Glossary

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Stage Presence(also: Scenic Presence)

The ability of a performer to capture and maintain the audience's attention, creating a sense of connection and shared experience through purposeful embodied actions. In accessibility and disability arts contexts, stage presence raises important questions about how performers…

Stage-Based Model(also: Stage-Based Model of Personal Informatics)

A model of personal-informatics use, introduced by Ian Li, Anind Dey, and Jodi Forlizzi (2010), describing how people move through five stages of self-tracking: preparation (deciding to track), collection, integration, reflection, and action. The model made early contributions…

Stakeholder Research(also: Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Involvement)

A research approach that identifies and engages all parties who have an interest in or are affected by a technology, product, or service. In accessibility research, stakeholder research involves consulting not just end users with disabilities but also family members, caregivers,…

Stammering(also: Stuttering, Stammer, Stutter)

A neurological condition that affects the rhythmic flow of speech, causing involuntary repetitions, prolongations, or blocks of sounds, syllables, or words. Blocking describes audible or silent moments when a person is unable to produce a specific sound despite intending to.…

Stanca Act(also: Legge Stanca, Italian Accessibility Law, Law 4/2004)

The Stanca Act (Legge Stanca, Law No. 4 of January 9, 2004) is Italy's primary legislation mandating digital accessibility for public sector websites and services. Named after Lucio Stanca, the Minister for Innovation and Technologies who championed it, the law requires that…

Stance-Control Orthosis(also: Stance-control KAFO, SCO, Stance-control knee-ankle-foot orthosis)

A class of knee-ankle-foot orthoses that lock the knee during the stance (weight-bearing) phase of gait to prevent buckling, but unlock it during the swing phase to allow natural knee flexion. Stance-control devices detect gait phase through joint-angle sensors,…

Standard Human Interface(also: SHI)

A concept within the Pervasive Accessible Technology framework referring to a standardized set of input and output capabilities — including microphones, speakers, touch screens, glidepoint touchpads, kiosks, infrared devices, and video cameras — that serve as the physical point…

Standards Harmonization(also: Standards Harmonisation, Accessibility Standards Alignment)

The effort to align web accessibility standards and guidelines across different jurisdictions, organizations, and markets to create a unified set of requirements that developers and content creators can follow. Without harmonization, fragmented accessibility standards — where…

Stanford Emotional Narratives Dataset(also: SEND, SEND Dataset)

A publicly available dataset of short video clips of people telling emotionally significant personal stories, created by Ong et al. at Stanford (2019) to support multimodal emotion-recognition research. Each video is annotated continuously for valence, arousal, and…

Stargardt Disease(also: Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, Juvenile Macular Degeneration)

An inherited eye disease that causes progressive damage to the macula, leading to central vision loss typically beginning in childhood or adolescence. Stargardt disease is the most common form of inherited macular degeneration. It may also affect color vision. Unlike age-related…

Stargardt Disease(also: Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, Fundus Flavimaculatus)

An inherited eye condition that causes progressive vision loss affecting the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed vision. Stargardt disease typically begins in childhood or adolescence and leads to reduced central visual acuity while peripheral…

State Abstraction(also: Page State Abstraction, State Grouping)

In automated web GUI testing, state abstraction is the process of grouping web pages that exhibit the same behaviour from a testing perspective into a single representative state. Effective state abstraction prevents testing tools from repeatedly exploring functionally identical…

Static Accessibility Analysis(also: Static A11y Analysis, Source Code Accessibility Analysis)

An approach to detecting accessibility issues by examining an application's source code, layout files, or configuration without actually running the application. In mobile development, this typically involves analyzing XML layout files for issues such as missing content…

Statistical Graph(also: Statistical Chart, Data Graph, Quantitative Graph)

A visual representation of numerical or statistical data using geometric elements such as lines, bars, points, or areas to convey patterns, trends, relationships, and comparisons. Common types include line graphs (showing trends over time), bar charts (comparing categories), pie…

Steady Tapping

The ability to place a finger on a touchscreen target and hold it still long enough for the system to register a deliberate tap, as opposed to the unintentional movements caused by hand tremor. For users with motor impairments, maintaining a steady tap is a significant challenge…

Steering Law(also: Accot-Zhai Steering Law)

A predictive model of human movement describing the time required to navigate a cursor through a constrained path, such as a tunnel or curved corridor on screen. Proposed by Accot and Zhai as an extension of Fitts's Law, the Steering Law accounts for tasks where the user must…

Stemming(also: Word Stemming, Suffix Stripping)

Stemming is a natural-language-processing technique that reduces inflected or derived words to their base or root form — 'running', 'runs', and 'ran' all map to the stem 'run'. The Porter stemmer (1980) is the canonical example for English. Stemming helps information-retrieval…

