three functionally distinct attention networks — alerting (sustained readiness), orienting (shifting attentional focus in space), and executive control (resolving conflict between…

Audience Modelling(also: Audience Modeling, User Modelling)

The practice of characterizing and formally describing distinct groups of users and their interaction characteristics to inform the design and evaluation of web interfaces. In accessibility, audience modelling involves identifying the specific abilities, disabilities, devices,…

Audio Fiction(also: Audio Vignette, Audio Scenario)

A speculative design research method that uses pre-recorded audio dialogues to present fictional scenarios depicting interactions with hypothetical future technologies. Audio fictions combine descriptions, dialogue, and sound effects to create immersive design probes that help…

Audio Probe(also: Fictional Audio Probe)

A research method using pre-recorded audio scenarios to ground discussion in qualitative studies. In accessibility research, audio probes present fictional but realistic use cases to participants, enabling them to react to concrete scenarios rather than abstract concepts. This…

Autobiographical Design

A design research method in which the designer systematically builds and lives with a system intended for their own use, then reflects on that long-term engagement as a source of design insight. Formalized by Neustaedter and Sengers in 2012, autobiographical design is…

Autoethnography

A qualitative research method in which the researcher uses their own personal experience as primary data to explore broader cultural, social, or systemic phenomena. In disability and accessibility research, autoethnography is particularly valuable when conducted by disabled…

24 results.