Glossary

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Augmented Reality (AR)(also: AR, Augmented Reality)

An interactive technology that overlays digital information — such as text, images, or video — onto the real-world environment in real time. In accessibility contexts, AR has significant potential for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing users by displaying captions or sign language…

Augmented Reality Intervention(also: AR Intervention, AR-Based Intervention)

The use of augmented reality technology to deliver therapeutic or supportive interventions by overlaying digital content onto a person's real-world view. For OCD, proposed AR interventions include placing visual barriers on objects being compulsively examined (to interrupt…

Augmented reality(also: AR)

A technology that overlays digital information — such as text, images, highlights, or 3D objects — onto the user's view of the real world, typically through smart glasses, head-mounted displays, or smartphone cameras. In accessibility applications, augmented reality can…

Aural Browsing(also: Aural Navigation, Aural Web Browsing)

Aural browsing refers to the experience of navigating and consuming web content through auditory output, primarily via screen readers that read page content aloud sequentially. Unlike visual browsing where users can scan and skim pages at a glance, aural browsing is inherently…

Aural CSS(also: Aural Cascading Style Sheets, CSS Aural Properties, CSS Speech)

Aural CSS refers to CSS properties designed to control the auditory presentation of web content, originally specified as the "aural" media type in CSS2 and later revised as the "speech" media type in CSS3. These properties allow web authors to specify how content should be…

Aural Diversity(also: Hearing diversity)

A framework that recognizes the wide variation in how humans perceive and engage with sound, rather than treating typical hearing as the norm against which all other experiences are measured. Aural diversity spans d/Deaf, Hard of Hearing, hyperacusis, tinnitus, misophonia,…

Aural Eavesdropping(also: Audio Eavesdropping, Auditory Shoulder Surfing)

A security attack in which an unauthorized person overhears sensitive information such as passwords, PINs, or personal data being spoken aloud. This is a particular concern for people who are blind or have low vision because screen readers announce all on-screen content audibly,…

Aural Glancing

The auditory equivalent of visually glancing at a web page — the ability for screen reader users to quickly get a sense of what sections and content are available on a page without being forced to listen to every element serially. Aural glancing aims to bridge the fundamental…

Aural Interaction(also: Auditory Interaction)

Aural interaction refers to human-computer interaction that takes place primarily through the auditory channel, encompassing both speech-based input/output and non-speech audio such as auditory icons, earcons, and sonification. A key characteristic distinguishing aural…

Aural Interface(also: Voice Interface, Voice-Controlled Interface, Voice User Interface)

An aural interface is a user interface that relies primarily on spoken language for both input (voice commands) and output (spoken responses). Examples include Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant. While aural interfaces have become increasingly popular due to their…

Aural Rendering(also: Auralization, Audio Rendering)

The process of converting visual or textual information into a spoken or auditory representation. In programming accessibility, aural rendering transforms source code into speech output that conveys not just the text content but also structural and syntactic information — such…

Auslan(also: Australian Sign Language)

Australian Sign Language, the sign language of the Australian Deaf community. Auslan is a natural language with its own grammar and lexicon, unrelated to English and distinct from American Sign Language (ASL); it is historically related to British Sign Language and New Zealand…

Authentic Learning(also: authentic pedagogy, real-world learning)

A pedagogical approach that emphasizes learning through meaningful, real-world tasks and contexts rather than abstract exercises. In accessibility education, authentic learning involves direct interaction with users who have disabilities, real-world projects addressing actual…

Authentication(also: User Authentication, Login)

The process of verifying a user's identity before granting access to a system, service, or protected content. Common authentication methods include passwords, PINs, biometrics, and security tokens. Authentication presents significant accessibility barriers: people with cognitive…

Authorable Virtual Peer(also: AVP)

A life-sized animated virtual character technology designed to support social skills development in children with autism and related disorders. Unlike passive virtual agents, authorable virtual peers allow children to interact in multiple modes: face-to-face conversation,…

Authoring Tool(also: Web Authoring Tool, Content Authoring Tool)

An authoring tool is any software application used to create or modify web content, ranging from code editors and content management systems (CMS) to visual page builders and social media platforms. The W3C's Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) address two aspects of…

Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG)(also: ATAG, ATAG 2.0)