Stenographer(also: Stenocaptioner, Court Reporter)

A trained professional who produces real-time verbatim transcription of speech, typically using a stenotype machine that maps chorded key combinations to phonetic syllables. In accessibility contexts, stenographers (sometimes called stenocaptioners or CART providers) produce…

Stenographic Keyboard(also: Steno Machine, Stenotype, Shorthand Keyboard)

A specialized keyboard used by CART captioners and court reporters that allows simultaneous pressing of multiple keys to represent syllables, words, or phrases in a single stroke, enabling transcription speeds of 200+ words per minute. Each captioner maintains a personal…

Stenotype(also: Stenography, Shorthand Typing, Machine Shorthand)

A specialised text-entry method that uses a keyboard with fewer keys than a standard QWERTY layout, where multiple keys are pressed simultaneously (chording) to represent phonetic sounds, syllables, or entire words. Stenotype enables trained operators to achieve speeds of…

Step-Free Access(also: Level Access, Barrier-Free Access)

A route or entrance to a building, transport station, or public space that does not require the use of steps or stairs, enabling access for wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments, parents with pushchairs, and travellers with heavy luggage. In transport contexts,…

Step-by-Step Device(also: Sequential Message Device, Step-by-Step Communicator, SBS)

A simple, single-switch augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device that stores a sequence of pre-recorded voice messages and plays them back one at a time with each button press. Step-by-step devices are categorised as "low-tech" or "mid-tech" AAC because they…

Stepper(also: Step Indicator, Wizard Stepper)

A UI pattern that breaks a multi-step process — such as checkout, registration, or booking — into numbered or labeled stages with a visual progress indicator. Steppers reduce cognitive load by showing users where they are, what they have completed, and what remains, and are…

Stepwise pointing(also: Recursive target acquisition, Tile-based pointing)

A mouse emulation technique in which the screen is divided into a grid of tiles, the user selects a tile to zoom into it, the tile subdivides into smaller subtiles, and this process repeats until the desired screen location is reached at pixel-level precision. Stepwise pointing…

Stereo Panning(also: Audio Panning, Pan)

The technique of distributing a mono sound signal between the left and right channels of a stereo output to create the perception that the sound originates from a specific horizontal position in space. A fully left-panned sound plays only in the left ear, a centered sound plays…

Stereo Vision(also: Stereoscopic Vision, Stereo Camera System, Stereopsis)

A computer vision technique that uses two or more cameras positioned at slightly different viewpoints to extract three-dimensional depth information from a scene, mimicking the way human binocular vision perceives depth. In assistive technology, stereo vision systems have been…

Stereoscopic Camera(also: Stereo Camera, Depth Camera, 3D Camera)

A camera system that uses two or more lenses to capture images from slightly different perspectives, mimicking human binocular vision to compute depth information (disparity maps). In accessibility applications, stereoscopic cameras are used in assistive devices for visually…

Stereotypic Behavior(also: Stereotypy, Stereotypical Behavior, Stereotypies)

Stereotypic behavior refers to repetitive, seemingly purposeless movements or actions that follow a consistent pattern, such as rocking, hand-flapping, spinning, or hand-mouthing. These behaviors are commonly observed in individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism…

Sticky Keys(also: Sequential Key Entry)

An operating system accessibility feature that allows users to press modifier keys (Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Command) sequentially rather than simultaneously, making keyboard shortcuts accessible to people who can only press one key at a time. Sticky Keys is built into Windows, macOS,…

StickyKeys(also: Sticky Keys)

An operating system accessibility feature that allows users to press modifier keys (Shift, Ctrl, Alt/Option, Command) and have them remain active until the next key is pressed, rather than requiring simultaneous key presses. This eliminates the need to hold down one key while…

Stigma(also: Social stigma, Disability stigma)

A negative social perception or mark of disgrace associated with a particular attribute, condition, or circumstance. In disability and accessibility contexts, stigma refers to the social devaluation people experience when using assistive technologies or disclosing disabilities,…

Stimming(also: Self-Stimulatory Behavior, Stim)

Repetitive movements, sounds, or behaviors that serve self-regulatory functions, commonly associated with autism but present in all people to varying degrees. Examples include hand-flapping, rocking, spinning, humming, fidgeting, and repeating words or phrases. From a…

Stimulation Seeking(also: Sensation Seeking, Novelty Seeking)

A behavioral tendency common in people with ADHD to actively seek out novel, exciting, or highly engaging stimuli. This trait is linked to differences in dopamine regulation in the ADHD brain. In digital environments, stimulation seeking can make users particularly drawn to…

