Glossary

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Image Retrieval(also: Content-Based Image Retrieval, CBIR, Visual Search)

A computer vision technique that searches a database of images to find ones similar to a query image based on visual features rather than text metadata. In accessibility applications, image retrieval enables systems that can identify specific product instances (like a particular…

Image Segmentation(also: Region Segmentation)

A computer vision technique that partitions a digital image into multiple distinct regions or segments based on shared characteristics such as color, intensity, or texture. In accessibility applications, image segmentation is used to simplify complex images for tactile…

Image Stitching(also: Photo Stitching, Panoramic Stitching)

A computer vision technique that combines multiple overlapping photographs into a single wider or panoramic image. In accessibility contexts, image stitching enables blind users to capture more visual information from their environment than a single photo can provide, creating…

Image description(also: Long description, Extended image description, Image alt)

A detailed textual representation of an image's content, typically longer and more comprehensive than alt text. While alt text is a concise attribute embedded in HTML for screen readers, image descriptions may appear as visible captions, be provided via the longdesc attribute or…

Image sonification(also: Visual-to-audio mapping, Auditory image display)

The process of converting visual information from images — such as shapes, charts, diagrams, or spatial layouts — into audio representations that can be perceived without vision. Image sonification maps visual properties like position, size, colour, and shape to audio parameters…

Image-Based Interface(also: Photo-Based Interface, Picture-Based Interface)

A user interface design approach that uses photographs, icons, or other visual images as the primary means of interaction and identification, minimizing or eliminating the need for text. Image-based interfaces are particularly valuable for users with cognitive disabilities, low…

Image-to-3D Generation(also: Image-to-3D Conversion, 2D-to-3D Generation)

An AI-powered process that converts two-dimensional images into three-dimensional digital models suitable for manipulation, rendering, or physical fabrication via 3D printing. In assistive technology design workflows, image-to-3D generation serves as the second stage of an…

ImageNet

ImageNet is a large-scale visual database containing over 14 million labeled images organized into thousands of categories, widely used for training and benchmarking computer vision models. Many object detection and image classification systems used in accessibility…

Imaginary Interface(also: Spatial Memory Interface, Empty-Handed Interaction)

An interaction paradigm where users interact with a virtual interface mapped to empty space or their own body, without any physical device in the interaction area. Users transfer their spatial memory of familiar device layouts (like a smartphone screen) to their palm or mid-air,…

Imagined Device(also: Imaginary Device, Imagined Input Device)

An input device that exists only in the user's imagination, with no physical form, operated through gestures that draw on mental models of a real counterpart such as a smartphone, remote control, or joystick. Imagined devices are typically enacted on or around the body - for…

Imagined Voluntary Movement-Related Potentials(also: IVMRPs, Motor Imagery Potentials)

Electrical brain signals generated when a person imagines performing a voluntary movement without actually executing it. These potentials, detectable via EEG electrodes placed over motor cortex areas, are similar in pattern to the signals produced during actual movement. IVMRPs…

Imitation(also: Embodied Imitation)

The act of observing and reproducing another person's actions, gestures, or vocalisations. Imitation is a foundational social and developmental skill that supports language acquisition, motor learning, and the establishment of shared experience between a child and a caregiver or…

Immersion

The objective level of sensory fidelity that a VR system provides, including visual quality, spatial audio, and haptic feedback that work together to create a convincing virtual environment. Unlike presence (which is subjective), immersion refers to the technical capability of…

Immersive Analytics(also: 3D Data Visualisation, Spatial Analytics, Immersive Visualisation)

Immersive analytics is the application of interactive 3D, virtual reality (VR), or augmented reality (AR) technologies to support data exploration, analysis, and decision-making. By leveraging spatial context, immersive analytics aims to overcome the limitations of flat 2D…

Immersive Media(also: Immersive Content, Immersive Technology)

Digital content and technologies designed to create a sense of presence and embodiment by surrounding users with stimuli that engage multiple senses. This includes 360-degree video, virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality experiences. Making immersive media…

Immersive Reader(also: Reading Mode, Reader View)

A built-in feature in web browsers, learning management systems, and productivity applications (such as Microsoft Immersive Reader) that simplifies the visual presentation of content by stripping away page clutter and presenting text in a clean, customizable format with options…

Immersive Storytelling(also: Interactive Narrative, VR Storytelling)