A W3C Web Accessibility Initiative standard that provides guidelines for designing authoring tools — such as content management systems, website builders, and code editors — that are both accessible to authors with disabilities and capable of producing accessible web content.…

Authority Building(also: Credibility Establishment, Trust Building)

The strategies used by content creators and platforms to establish trustworthiness and expertise, particularly for health-related and disability-related content. Authority building techniques include disclosing professional credentials, citing authoritative sources, displaying…

Autism(also: Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, Autism Spectrum Condition)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of behavior and interests. Autism exists on a spectrum with wide variation in how it presents and the level of support individuals may need. Accessibility for…

Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule(also: ADOS, ADOS-2)

A standardized diagnostic protocol for autism that uses structured and semi-structured social interaction tasks between an examiner and the person being assessed. First published in 1989 and designed based on a sample of children aged 6-18, it was followed by a second edition…

Autism Employment Gap(also: Autism Unemployment, Neurodiversity Employment Gap)

The significant disparity in employment rates between autistic adults and the general population. Research indicates only 10-50% of autistic individuals are employed, with just 15-20% in full-time positions despite many having skills and desire to work. Barriers include the job…

Autism Industrial Complex(also: AIC)

A term coined by Alicia Broderick and Robin Roscigno to describe the commercial ecosystem that treats autism as a commodity, establishing it as a normative cultural narrative that necessitates intervention. The autism industrial complex encompasses the interconnected network of…

Autism Self-Advocacy(also: Autistic Self-Advocacy, Autism Rights Movement)

A movement led by autistic individuals who advocate for their own rights, autonomy, and inclusion in decisions that affect their lives. Autism self-advocacy challenges the dominance of non-autistic parents, professionals, and researchers in speaking for and making decisions…

Autism Spectrum(also: Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, Autism Spectrum Condition)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, interaction patterns, and restricted or repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities. The spectrum concept reflects the wide variation in how autism presents—ranging from individuals who need…

Autism Spectrum Disorder(also: ASD, Autism)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of behavior and interests. Autism exists on a broad spectrum with highly variable presentations. In reading accessibility contexts, research has found that…

Autism Spectrum Disorder(also: ASD, Autism)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of behavior or interests. Autism exists on a spectrum, meaning it presents differently across individuals — some may have significant support needs while others…

Autism Spectrum Disorder(also: ASD, Autism, Autistic Spectrum Condition)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication and interaction, along with restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. Autism exists on a spectrum with widely varying support needs. Many autistic people experience…

Autism Technology(also: Autism Tech, ASD Technology)

Technologies specifically designed for, marketed to, or used by autistic individuals and their support networks. Autism technology spans a wide range including digital therapy platforms, educational apps, data tracking and behavioral monitoring systems, diagnostic computational…

Autism spectrum disorder(also: ASD, Autism, Autism spectrum)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, interaction patterns, and restricted or repetitive behaviors, with wide variation in how it manifests across individuals. The spectrum nature of ASD means that people have highly diverse support…

Autistic Agency(also: Autistic Self-Determination, Autistic Autonomy)

The capacity of autistic individuals to make choices, express preferences, direct their own lives, and participate meaningfully in decisions that affect them. Research on autistic agency in technology contexts has found that autistic children and adults are often positioned as…

Autistic Burnout(also: Autistic Fatigue, Neurodivergent Burnout)

A state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion experienced by autistic people, often resulting from the cumulative effect of masking (suppressing autistic traits to appear neurotypical), sensory overload, and the ongoing effort of navigating environments not designed for…

Autistic Joy

A concept articulated by Elliot Wassell and widely discussed in autistic communities describing the intense, absorbing pleasure autistic people can experience in special interests, sensory engagement, deep focus, and preferred modes of working. Autistic joy is typically framed…

Autistic Meltdown(also: Meltdown, Sensory Meltdown)

An autistic meltdown is an intense, involuntary response to overwhelming sensory, emotional, or cognitive overload, during which an autistic person may temporarily lose the ability to regulate their behavior, emotions, or communication. Meltdowns can manifest as crying, shutting…

Autistic Sociality(also: Autistic Social Interaction, Atypical Sociality)