Stimulus Over-Selectivity(also: Over-Selective Attention, Tunnel Vision Attention)

A phenomenon where an individual attends to a limited subset of available stimuli while ignoring other relevant cues in their environment. Stimulus over-selectivity is commonly observed in autistic individuals and people with intellectual disabilities, and has significant…

Stimulus Overselectivity(also: Tunnel Vision, Attentional Overselectivity)

A phenomenon observed in some individuals with autism where attention is focused on a limited subset of available sensory information while other relevant stimuli are neglected. Sometimes described as a form of "tunnel vision," stimulus overselectivity means a person may attend…

Stitch Type(also: Stitch Pattern, Embroidery Stitch)

A specific method of forming stitches in embroidery, each producing a distinct visual and tactile result. Common stitch types include running stitch (simple dashed line), satin stitch (smooth parallel fills), cross stitch (X-shaped repeated motifs), and candlewick knots (raised…

Stokoe Notation(also: Stokoe System)

A notational system for representing the formational components of sign language signs, devised by William C. Stokoe for the 1965 Dictionary of American Sign Language on Linguistic Principles. The system analyzes each sign into three parameters: location (where the sign is…

Story Completer

A design role for generative AI in storytelling, proposed by Niu, Clements, and Kim (2026), in which AI systems complete and enrich stories authored by human creators rather than generating full storylines or automating creative decisions. The concept is framed in contrast to AI…

Storyboarding(also: Storyboard)

A visual narrative technique, adapted from film, in which a sequence of sketched panels depicts how a user will interact with a product, service, or environment over time. Storyboards make abstract scenarios concrete and shareable, helping teams and co-designers discuss context,…

Strabismus(also: Crossed eyes, Squint, Eye misalignment)

A condition in which the eyes do not align properly, causing one eye to point in a different direction from the other — inward (esotropia), outward (exotropia or exophoria), upward, or downward. Strabismus disrupts binocular coordination and can lead to double vision, amblyopia,…

Stratified Sampling(also: Stratified Random Sampling)

Stratified sampling is a statistical technique that divides a population into non-overlapping subgroups (strata) that share some characteristic, then draws a random sample from each stratum. In accessibility evaluation, stratified sampling is used to pick test pages by first…

Streaming Media(also: Streaming Audio, Streaming Video, Media Streaming)

Streaming media is audio or video content delivered to a user in a continuous flow from a server, played back as it arrives rather than waiting for a complete download. Because streaming content produces transient sound and images, and often begins auto-playing as soon as a page…

Street Level Imagery(also: Street view imagery, Panoramic street imagery)

Geo-referenced 360-degree panoramic photography captured from vehicles or pedestrians at street level, made widely available through services like Google Street View and Apple Maps Look Around. Street level imagery provides a rich visual record of the built environment —…

Strengths-Based Approach(also: Asset-Based Approach, Strengths-Based Practice)

An approach that focuses on identifying and building upon individuals' existing abilities, interests, and resources rather than concentrating on deficits and limitations. In disability and accessibility contexts, strengths-based approaches design technology and support systems…

Stress Management(also: Stress Regulation, Stress Reduction)

The set of techniques and practices used to reduce the physiological and psychological impact of acute and chronic stress — including controlled breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness meditation, cognitive reappraisal, biofeedback, physical activity, and social…

Stress Process Model(also: Pearlin Stress Process Model)

A theoretical framework developed by Leonard Pearlin and colleagues (1981) that describes how stressors, mediators, and outcomes interact dynamically over time to shape psychological wellbeing. In caregiving research, the model is widely used to understand how primary stressors…

Stroke(also: Cerebrovascular Accident, CVA)

A medical condition caused by interruption of blood supply to the brain, resulting in brain cell damage that can cause a range of disabilities including paralysis, speech and language impairments (aphasia), cognitive difficulties, and sensory changes. Stroke is a leading cause…

Stroke(also: Cerebrovascular Accident, CVA, Brain Attack)

A medical condition occurring when blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. Strokes can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or death. In accessibility contexts, stroke survivors often experience…

Stroke Recovery(also: Stroke Rehabilitation, Post-Stroke Rehabilitation)

The process of regaining physical, cognitive, and communicative abilities lost or impaired following a stroke (cerebrovascular accident). Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability, with survivors often experiencing hemiparesis (weakness on one side of the body), loss of…

Stroke Rehabilitation(also: Stroke Rehab, Post-Stroke Therapy)

A program of therapies designed to help stroke survivors regain lost abilities, relearn skills, and adapt to limitations caused by stroke. Rehabilitation typically includes physical therapy for motor function, occupational therapy for daily activities, and speech therapy for…