Glossary

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AI Hiring Interview(also: Automated Video Interview, AVI, Asynchronous Video Interview)

An asynchronous job-interview process in which candidates record video responses to pre-recorded or text-based questions on a platform that uses artificial intelligence to analyse facial expressions, vocal cues, word choice, and behavioural signals to score suitability.…

Accessibility Paradox

The accessibility paradox describes the gap between organizations' stated commitments to accessibility and the lived realities of disabled employees, who often encounter inaccessible tools, documents, and workflows in their daily work despite formal inclusion policies. Coined in…

Accessible Onboarding(also: Inclusive Onboarding)

The process of integrating new employees into an organization in a way that is fully accessible to people with disabilities, encompassing all required documentation, training, system access, and orientation activities. Accessible onboarding requires that every mandatory step —…

Accommodation Process(also: Accommodation Workflow, Accommodation Request Process)

The organizational workflow through which workplace accommodations for employees with disabilities are requested, negotiated, implemented, and monitored. The accommodation process typically involves multiple stakeholders including the employee, human resources, supervisors, IT…

Allyship(also: Accessibility Allyship, Disability Allyship)

The practice of non-disabled people (or people without a specific disability) actively supporting disabled colleagues by advocating for accessibility, following accommodation norms, and helping identify and address barriers. In accessibility contexts, allyship includes actions…

CART(also: Communication Access Realtime Translation, Computer-Aided Real-Time Translation)

A real-time captioning service in which a trained stenographer uses a specialized keyboard to transcribe spoken language into text as it is spoken, typically achieving accuracy rates above 98%. CART is considered the gold standard for real-time captioning accuracy but is…

Calendar Accessibility(also: Accessible Scheduling)

The degree to which calendar applications and scheduling tools can be effectively used by people with disabilities, particularly blind and low vision users who rely on screen readers. Calendar accessibility challenges include visual grid layouts that are difficult to navigate…

Digital Labor(also: Digital Labour, Online Labor)

Work performed through digital platforms and online systems, including microtask crowdwork, gig economy jobs, and remote freelancing. Digital labor raises important accessibility considerations because it can offer people with disabilities flexible employment opportunities that…

Disability Disclosure(also: Disclosure)

The act of revealing information about one's disability to others, whether voluntarily or through necessity. Disclosure decisions are complex, involving considerations of privacy, safety, accommodation needs, social acceptance, and legal protections. People with invisible…

Employee Onboarding Accessibility(also: Accessible Onboarding, Inclusive Onboarding)

The practice of ensuring that the employee onboarding process — including signing contracts, completing HR forms, accessing web portals, and orientation activities — is fully accessible to people with disabilities. Inaccessible onboarding systems frequently use mouse-dependent…

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…

Flexible Work(also: Flexible Work Arrangements, Flexible Employment)

Work arrangements that allow variation in schedule, location, pace, or structure, including remote work, flexible hours, part-time options, and self-directed work. For many disabled people, flexible work is not a perk but a fundamental accessibility requirement, as rigid…

Gig Economy(also: Platform Economy, On-Demand Economy)

An economic model characterized by short-term, flexible, and freelance work arrangements facilitated through digital platforms, rather than traditional permanent employment. For people with disabilities, the gig economy presents both opportunities and challenges: it can provide…

Groupware(also: Collaborative Software, Computer-Supported Cooperative Work Software)

Software designed to help multiple people coordinate, communicate, and collaborate on shared work. Groupware covers shared calendars and scheduling, document co-authoring, messaging, workflow, and shift-planning systems. Accessibility matters for groupware because these tools…

Invisible Cost of Disability(also: Hidden Cost of Disability, Disability Tax, Crip Tax)

The additional time, energy, money, and cognitive effort that people with disabilities must expend to accomplish tasks that non-disabled people can complete without such overhead. In workplace contexts, these costs include purchasing extra assistive technology and software,…

Invisible Work(also: Invisible Labour, Hidden Work)

The unrecognized and often uncompensated effort that people with disabilities must perform to navigate inaccessible environments, technologies, and workplaces. In professional settings, invisible work includes learning workarounds for inaccessible software, preparing extensively…

Job Accommodation Network(also: JAN)

A free service funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy that provides guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. JAN offers one-on-one consultation to employers, employees, and service providers on practical…

Low-Tech Accessibility(also: Low-Tech Accommodations, Low-Tech Solutions)

Accessibility solutions that use simple, inexpensive materials and methods rather than advanced technology to support people with disabilities in completing tasks. Examples include tactile guides made from tape or magnets on equipment, raised markings for orientation, notches…

Mixed-Ability(also: Mixed-Ability Environment, Mixed-Ability Workplace, Mixed-Ability Setting)

A social environment, workplace, or group where people with and without disabilities interact, collaborate, or share space. In mixed-ability settings, accessibility becomes a social and collaborative concern rather than just a technical one—assistive technologies that work well…

Mixed-Ability Collaboration(also: Cross-Ability Collaboration, Mixed-Ability Teamwork)