A narrative approach that places users inside a story environment, allowing them to experience and interact with the narrative through spatial presence, sensory engagement, and active participation. In therapeutic and accessibility contexts, immersive storytelling can scaffold…

Immersive Video(also: Immersive Media, VR Video)

Video content viewed through head-mounted displays or surrounding screens that creates a sense of being present within the recorded environment. Immersive video includes 360-degree video captured with omnidirectional cameras and computer-generated virtual reality content. In…

Immersive Virtual Reality(also: IVR, Immersive VR)

A form of virtual reality that uses head-mounted displays (HMDs) with near-full field of view, positional tracking, and often gesture-based controllers to create a sense of being physically present in a virtual environment. Unlike desktop VR or 360-degree video, immersive VR…

Implementation Science

The study of methods and strategies that promote the systematic uptake of research findings and evidence-based practices into routine clinical, educational, or service settings. Implementation science addresses the well-documented research-to-practice gap: even rigorously…

Implicit Interaction(also: Implicit Input, Implicit Human-Computer Interaction)

Implicit interaction refers to user input that the system infers from natural behaviors not explicitly performed for the purpose of issuing commands, such as gaze, gait, posture, physiological signals, or ambient context. It contrasts with explicit interaction, where users…

Implicit Scoping(also: Prioritized Scoping)

A voice navigation strategy that combines the efficiency of relaxed scoping with intelligent disambiguation. In implicit scoping, the system maintains awareness of the user's current focus area and prioritizes targets based on proximity and context. When a user issues a command,…

Implicit User(also: Model User, Implied User)

A concept from semiotic engineering describing the hypothetical user that a designer envisions when creating an interface — encompassing assumptions about the user's behaviour, experience, competence, expectations, and goals. Every interface carries an implicit user embedded in…

Imposter syndrome(also: Impostor phenomenon)

A psychological pattern in which individuals doubt their accomplishments and fear being exposed as a fraud, despite evidence of competence. Imposter syndrome is particularly prevalent among neurodivergent individuals in professional settings, where internalized stigma about…

Impostor Syndrome(also: Impostor Phenomenon, Impostorism)

A psychological pattern in which individuals doubt their accomplishments and fear being exposed as fraudulent despite evidence of competence. For people with disabilities, impostor syndrome is often intensified by ableist institutional structures: accommodations may be…

Impression Management(also: Self-Presentation)

The conscious or unconscious process of controlling how one is perceived by others, including managing what personal information is visible or shared. For blind people using visual assistance technologies, impression management includes controlling what appears in…

Improvisation(also: Design Improvisation, Research Improvisation)

In the context of accessibility research and design, improvisation refers to the practice of creatively adapting plans and methods in response to unexpected circumstances, defined as "a creative act composed without prior thought." When conducting participatory research with…

Improvisational Music Therapy(also: IMT, Creative Music Therapy)

A therapeutic approach in which the therapist and client spontaneously create music together without predetermined structure or composed material. This form of music therapy allows non-verbal communication and emotional expression through musical interaction, making it…

Impulse Engine(also: Impulse Engine 3000)

The Impulse Engine 3000 was a force-feedback haptic device manufactured by Immersion Corporation in the 1990s, used for research into haptic interfaces and virtual reality. The device featured a probe that users manipulated in three degrees of freedom (forward/backward, up/down,…

Impulsivity(also: Impulsiveness)

A core symptom of ADHD characterized by acting without forethought, difficulty waiting, interrupting others, and making hasty decisions without considering consequences. In digital contexts, impulsivity can lead to premature form submissions, unintended purchases, accidental…

In Situ Study(also: Field Study, In-the-Wild Study, Remote Study)

An in situ study is a research method where participants are observed or data is collected in their natural environment rather than in a controlled laboratory setting. In accessibility research, in situ studies are particularly valuable because they capture how users interact…

In-Situ Deployment(also: In-Situ Study, Field Deployment Study)

A research methodology in which a functional prototype or product is installed on participants' own devices and used in their everyday environment over days, weeks, or months, rather than in a controlled laboratory session. In-situ deployments are especially valuable for…

In-Situ Intervention(also: in-context intervention, just-in-time intervention)

An in-situ intervention is a technological or design feature that is invoked within a user's existing workflow and context, rather than requiring them to switch to a separate application or interrupt their current task. In accessibility research, in-situ interventions are…

