Glossary

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Nonvisual Interaction(also: Eyes-Free Interaction, Screenless Interaction)

Interaction with computing devices without relying on visual feedback, using alternative channels such as audio, tactile, or proprioceptive cues. Nonvisual interaction is essential for blind and low-vision users but also benefits sighted users in eyes-busy contexts like driving…

Nonvisual Programming(also: Non-Visual Programming, Blind Programming)

The practice of writing, navigating, debugging, and managing software code without relying on visual display, typically using screen readers, braille displays, and audio cues. Nonvisual programmers face unique challenges with syntax highlighting, code indentation, error…

Normal-Hearing Listener(also: NH Listener, Normal Hearing)

A research term for a participant whose audiometric thresholds fall within the clinical normal range (typically pure-tone thresholds of 25 dB HL or better across speech frequencies), used as a comparison group in hearing-accessibility studies. Normal-hearing (NH) listeners are…

Normate

A term coined by disability studies scholar Rosemarie Garland-Thomson to name the cultural figure - the imagined 'normal' body - against which other bodies are measured, valued, and judged deficient. The normate is not a real person but a template produced through social…

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,…

Normative Language(also: Normativity in Assessment)

Language in assessment tools, questionnaires, or descriptions that implicitly establishes neurotypical or non-disabled experience as the standard against which all responses are measured. In emotional dysregulation measures, normative language includes loaded adjectives like…

Note-Taking(also: Classroom Note-Taking)

The process of recording information during lectures, meetings, or presentations. In education, note-taking is an active learning strategy that helps students stay focused, cognitively process material, and retain information — benefits that occur even if notes are never…

Note-Taking Accommodation(also: Note-Taker Service, Classroom Note-Taking Support)

An educational accommodation that provides students with disabilities access to lecture content they cannot capture independently. Traditional note-taking accommodations include human note-takers (peers or professionals who share their notes), lecture recording systems, and…

Notetaker(also: Note Taker, Note-Taker)

A person or service that takes notes on behalf of someone who cannot effectively take their own notes during a lecture, meeting, or event. Notetakers are a common accommodation for deaf and hard of hearing students and employees who must watch a sign language interpreter or read…

Notetaking(also: Note-Taking, Note Taking Service)

The practice of recording key information from spoken presentations, lectures, or meetings, either by the individual or by a designated notetaker as an accessibility accommodation. In educational accessibility, professional or peer notetaking services are commonly provided for…

Nothing About Us Without Us(also: NAUWU, Nihil de nobis sine nobis)

A foundational principle of the disability rights movement asserting that people with disabilities must be meaningfully involved in decisions, policies, research, and design processes that affect their lives. In technology and AI development, this principle demands that disabled…

Notification Fatigue(also: Alert Fatigue, Information Overload)

Notification fatigue is a state in which users become desensitized to or overwhelmed by frequent alerts, notifications, or information delivery from a device or system, causing them to ignore or tune out important messages. In accessibility contexts, notification fatigue is a…

Novelty Effect(also: Novelty bias)

A research-methodology concept describing the tendency for users to behave differently with a new technology simply because it is new, rather than because of its enduring value. Novelty effects inflate short-term engagement, enthusiasm, and usage, then fade as the technology…

Novice User(also: Beginner User, First-Time User)

A user who is new to a particular system, task, or interface and has not yet built a mental model of its structure or vocabulary. Novice users typically benefit from menu-driven interfaces, prominent help, progressive disclosure, and forgiving interaction patterns that allow…

Novint Falcon

A consumer-grade 3D haptic input device originally marketed for gaming that has been widely adopted in accessibility research for providing force feedback to people with visual impairments. The device features a grip attached to three arms that can exert forces in three…

Nudge(also: Nudging)

A small change in the presentation, default, or framing of a choice that systematically influences decisions without removing options or significantly altering incentives. Introduced to behavioural economics by Thaler and Sunstein (2008) and grounded in Tversky and Kahneman's…

Number Sense(also: Numeracy Intuition, Numerical Cognition)

The intuitive understanding of numbers, their magnitude, relationships, and how they are affected by operations. Number sense includes the ability to estimate quantities, understand relative size, recognize patterns, and make meaningful comparisons between numbers without…

Numeracy(also: Mathematical Literacy, Quantitative Literacy)

The ability to understand, use, and reason with numbers and mathematical concepts in everyday contexts. Numeracy skills include counting, arithmetic operations, understanding percentages and proportions, interpreting number lines, and making sense of numerical information in…

Nystagmus(also: Involuntary eye movement, Dancing eyes)

A condition characterized by involuntary, repetitive, rhythmic movements of the eyes, which may move side to side (horizontal), up and down (vertical), or in a circular pattern (rotary). Nystagmus can be congenital (present from birth) or acquired later in life due to…

Nystagmus(also: Involuntary Eye Movement, Dancing Eyes)

A condition involving involuntary, repetitive, and rhythmic movements of the eyes, which can be horizontal, vertical, or rotary. Nystagmus can be congenital (present from birth) or acquired later in life due to neurological conditions, medications, or other causes. It often…