Glossary

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Content Transcoding(also: Content Adaptation, Content Transformation)

The process of automatically modifying web content to make it more accessible or usable for specific users or devices. Content transcoding can involve restructuring HTML, modifying CSS styles, replacing images with text alternatives, simplifying page layouts, or converting…

Contextual Reinforcement(also: Header Reinforcement)

A technique in aural and non-visual rendering of tabular data where column headers, row labels, or other structural context is repeated alongside data values to help users understand the relationships between cells. Without contextual reinforcement, a screen reader might…

Cookie Notice(also: Cookie Banner, Cookie Consent Banner, Cookie Popup)

A user interface element that appears on websites to inform visitors about the use of cookies and other tracking technologies, typically requesting consent to store data on their device. Cookie notices are required under privacy regulations like GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive.…

Coping Strategies(also: Coping Tactics, Workaround Strategies)

The techniques and approaches that users with disabilities develop to navigate around accessibility barriers they encounter on the web and in digital interfaces. Expert screen reader users, for example, employ strategies such as using element lists, virtual search, heading…

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…

Crowdsourcing Accessibility(also: Accessibility Crowdsourcing)

The practice of using distributed groups of people, often through online platforms, to collect, label, or improve accessibility-related information at scale. Examples include using crowd workers to audit bus stop landmarks via Google Street View, label images for alt text,…

DOM(also: Document Object Model)

A programming interface that represents an HTML or XML document as a tree structure of objects, where each node corresponds to a part of the document such as elements, attributes, and text content. The DOM is critical to accessibility because assistive technologies like screen…

DOM Manipulation(also: DOM Modification, Document Object Model Manipulation)

The programmatic modification of a webpage's Document Object Model (DOM) to change its structure, content, styling, or behavior. In accessibility contexts, DOM manipulation is used by browser extensions, accessibility overlays, and assistive tools to enhance web pages — for…

DOM Tree(also: Document Object Model, DOM)

A programming interface that represents an HTML or XML document as a hierarchical tree structure, where each node corresponds to a part of the document such as an element, attribute, or text content. Web browsers construct the DOM tree from HTML source code, and assistive…

Dark Pattern(also: Deceptive Pattern, Manipulative Design)

A user interface design deliberately crafted to trick, manipulate, or coerce users into making unintended choices that benefit the service provider rather than the user. Dark patterns include hidden costs, forced continuity, disguised ads, confirm-shaming, and misdirection. In…

Dashboard Accessibility(also: Accessible Dashboards)

The practice of designing data dashboards — visual interfaces combining charts, key performance indicators, filtering widgets, and interactive data querying — so they are usable by people with disabilities, particularly screen reader users. Accessible dashboards require…

Data Table(also: Genuine Table)

An HTML table element used to present structured, tabular information where data cells have a logical relationship to header cells. Accessible data tables require proper semantic markup including th elements for headers, scope attributes to define header direction (row or…

Date Picker Accessibility(also: Accessible Date Picker, Date Selection Accessibility)

The degree to which date selection controls in web and mobile applications can be used effectively by people with disabilities. Date pickers are one of the most problematic interface elements for screen reader users, as they often rely on visual calendar grids, lack proper ARIA…

Decorative Image(also: Decorative Graphic, Presentational Image)

An image that serves a purely aesthetic or visual design purpose and does not convey meaningful information to the user. According to WCAG guidelines, decorative images should receive empty alt text (alt="") so that screen readers skip over them rather than announcing…

Defluffing(also: Content Defluffing, Clutter Removal)

The process of removing non-essential visual elements from a web page — such as banners, advertisements, decorative images, and sidebar content — to expose the core information content more directly to assistive technology users. In the context of web accessibility transcoding,…

Device-Dependent Event Handler(also: Device-Dependent Event, Mouse-Dependent Event Handler)

An event handler in web development that is triggered only by a specific input device, such as a mouse click or touch gesture, rather than being accessible through multiple input methods. Device-dependent event handlers create significant accessibility barriers because users who…

Digital Ecosystem Accessibility(also: Accessible Digital Ecosystem)

The practice of ensuring accessibility across the entire interconnected set of digital systems, platforms, and tools that a person must interact with to complete their goals, rather than treating each system in isolation. In higher education, the digital ecosystem includes…

