A11Y

A numeronym for "accessibility" — the 11 letters between A and Y.

Accessibility Audit

A structured evaluation of digital products to identify accessibility barriers.

Accessibility Conformance Report

A document detailing how well a digital product meets accessibility standards.

Accessibility Remediation

Modifying digital content so it meets accessibility standards like WCAG.

Accessibility Statement

A public declaration that a website is designed to be usable by people with disabilities.

Accessibility Testing

Evaluating whether digital content is usable by people with disabilities.

Accessible Design

Making environments, products, and services usable for all people, including those with disabilities.

Alt Text

A written description of an image included in HTML for screen readers and SEO.

ARIA

A W3C specification that adds attributes to HTML for better assistive technology support.

Assistive Listening Devices

Technologies that improve audio clarity for people with hearing loss.

Assistive Technology

Any device, software, or equipment that helps individuals with disabilities perform tasks.

Audio Accessibility

Designing and delivering audio content to ensure equitable access for all users.

Blindness

The loss of vision that cannot be fully corrected with standard treatments.

Braille

A tactile writing system using raised dots for people who are blind or have severe vision impairments.

Closed Captions

On-screen text descriptions of a video's audio that can be toggled on or off.

Cochlear Implant

A medical device that bypasses damaged parts of the ear to stimulate the auditory nerve.

Cognitive Accessibility

Addressing the needs of people who have difficulty processing information online.

Color Blindness

A visual condition where a person has difficulty distinguishing certain colors.

Color Contrast

The visual difference in brightness between foreground content and its background.

Deaf Culture

The collective identity, language, values, and traditions shared by people who are deaf.

Deaf vs. deaf

The distinction between Deaf (cultural identity) and deaf (medical condition).

Deafness

A profound or complete loss of hearing that limits perception of linguistic information through sound.

Digital Accessibility

Making all digital content and technology usable by people with disabilities.

Disability

A condition that limits one or more major life activities, requiring accommodation.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Guiding principles that help organizations create fair, respectful, and legally compliant environments.

Document Remediation

Making digital documents accessible to people with disabilities using assistive technologies.

ESG

Environmental, Social, and Governance criteria used to assess a company's sustainability and ethical impact.

Hard of Hearing

Individuals who experience partial hearing loss ranging from mild to severe.

Hearing Aid

A small electronic device that amplifies sound for people with hearing loss.

Hearing Impairment

A reduced or total loss of hearing in one or both ears.

Inclusive Design

A strategy for creating products and services usable by the widest possible audience.

Inclusivity

Creating digital content and interfaces usable by the broadest possible range of people.

Input Assistance

Strategies that help users avoid, identify, and correct errors when interacting with web forms.

Input Devices

Hardware tools used to send data and commands to a digital system.

Invisible Disability

A chronic condition that limits daily activities but isn't immediately apparent to others.

JAWS

A screen reader that converts digital text and interface elements into speech or braille output.

Keyboard Navigation

Interacting with digital interfaces using only a keyboard, essential for users who cannot use a mouse.

Lip-Reading

Understanding spoken words by visually interpreting mouth, facial, and tongue movements.

Low Vision

Visual impairment that cannot be fully corrected, but retains some usable sight.

Motor Impairment

Physical limitations affecting a person's ability to perform voluntary movements.

NVDA

A free, open-source screen reader for Microsoft Windows providing spoken and braille output.

Person With Disability

Someone who has a physical or mental impairment that significantly limits major life activities.

Photosensitivity

An unusually strong reaction to light exposure that can cause discomfort, headaches, or seizures.

Public Accommodation

A facility that provides services or goods to the general public, subject to anti-discrimination laws.

Readability

How easily users can read and understand written content on a website.

Reasonable Accommodation

Changes or adjustments that enable individuals with disabilities to participate equally.

Reasonable Adjustment

A modification that enables a person with a disability to access and perform their job effectively.

Screen Reader

Assistive software that converts digital content into speech or braille output.

Sign Language

A visual-manual language using hand gestures, facial expressions, and body movements.

Speech Recognition

Technology that converts spoken language into digital text for hands-free interaction.

Usability

How easily users can interact with a system to achieve their goals.

User Testing

Observing real users as they interact with a digital tool to identify usability and accessibility barriers.

Video Accessibility

Making video content usable for everyone, including people with disabilities.

Vision Impairment

A loss of visual function that cannot be fully corrected, ranging from mild vision loss to near-total blindness.

Visual Alerting Devices

Devices that use lights, symbols, or text displays to provide alerts where sound may not be effective.

Voice User Input

Technology that enables devices to interpret and act on spoken commands for hands-free control.

W3C

The World Wide Web Consortium — the main international standards organization for the web.

WCAG

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines — technical standards for making web content accessible to people with disabilities.

WCAG Conformance Levels

The three tiers (A, AA, AAA) that categorize how fully a site meets WCAG standards.

Web Accessibility

The practice of designing websites so that people with disabilities can use them effectively.

Web Accessibility Compliance

Meeting legal and technical standards that ensure websites can be used by people with disabilities.

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

A W3C program focused on improving digital accessibility through technical standards and guidelines.

Web Accessibility Principles

The four core WCAG principles — Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR) — for accessible digital content.