Glossary

Search results

Video Conferencing Accessibility(also: Virtual Meeting Accessibility, Online Meeting Accessibility)

The design and implementation of video conferencing platforms to be usable by people with disabilities, including those using screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, captions, and other assistive technologies. Key accessibility considerations include clear screen reader…

Video Customization(also: Video Personalization, Adaptive Video)

The ability for viewers to modify the visual and auditory presentation of video content to suit their individual needs and preferences. Video customization for accessibility can include adjusting layout (removing or emphasizing visual elements), modifying backgrounds, changing…

Video Elicitation Study(also: Video Elicitation Method)

A research methodology in which participants view video demonstrations of interactions, interfaces, or technologies and then provide feedback, preferences, or reactions based on what they observed. This method is particularly valuable in accessibility research because it allows…

Video Enrichment(also: Enriched Video, Video Augmentation)

The process of augmenting video content with additional elements such as captions, audio descriptions, images, audio cues, hyperlinks, or tactile outputs to make it more accessible or informative for different audiences. Unlike traditional approaches where added elements are…

Video Inpainting(also: Video Fill, Content-Aware Video Fill)

A computer vision technique that fills in removed or missing regions of a video frame with plausible content generated based on surrounding visual information. Video inpainting is used in accessibility applications to seamlessly remove distracting visual elements (overlays,…

Video Magnifier(also: CCTV Magnifier, Electronic Magnifier, Desktop Video Magnifier)

An assistive device that uses a camera to capture and display magnified images of printed material, objects, or other visual content on a screen. Video magnifiers range from portable handheld units to desktop models with large monitors. For musicians with low vision, handheld…

Video Modelling(also: Video Modeling, Video Self-Modelling)

Video modelling is a teaching strategy that uses video recordings to demonstrate desired behaviours, skills, or social interactions, which the viewer can then observe and imitate. In autism education, video modelling is particularly effective because it leverages the visual…

Video Passthrough(also: Passthrough, Camera Passthrough)

A feature in VR headsets that uses external cameras to capture the real-world environment and display it on the headset's internal screens, allowing users to see their surroundings without removing the headset. Video passthrough enables augmented reality experiences on VR…

Video Phone(also: Videophone, VP)

A telecommunications device that enables real-time video and audio communication between two or more parties. For Deaf and hard of hearing people, video phones are essential communication tools that allow conversation in sign language over distance, providing functional…

Video Processing(also: Video Manipulation, Video Editing Pipeline)

The computational techniques used to analyze, modify, and transform video content, including operations like segmentation, object removal, background replacement, audio separation, caption generation, and visual effects. In accessibility contexts, video processing enables…

Video Prompting(also: Video-based prompting, Step-by-step video instruction)

An instructional technique that uses short video clips to show a person with a developmental or intellectual disability how to complete individual steps of a task, presented one step at a time. Unlike video modeling (which shows the entire task performed continuously), video…

Video Relay Service(also: VRS)

A free, subscriber-based telecommunications service regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States that enables deaf individuals who use sign language to make phone calls to hearing individuals through a sign language interpreter via video link.…

Video Remote Interpreter(also: VRI, Video Remote Interpreting, Video Relay Interpreting)

A video telecommunication service that provides sign language interpretation remotely via video connection. VRI allows deaf or hard of hearing individuals to communicate with hearing people through an off-site interpreter who appears on a screen, translating between sign…

Video Remote Interpreting(also: VRI)

A fee-based service that provides sign language interpretation via video conferencing technology, where the interpreter is located remotely rather than physically present with the deaf and hearing participants. VRI is commonly used when two of the three parties (the deaf person,…

Video See-Through(also: VST, Video Pass-Through)

A type of head-mounted display architecture where the user perceives the real world through camera feeds displayed on screens inside the headset, rather than looking directly through transparent lenses. Video see-through systems like the Apple Vision Pro capture the environment…

Video Segmentation(also: Scene Segmentation, Video Scene Detection)

The process of dividing a video into meaningful segments or scenes based on visual changes, content shifts, or thematic transitions. Video segmentation enables granular customization and navigation, allowing viewers to apply different settings to different parts of a video or…

Video Summarization(also: Video Summary, Video Condensation)