The distinct ways in which autistic people form social connections, build community, and engage in relationships — which differ from neurotypical social norms but are not deficient. Autistic sociality may emphasize shared interests over personal relationships, prefer text-based…

Auto-Aim(also: Lock-On Targeting, Target Assist, Aim Assist)

An accessibility feature in games and virtual environments that helps users locate and track targets without requiring precise manual aiming. Auto-aim typically scans the environment for objects of interest and automatically adjusts the user's view or cursor to face or track the…

Auto-Correction(also: Autocorrect, Automatic error correction, Spell correction)

A software feature that automatically detects and corrects typing errors, typically by comparing entered text against a dictionary and suggesting or applying the closest match based on string distance algorithms. Auto-correction is particularly important for accessible text…

Auto-Generated Captions(also: Automatic Captions, AI Captions, Machine-Generated Captions)

Captions automatically created by speech recognition technology without human review or editing. Video platforms like YouTube and TikTok offer auto-generated captions as a default accessibility feature. While they improve baseline accessibility, auto-generated captions often…

Auto-Personalization(also: Automatic Personalization, Preference Portability)

The ability to automatically configure a digital device's interface, accessibility settings, and assistive technology software to match an individual user's needs and preferences without requiring the user to manually make changes. Auto-personalization addresses a critical…

Auto-label(also: Automatic Labeling, Heuristic Labeling)

A feature in authoring tools or runtime environments that automatically generates accessible labels for interactive elements when a developer has not explicitly provided one. For example, Adobe Flash Player's auto-label function would heuristically find nearby text for objects…

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…

Autofill(also: Form Autofill, Auto-fill)

A browser or operating-system feature that automatically populates form fields (name, address, email, payment details) from stored user data. From an accessibility standpoint, autofill reduces typing effort for users with motor impairments, cognitive disabilities, dyslexia, and…

Automated Accessibility Testing(also: Automated A11y Testing, Accessibility Scanning)

The use of software tools to programmatically check web content against accessibility guidelines such as WCAG. Tools like Axe, WAVE, Google Lighthouse, and AChecker translate accessibility rules into automated checks applied to HTML elements. While efficient for detecting…

Automated Accessibility Testing(also: Automated Testing, Accessibility Scanning, A11y Testing)

The use of software tools to programmatically check web content against accessibility guidelines such as WCAG, identifying issues like missing alternative text, insufficient color contrast, empty links, and missing form labels. While automated tools such as WAVE, axe, and…

Automated Decision Making(also: ADM, Automated Decision System, ADS)

The use of software, statistical models, or AI to make or substantially inform decisions about people — eligibility for loans, jobs, benefits, housing, healthcare, or parole — with limited or no human review. Regulatory frameworks such as the EU AI Act, NYC Local Law 144, and…

Automated Decision-Making(also: ADM, Algorithmic Decision-Making)

The process of making decisions about individuals using automated means, typically involving AI or algorithmic systems, with limited or no human intervention. Under the GDPR, "solely automated" decisions that produce "legal or similarly significant effects" on individuals are…

Automated Employment Decision System(also: AEDS, AEDT, Automated Employment Decision Tool)

A software system that screens, evaluates, categorises, recommends, or otherwise makes or facilitates hiring or employment decisions about job candidates or workers. AEDSs span résumé sorters, personality tests, gamified cognitive assessments, situational-judgement tests,…

Automated Evaluation Tool(also: AET, Automated Testing Tool, Accessibility Checker)

Software that automatically scans websites, applications, or documents to detect accessibility violations against standards such as WCAG or Section 508. Common examples include WAVE, axe, AChecker, and Lighthouse. While these tools can efficiently identify many technical…

Automated Readability Scoring(also: ARSS, Automated Readability Scoring System, Readability Assessment)

The use of computational methods to automatically evaluate the reading difficulty level of a text. Traditional readability formulas like Flesch-Kincaid and Dale-Chall use surface features such as average sentence length, word length, and vocabulary frequency to assign…

Automated Speech Recognition(also: ASR, Speech-to-Text, Voice Recognition)

Technology that converts spoken language into written text using machine learning and signal processing algorithms. In accessibility, ASR is used for real-time captioning, voice control of devices and software, and generating transcripts of audio and video content. While ASR…