In-situ Highlighting(also: In-situ Guidance, In-situ Instruction, On-screen Highlighting)

In-situ highlighting is a tutorial technique that overlays visual indicators directly on the live application interface to show the user exactly where to tap, look, or interact next - rather than describing the action in a separate text or video tutorial. Common implementations…

In-situ Study(also: In-situ evaluation, Field study)

A user study conducted in the real-world setting where the technology would actually be used (a museum floor, a corridor with passersby, a commuter train), rather than in a controlled lab or via remotely viewed videos. In-situ studies matter for accessibility research because…

Inattention(also: Inattentiveness)

A core symptom of ADHD characterized by difficulty sustaining focus, being easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli, difficulty following through on instructions, and appearing not to listen when spoken to directly. In digital accessibility, inattention impacts the ability to…

Inattentional Blindness(also: Perceptual Blindness)

Inattentional blindness is the failure to notice a fully visible but unexpected object or feature when attention is directed elsewhere. It is distinct from change blindness (failure to notice a change between two views): inattentional blindness is about missing something that…

Inception-v3(also: Inception v3)

A deep convolutional neural network architecture developed by Google for image recognition, introduced in 2015. It uses "inception modules" that apply multiple convolution filter sizes in parallel to efficiently capture features at different scales, balancing recognition…

Incidental Learning(also: Observational Learning, Informal Learning)

Knowledge and skills acquired without deliberate instruction, typically through casual observation of the environment and other people. An estimated 80% of early childhood learning occurs incidentally through vision — watching how others make sandwiches, navigate social…

IncluSet

A dataset surfacing repository created by researchers at the University of Maryland that catalogs and organizes accessibility datasets — datasets sourced from people with disabilities and older adults. IncluSet was developed to make it easier for AI researchers and practitioners…

Inclusive AI(also: Accessible AI, Disability-Inclusive Artificial Intelligence)

The design and development of artificial intelligence systems that account for the needs, experiences, and data of people with disabilities and other marginalized groups. Inclusive AI requires representative training datasets, accessible interfaces for AI-powered tools, and…

Inclusive Co-Design(also: Inclusive Participatory Design)

A design methodology that ensures people from typically marginalized groups, including people with intellectual disabilities, are meaningfully included throughout the technology design process as equals rather than subjects. Inclusive co-design adapts traditional participatory…

Inclusive Design(also: Inclusive Design Methodology)

A design methodology that considers the full range of human diversity from the outset of the design process, including ability, language, culture, gender, and age. Inclusive design differs from accessibility retrofitting in that it incorporates diverse needs as core design…

Inclusive Design Process

A design approach that intentionally includes diverse users, particularly those with disabilities and from marginalized communities, throughout all stages of product development. An inclusive design process goes beyond accessible materials to consider the entire ecosystem of…

Inclusive Education(also: Inclusive Schooling, Mainstreaming)

An educational approach where students with disabilities learn alongside their non-disabled peers in mainstream classrooms, with appropriate supports, accommodations, and modifications to curriculum and instruction. Inclusive education contrasts with segregated schooling in…

Inclusive Employability(also: Inclusive Employment Practices, Disability-Inclusive Employment)

An approach to employment preparation, recruitment, and workplace practices that intentionally addresses the barriers faced by people from equity groups, including people with disabilities, in accessing and succeeding in employment. Inclusive employability goes beyond simply…

Inclusive Esports(also: Accessible Esports)

A framing of competitive gaming that enables players with and without disabilities to compete on common terms — through universal input modalities (e.g., EMG, motion sensing, eye tracking), accessible controllers, software-based player balancing, or game designs that avoid…

Inclusive Imagery(also: Inclusive Representation, Disability-Inclusive Media)

Visual content that authentically and respectfully represents people with disabilities and other marginalized groups. Inclusive imagery goes beyond accessibility (having alternative text) to address how disability is depicted—avoiding stereotypes, tragedy narratives, and…

Inclusive Immersion

A design objective for VR that seeks to create maximally accessible and enjoyable virtual and augmented reality experiences for users with different capability levels. The concept recognizes that immersion and enjoyment should be achievable regardless of disability, and that…

Inclusive Learning(also: Inclusive Education Design, Accessible Learning)

An educational approach that ensures all learners, including those with disabilities, can fully participate in and benefit from learning activities and materials. Inclusive learning involves designing curricula, content, and delivery methods that accommodate diverse abilities,…