The process of creating a shortened version of a video that captures its key content, either through extractive methods (selecting key segments) or abstractive methods (generating new condensed content). Video summarization is an emerging accessibility tool that can make…

Video accessibility(also: Accessible video, Video a11y)

The practice of making video content perceivable, operable, and understandable for people with disabilities. This encompasses captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, audio descriptions for blind users, visual enhancements for low-vision users, and controls that work with…

Video intelligibility(also: Signal intelligibility, Visual signal clarity)

The degree to which a video signal can be perceived and understood by the viewer, determined by technical parameters including frame rate, bit rate, spatial resolution, and codec quality. Video intelligibility is distinct from comprehension — a viewer may perceive clear hand…

Video modeling(also: Video-based modeling, Video self-modeling)

An evidence-based instructional strategy that uses video recordings to demonstrate target behaviors, social skills, or task sequences, which the viewer then imitates. For children with autism, video modeling leverages often-strong visual processing abilities to teach social…

Video relay service(also: VRS)

A telecommunications service that enables deaf and hard-of-hearing sign language users to communicate with hearing people via telephone through a video link with a sign language interpreter. The deaf caller signs to the interpreter via video, and the interpreter speaks to the…

Video see-through(also: VST, Camera passthrough)

A display approach in head-mounted devices where the user's view of the real world is captured by outward-facing cameras and displayed on screens inside the headset, allowing complete digital manipulation of the visual feed before presentation. For low vision users, video…

Video-Based Learning(also: VBL, video-based instruction, VBI)

The use of pre-recorded or streaming video as a primary medium for teaching skills, procedures, or concepts, ranging from YouTube how-to tutorials and MOOCs to specialised instructional content like safety training and vocational education. Video-based learning offers self-paced…

Video-Based Sign Language Dictionary(also: Video Sign Dictionary, Sign Language Video Lookup)

A digital dictionary that allows users to look up sign language signs by submitting video of themselves performing the sign, rather than searching by text or linguistic features. These systems use sign language recognition technology to match the user's input against a database…

Video-Sharing Platform(also: VSP, Video Platform)

An online platform that enables users to upload, share, and view video content, such as YouTube, TikTok, Vimeo, and Instagram Reels. Video-sharing platforms have become important sources of health information and community support for people with disabilities, including those…

Video-to-Haptics(also: Video to Haptics, V2H)

A class of techniques that automatically generate haptic feedback (typically vibrotactile or force cues) from visual content in video, so that viewers feel sensations synchronised with what they see. Video-to-haptics offers a non-visual channel for conveying motion, impact, and…

Videoconferencing(also: Video Conferencing, Video Calling, Video Meetings)

Real-time audio-and-video communication between two or more people over a network, typically mediated by a software platform such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, WhatsApp, or WeChat. Videoconferencing is a significant accessibility touchpoint: it can lower barriers for…

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…

View Hierarchy(also: UI Hierarchy, Accessibility Hierarchy, DOM Tree)

The tree-structured representation of how user interface elements are organized and nested within an application. The view hierarchy defines parent-child relationships between UI components, specifying which elements are contained within others and how they are grouped. This…

Viewability(also: Video Viewability)

A subjective measure of how watchable and consumable a video is for a particular viewer, encompassing factors like ability to focus on content, level of distraction, information comprehension, and overall comfort with the viewing experience. In ADHD accessibility research,…

Vignette Study(also: Vignette-Based Method, Vignette)

A research method in which participants are presented with short, carefully constructed scenarios describing hypothetical or realistic social situations, then asked to make judgments about appropriateness, fairness, emotional impact, or likely outcomes. Vignettes are widely used…

Village Health Volunteer(also: VHV, Health Volunteer, Mor Prom)

A locally-recruited lay community health worker who serves as a trusted bridge between formal healthcare services and households in rural or underserved areas. In Thailand, VHVs are trained and coordinated by the Ministry of Public Health (typically with around 70 hours of…

Violation Score(also: Accessibility Score, A11y Score)

A numerical metric used to quantify the severity and prevalence of accessibility violations on a web page or within a dataset. Violation scores typically map qualitative impact levels (cosmetic, minor, moderate, serious, critical) to numerical values, enabling quantitative…

Violation Severity(also: Accessibility Violation Severity, Barrier Severity)