Digital News Accessibility(also: Accessible News Media)

The design and implementation of digital news platforms—including websites, mobile applications, news aggregators, and audio-based services—so that they can be effectively used by people with disabilities, particularly blind and visually impaired users who rely on screen…

Distraction Control(also: Distraction Filtering, Focus Mode)

Features or tools that help users suppress distracting content on web pages to maintain focus on their primary task. Distraction control ranges from manual tools (like Apple's Distraction Control in Safari, which lets users select elements to hide) to automated systems that use…

Document Accessibility(also: Accessible Documents, Document Remediation)

The practice of creating or converting digital documents so they can be effectively accessed by people using assistive technologies, particularly screen readers. Accessible documents require proper semantic structure (headings, lists, tables with headers), logical reading order,…

Document Engineering(also: Document Design, Document Processing)

Document engineering is the discipline concerned with the principles, tools, and processes for creating, managing, transforming, and presenting documents in ways that optimise their use across different contexts and audiences. In accessibility, document engineering encompasses…

Document Expansion(also: Query Prediction, Document Enrichment)

An information retrieval technique that enhances a document by augmenting it with additional terms or predicted queries that users might use to search for that content. Methods like DocTTTTTQuery use sequence-to-sequence machine learning models to generate likely search queries…

Document Object Model(also: DOM)

A programming interface for web documents that represents the page as a tree of objects, where each HTML element is a node that can be accessed and manipulated programmatically. The DOM is fundamental to web accessibility because screen readers and other assistive technologies…

Document Object Model(also: DOM)

A programming interface that represents the structure of an HTML or XML document as a tree of objects, where each element, attribute, and piece of text becomes a node that can be programmatically accessed and manipulated. The DOM is foundational to web accessibility because…

Document Semantics(also: Page Semantics, Web Document Semantics)

Document semantics refers to the layers of meaning embedded in a web page that go beyond the raw HTML markup — including layout semantics (spatial relationships between visual elements), content semantics (the nature and structure of textual content), interaction semantics (the…

Document accessibility(also: Accessible documents)

The practice of creating digital documents (PDFs, Word files, presentations, spreadsheets) that can be read and navigated by people using assistive technologies. Key requirements include semantic structure tags, logical reading order, alternative text for images, marked table…

Document structure(also: Structural hierarchy, Document hierarchy)

The logical organization of a document into meaningful components such as headings, sections, paragraphs, lists, and tables. Proper document structure enables assistive technology users to navigate efficiently, understand relationships between content sections, and access…

Domain Specific Language(also: DSL)

A Domain Specific Language (DSL) is a small, specialised programming language designed for writing programs within a particular application domain, as opposed to a general-purpose language like Python or Java. In accessibility contexts, DSLs have been proposed for tasks such as…

Drag and Drop(also: DnD)

An interaction pattern in which users select an on-screen object by pressing and holding, then move it to a new location before releasing. Drag and drop is widely used in visual programming environments, file management, and content editing. It presents significant accessibility…

Dynamic Content Filtering(also: Intelligent Content Filtering, AI-Based Filtering)

The automated process of selectively showing or hiding web content based on computed relevance to a user's goals, preferences, or context. Dynamic content filtering uses AI models (such as large language models) to assess which page elements are relevant to a specific task and…

E-Commerce Accessibility(also: Accessible E-Commerce, Online Shopping Accessibility)

The degree to which online shopping experiences — product discovery, evaluation, checkout, fulfilment, customer support, and (on peer-to-peer platforms) selling — are usable by people with disabilities, particularly blind and low-vision (BLV) users who depend on screen readers,…

E-Recruiting(also: Electronic Recruiting, Online Recruiting, Digital Recruitment)

The use of web-based tools and platforms for job posting, candidate sourcing, application submission, and hiring management. E-recruiting systems include job search websites, online application portals, applicant tracking systems, and social networking platforms like LinkedIn.…

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…

EARL(also: Evaluation and Report Language)

A machine-readable format developed by the W3C for expressing the results of accessibility evaluations in a standardized way. EARL uses RDF (Resource Description Framework) to describe test results including the outcome (pass, fail, cannot tell, inapplicable, untested), the test…