Collaborative work involving people with different abilities, such as sighted and blind team members working together on shared tasks. Mixed-ability collaboration requires tools and practices that accommodate diverse interaction modalities so that all participants can contribute…

Mixed-Ability Team(also: Mixed-Ability Group, Mixed-Abilities Team)

A team or group composed of people with a variety of abilities, including disabled and non-disabled members who may have different sensory, motor, cognitive, or other access needs. Mixed-ability teams face unique coordination challenges because accommodations for one member may…

Mixed-Ability Workforce(also: Mixed-Ability Team, Inclusive Workforce)

A work environment where employees with and without disabilities collaborate on shared tasks, each contributing their individual skills and abilities. In mixed-ability settings, workflows, training, and task allocation are designed to leverage the strengths of all workers rather…

Mixed-Visual Ability(also: diverse visual abilities, mixed-visual-ability team)

Mixed-visual ability refers to teams or workplace settings that include members with a range of visual abilities, including sighted individuals, people with low vision, and people who are blind. The concept emphasizes that visual ability is not binary and that effective…

Normative Commonplaces(also: Workplace Norms)

Standards, expectations, and unwritten rules in workplaces that are based on the assumed abilities and behaviors of non-disabled workers, creating barriers for employees with disabilities. These norms can include expectations about pace of work, methods of completing tasks,…

Productivity Norms(also: Compulsory Productivity)

Socially constructed expectations about the quantity and pace of work output that individuals should maintain. Productivity norms are often built around non-disabled bodies and minds, creating barriers for people with disabilities whose work patterns, energy levels, or…

Real-Time Captioning(also: Live Captioning, Real-Time Text)

The process of converting spoken language into text that is displayed simultaneously or near-simultaneously as the speech occurs. Real-time captioning is essential for deaf and hard of hearing individuals to participate in live events, meetings, and educational settings. Methods…

Reasonable Accommodation(also: Workplace Accommodation, Job Accommodation)

A modification or adjustment to a job, work environment, or the way work is typically performed that enables a qualified individual with a disability to perform essential job functions and enjoy equal employment opportunities. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and…

Representational Transformation(also: representation transformation, accessibility transformation)

Representational transformation is the process of modifying or re-creating a shared information artifact (such as a document, spreadsheet, diagram, or slideshow) to make it accessible to team members who cannot perceive or operate the original form. In mixed-ability teams,…

Scheduling Anxiety(also: Calendar Anxiety)

The psychological stress and worry experienced by blind and low vision users related to managing their schedules using inaccessible calendar tools. Scheduling anxiety encompasses fear of missed appointments due to unreliable assistive technology integration, uncertainty about…

Sheltered Employment(also: Sheltered Work, Sheltered Workshop, Protected Employment)

A model of employment where people with disabilities work in a controlled environment specifically designed to accommodate their needs, typically with lower productivity expectations and specialized supervision. Sheltered work organizations provide employment opportunities for…

Sign Language Interpreting(also: Sign Language Interpretation, ASL Interpreting)

The professional practice of translating bidirectionally between a signed language (such as American Sign Language) and a spoken language (such as English) to facilitate communication between Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing individuals and hearing people. Sign language interpreters are…

Tactile Guide(also: Tactile Jig, Tactile Fixture)

A physical modification attached to equipment or tools that provides tactile directional feedback to guide a user through a task without relying on vision. In manufacturing and assembly settings, tactile guides are made from materials such as electrical tape, Dymo tape, metal…

Task Allocation(also: Task Assignment, Job Assignment)

The process of assigning specific tasks or roles to workers based on their abilities, skills, and the accessibility of the task. In inclusive workplace settings, task allocation involves carefully evaluating which tasks can be made accessible through accommodations and which may…

Videoconferencing Accessibility(also: Virtual Meeting Accessibility)

The extent to which videoconferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet can be used effectively by people with disabilities. Key accessibility concerns include screen reader compatibility with meeting controls and features, captioning for deaf and hard of…

Virtual Collaboration(also: remote collaboration, virtual teamwork)

Working together across distance using digital tools—synchronous meetings on platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet, and asynchronous channels like shared documents, Slack, and issue trackers. For accessibility, virtual collaboration can remove physical barriers…

Workflow Accessibility(also: Accessible Workflow, End-to-End Accessibility)

The principle that every step in a multi-step process or workflow must be accessible for the entire process to be usable by people with disabilities. Workflow accessibility recognizes that a single inaccessible step in an otherwise accessible chain can create an insurmountable…

Workplace Accessibility

The degree to which work environments, processes, tools, and cultures enable disabled employees to perform their jobs effectively and participate fully in workplace life. Workplace accessibility extends beyond physical access and assistive technology to include accessible…

Workplace Accommodation(also: Reasonable Accommodation, Job Accommodation, Work Adjustment)

Modifications or adjustments to a job, work environment, or the way work is performed that enable a qualified person with a disability to perform essential job functions and enjoy equal employment opportunities. Workplace accommodations may include physical changes (accessible…

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