A measure of how significantly an accessibility violation impacts users with disabilities, typically rated on a scale from no violation to critical barrier. In accessibility evaluation, violation severity helps prioritize remediation efforts by distinguishing between minor…

Virtual Acoustic Environment(also: Audio Virtual Environment, Acoustic Virtual Environment)

A computer-generated environment that uses audio as the primary medium for representing spaces, objects, and interactions, enabling users to navigate and interact with a virtual world through sound. Virtual acoustic environments are particularly valuable for blind users,…

Virtual Auditing(also: Remote Auditing, Virtual Accessibility Audit)

Virtual auditing is a method of assessing the accessibility of physical environments by remotely examining street-level imagery, such as Google Street View, rather than conducting in-person inspections. Research has shown that tool-mediated virtual audits of urban infrastructure…

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…

Virtual Cursor(also: Browse Mode Cursor, Virtual PC Cursor)

A navigation mechanism used by screen readers that creates a linearized, text-based representation of a web page through which users can move sequentially. Unlike a visual cursor that points to a location on screen, the virtual cursor moves through the page's content structure —…

Virtual Exploration(also: Virtual Navigation, Virtual Travel)

The use of technology to simulate the experience of navigating or exploring a real-world environment without physically being there. For people with visual impairments, virtual exploration typically relies on audio-based representations of geographic data — including spatial…

Virtual Human(also: Embodied Agent, Animated Character)

A computer-generated human character used in accessibility applications to convey information through human-like movements, gestures, and expressions. In sign language accessibility, virtual humans serve as signing avatars that can automatically translate text or speech into…

Virtual Keyboard(also: On-screen keyboard, Soft keyboard, OSK)

A software-rendered keyboard displayed on screen that allows users to input text by clicking, tapping, or hovering over virtual keys using a mouse, trackball, touchscreen, eye tracker, or other pointing device. Virtual keyboards are essential assistive technology for people with…

Virtual Learning Environment(also: VLE, Learning Management System, LMS)

A web-based platform designed to support teaching and learning by providing tools for content delivery, communication, assessment, and course management. Virtual learning environments typically include features such as discussion forums, assignment submission, gradebooks, and…

Virtual Patient(also: Virtual Client, Simulated Patient, Virtual Standardized Patient)

A virtual patient is a computer-generated simulation of a person with specific health conditions or disabilities, used in clinical education to allow healthcare students to practise assessment, diagnosis, and interaction skills in a safe, repeatable environment. Virtual patients…

Virtual Peer(also: VP, Virtual Agent, Animated Conversational Agent)

A computer-animated character designed to simulate peer interaction, typically used in educational or therapeutic settings. Virtual peers can engage in conversation, model social behaviors, and provide a lower-stakes environment for practicing social skills compared to human…

Virtual Reality(also: VR)

An immersive technology that creates a fully computer-generated environment, replacing the user's view of the real world with a simulated one. VR is typically experienced through a head-mounted display that tracks head and body movements to update the virtual scene in real time.…

Virtual Reality(also: VR, Immersive Virtual Environment)

A computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment that users can interact with using specialized hardware such as headsets, motion controllers, or body tracking sensors. In accessibility contexts, virtual reality offers potential benefits for training and…

Virtual Reality Accessibility(also: VR Accessibility)

The practice of designing Virtual Reality systems, applications, and experiences to be usable by people with disabilities. VR accessibility encompasses three interconnected layers: the physical layer (hardware, controllers, head-mounted displays, and interaction paradigms), the…

Virtual Signing(also: Avatar Signing, Synthetic Signing)

Virtual signing is the use of computer-generated animated characters (avatars) to present sign language, as an alternative to pre-recorded video of human signers. Virtual signing systems typically involve motion capture of human signers to create sign dictionaries, sign language…

Virtual Texture(also: Simulated Texture, Haptic Texture)

A virtual texture is a computer-generated tactile surface property rendered through a haptic device, simulating the feel of roughness, smoothness, or other surface characteristics without a physical material being present. Virtual textures are created by varying the resistance,…

Virtual Tour(also: 3D Virtual Tour, Digital Walkthrough)

A digital replica of a physical environment, typically captured using 360-degree cameras and depth sensors, that allows users to remotely explore and navigate through a space in a semi-immersive experience. In accessibility contexts, virtual tours offer people with mobility…