EVITA(also: Enabling Visually Impaired Table Access)

A specialized table browser developed at the University of Manchester designed to enable visually impaired users to navigate, browse, and read HTML data tables non-visually in a manner analogous to how sighted readers interact with tables in print. EVITA provides keyboard-based…

Ecology of Protections(also: Layered Protection Ecosystem)

A multi-layered framework for safeguarding vulnerable users from harmful digital content by implementing protections at multiple levels of the technology stack simultaneously. For photosensitive users, this ecosystem encompasses six layers: policy-level (legislation and…

Experiential Transcoding

An approach to web page transcoding that restructures content based on actual user behaviour rather than relying solely on source code analysis or predefined heuristics. By analysing how sighted users interact with web pages — typically through eye-tracking data — experiential…

External Metadata(also: Accessibility Metadata Overlay, Third-Party Metadata)

External metadata in the context of web accessibility refers to supplementary information stored separately from a web page that can be applied to improve the page's accessibility without modifying the original source code. This approach allows volunteers, developers, or…

Faceted Navigation(also: Faceted Search, Faceted Browsing, Faceted Filtering)

A navigation technique that allows users to filter and explore content along multiple dimensions or categories simultaneously, such as by topic, sentiment, date, or rating. In accessibility contexts, faceted navigation can significantly improve the efficiency of information…

Failure Rate(also: FR (accessibility metric))

An accessibility metric introduced by Sullivan and Matson (2000) that, for a given page and a given checkpoint, divides the number of checkpoint violations found by the maximum number of violations that could have occurred on that page. Failure Rate produces a normalised value…

Flashing Content(also: Flashing, Flash)

Visual content that alternates between contrasting states at a rate that can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. WCAG defines a flash as a pair of opposing luminance changes or a transition involving saturated red. Content with more than three flashes per…

Focus Indicator(also: Focus Ring, Visible Focus, Focus Outline)

A visual cue that shows which interactive element on a page or in an application currently has keyboard focus. Focus indicators are typically rendered as an outline, border, or highlight around the focused element. They are essential for keyboard users and screen magnification…

Focus Management(also: Focus Control, Programmatic Focus)

The practice of controlling which element on a web page or application receives keyboard focus, and ensuring that focus moves in a logical and predictable manner as users interact with the interface. Focus management is one of the most challenging aspects of web accessibility…

Focus Order(also: Tab Order, Focus Sequence)

The sequence in which interactive elements receive keyboard focus when a user presses the Tab key or uses other keyboard navigation. In accessibility, a logical focus order that follows the visual and semantic structure of the page is essential for screen reader users and…

Focus trap(also: Keyboard trap, Focus lock)

A web accessibility barrier in which keyboard focus becomes confined to a particular element or region of a page, preventing the user from navigating away using standard keyboard commands. Focus traps are especially problematic for screen reader users and keyboard-only users,…

Form Accessibility(also: Accessible Forms, Form A11y)

The practice of designing and implementing digital forms so they can be effectively completed by people using assistive technologies, particularly screen readers. Key requirements include: every form field must have a programmatically associated label that clearly describes the…

Form Label(also: Input Label, Form Field Label)

A text label programmatically associated with an interactive form control (such as a text input, button, checkbox, or dropdown) that identifies the purpose or function of that control to all users. In HTML, form labels are typically implemented using the <label> element linked…

Form Labeling(also: Form Labels, Input Labels, Programmatic Labels)

The practice of providing descriptive text labels that are programmatically associated with their corresponding form input fields, enabling screen readers to announce what information is expected in each field. Proper form labeling uses HTML label elements with a "for" attribute…

GUI Testing(also: Graphical User Interface Testing, UI Testing)

GUI testing is a software testing methodology that validates application behaviour by interacting with the graphical user interface, including clicking buttons, entering text, and navigating menus, rather than testing code directly. GUI testing is especially relevant to…

GenAI Accessibility(also: Generative AI Accessibility)

The design and implementation of generative AI tools—including large language model chatbots, AI image describers, and multimodal AI systems—so they can be fully and equitably used by people with disabilities. While text-based GenAI interfaces appear superficially accessible,…