Glossary

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3D Audio(also: Three-Dimensional Audio, Binaural Audio, Immersive Audio)

Audio technology that creates the perception of sound sources positioned in three-dimensional space around the listener, including above, below, and at varying distances. 3D audio uses head-related transfer functions (HRTFs), interaural time differences, and distance-based…

Allocentric(also: Allocentric Reference Frame, World-Centred Reference Frame)

A spatial reference frame in which locations and directions are defined relative to external landmarks or a fixed coordinate system, independent of the observer's own position or orientation. For example, "the shop is north of the park" or "there are two chairs side by side" are…

Egocentric(also: Egocentric Reference Frame, Body-Centred Reference Frame)

A spatial reference frame in which locations and directions are defined relative to the observer's own body position and orientation. For example, "turn left," "take one step forward," or "the door is on your right" are egocentric descriptions. People with visual impairments…

Egocentric Spatial Reasoning(also: First-Person Spatial Understanding, User-Relative Spatial Reasoning)

The ability of a system to understand and describe the spatial positions of objects relative to the user's body and perspective, rather than from a bird's-eye or absolute reference frame. For AI systems assisting blind travelers, egocentric spatial reasoning is critical —…

Environmental Legibility(also: Legibility of the Environment, Spatial Legibility)

The ease with which people can perceive, understand, and form mental maps of a physical environment in order to orient themselves and navigate through it. Coined by urban planner Kevin Lynch, legibility refers to the visual clarity of a cityscape or built environment — how…

Geocoding(also: Geo-coding, Geographic Coding)

The process of associating geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) or location identifiers with objects, markers, or data points. In accessibility contexts, geocoding is used to tag physical locations with digital information that assistive technologies can use — for…

Landmark Knowledge

A type of spatial knowledge involving the recognition and memory of distinctive features or objects in an environment that serve as reference points for navigation. Landmarks are fixed objects at specific locations—such as a doorway, a change in floor material, or a particular…

Laterality(also: Left-Right Discrimination, Lateral Awareness)

Laterality is the ability to distinguish between left and right sides of the body and to apply this understanding to the surrounding environment for spatial orientation and navigation. Laterality is a fundamental spatial cognition skill that underpins many daily activities, from…

Mental Map(also: Cognitive Map, Mental Model of Space)

An internal cognitive representation of a physical environment, including spatial relationships, landmarks, routes, and distances. For people with blindness or visual impairments, building a mental map of a route before traveling is a critical strategy for independent mobility,…

Peripersonal Space(also: Near space, Reaching space)

The area immediately surrounding the body that is within arm's reach, typically extending about 60-70 cm from the body. Peripersonal space is significant in accessibility because blind and visually impaired children often have delayed development of spatial awareness within this…

Points of interest(also: POI, Landmarks)

Specific locations in the environment that are useful or relevant to a user, such as shops, restaurants, transit stops, public buildings, and other named places. In accessible navigation for people with visual impairments, points of interest serve dual roles: they provide…

Pre-journey Learning(also: Pre-visit Spatial Learning, Virtual Pre-exploration)

The practice of learning about an environment's spatial layout before physically visiting it, typically through tactile maps, verbal descriptions, or virtual exploration tools. For people who are blind or have low vision, pre-journey learning supports the development of a…

Semantic feature(also: Environmental feature, Landmark annotation)

A meaningful environmental attribute associated with a specific location in a navigation system, such as a doorway, floor surface change, point of interest, or tactile ground indicator. In accessible indoor navigation, semantic features serve a dual purpose: confirming the…

Sighted Memory(also: Visual Memory, Sighted Recall)

A mental representation of a physical environment developed through past visual experience, used by people who lose their sight later in life to navigate and understand spaces they previously knew visually. People with acquired vision loss often rely on sighted memory to recall…

Spatial Awareness(also: Spatial Cognition, Environmental Awareness)

The understanding of one's surrounding environment and one's own position within it. In accessibility contexts, spatial awareness encompasses multiple dimensions: the scale and shape of an area, one's position and orientation within it, the presence and arrangement of objects,…

Spatial Navigation(also: Spatial Orientation, Spatial Wayfinding)

The cognitive process of determining and following a route from one location to another, involving the ability to remain oriented, recall routines, recognize landmarks, and make decisions at choice points such as intersections and turns. Spatial navigation relies on a…

Vista Space(also: Vista)

In Montello's classification of psychological spaces, a Vista is a far-field space that can be visually apprehended from a single vantage point without appreciable locomotion - a horizon view, a city skyline, a mountain panorama. Vista spaces matter to accessibility because they…

Visual-Spatial Processing(also: Visuospatial Processing, Visual-Spatial Cognition)

Visual-spatial processing is the cognitive ability to perceive, analyze, and mentally manipulate spatial relationships and visual information. It encompasses skills such as judging distances, understanding maps, recognizing shapes and patterns, and mentally rotating objects.…

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