Website Accessibility Glossary

Accessibility It is an inclusive practice of design and creation of websites that can be used by all people, including elderly people, and those with disabilities including blind, motor impaired, visually impaired, color blind, dyslexia, cognitive & learning, seizure & epileptic, and ADHA.
ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) A set of attributes that define ways to make web content and web applications more accessible to people with disabilities.
Alternative Text (Alt Text) Descriptions added to images to convey their meaning to users who cannot see them, often read by screen readers.
Assistive Technology Tools and devices that assist people with disabilities in interacting with websites, such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and speech recognition software.
Accessibility Audit A comprehensive automated and manual evaluation of a website or application's accessibility, identifying areas of non-compliance with accessibility standards.
Accessibility Testing The process of assessing a website or application to ensure it can be used effectively by people with various disabilities.
Accessibility for Audio and Video Implementing features such as captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions to make multimedia content accessible to users with hearing or visual impairments.
Accessibility Remediation The process of fixing or remediating identified accessibility issues on a website or application to comply with accessibility standards.
Accessibility Statement A public declaration outlining a website's commitment to accessibility, including its policies, goals, and contact information for accessibility-related issues.
Accessibility Conformance Report A document detailing the extent to which a website or application complies with specific accessibility standards, often based on an audit or testing.
Accessible Design The practice of creating websites, applications, products, and other digital assets that are usable by people of all abilities and disabilities.
Cognitive Accessibility Designing digital content and interfaces to be understandable, accessible, and usable by individuals with cognitive or learning disabilities.
Color Blindness A visual impairment that affects an individual's ability to distinguish between certain colors, necessitating designs that do not rely solely on color to convey information.
Captions Text versions of the spoken part of a video, which includes dialogue and other relevant audio information, provided for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Color Contrast The difference in light between font (or anything in the foreground) and its background to ensure that text is readable by users with visual impairments.
Content Management System (CMS) Software used to create, manage, and modify digital content, which can impact accessibility based on its features and functionalities.
Document Remediation The process of modifying documents to ensure they are accessible to people with disabilities, often involving adjustments to structure, tags, and alternative text.
Digital Accessibility The practice of designing and developing digital content and technologies so that they can be used by people of all abilities and disabilities.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Organizational practices and policies that promote diverse representation, ensure fair treatment and opportunity, and foster an inclusive environment for all individuals.
Dyslexia-Friendly Fonts Fonts designed to be easier to read for individuals with dyslexia, often featuring unique character shapes to avoid confusion.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) A set of criteria used to evaluate a company's ethical impact and sustainability practices, focusing on environmental conservation, social responsibility, and corporate governance.
JAWS A widely used screen reader software for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, enabling them to interact with digital content through speech or Braille output.
Keyboard Navigation The ability to navigate through a website using a keyboard instead of a mouse, essential for users with motor disabilities.
Label Text associated with a form control (like a text input or button) that provides information about its purpose.
NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) A free, open-source screen reader for Windows that enables individuals who are blind or visually impaired to access and interact with digital content using auditory feedback or Braille displays.
Screen Reader Software that reads aloud text displayed on the screen, used primarily by individuals who are blind or have low vision.
Sign Language A visual language that uses hand shapes, facial expressions, and body movements to convey meaning, primarily used by individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Speech Recognition Technology that converts spoken language into text or commands, allowing users to interact with devices and applications through voice input.
Semantic HTML Using HTML elements that clearly describe their meaning in a human- and machine-readable way, enhancing accessibility and SEO.
Tab Order The order in which focusable elements receive focus when navigated via the keyboard using the "Tab" key.
Text-to-Speech (TTS) Technology that converts written text into spoken words, assisting users with visual impairments or reading disabilities.
Universal Design The practice of creating products and environments that are accessible to all people, regardless of age, disability, or other factors.
Usability The measure of how easy and efficient it is for users to accomplish their goals on a website.
VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) A document that evaluates how accessible a product is according to accessibility standards, typically used to assess compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Validation The process of checking that a web page's HTML code complies with the standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Voice Recognition Technology that allows users to control their computer and dictate text by speaking, beneficial for users with mobility impairments.
Video Accessibility Implementing features such as captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions to ensure video content is accessible to individuals with hearing or visual impairments.
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) An international community that develops open standards to ensure the long-term growth of the Web, including guidelines for web accessibility.
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) A set of guidelines created by the W3C to help make web content more accessible to people with disabilities.
Web Accessibility The practice of designing and developing websites that can be used effectively by people with various disabilities including blind, motor impaired, visually impaired, color blind, dyslexia, cognitive & learning, seizure & epileptic, and ADHA.
Web Accessibility Compliance Adhering to established accessibility standards and guidelines, such as WCAG, to ensure a website is accessible to all users.
Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) A program by the W3C that develops strategies, guidelines, and resources to help make the web accessible to people with disabilities.
Zoom Text A feature in accessibility design that enlarges text and images on a screen, assisting users with low vision.
ADA Dashboard A centralized interface that displays a website's accessibility compliance status, scan results, and remediation progress in one place.
PDF / UA - ISO 14289 An international standard that defines requirements for creating accessible, tagged PDF documents usable with assistive technology.
Accessibility scanner A tool that automatically evaluates website pages against accessibility standards to identify barriers and generate compliance reports.
Automated accessibility audit A scan performed by software that checks website code and content against accessibility standards to flag potential issues.
Accessibility Partnership An arrangement in which organizations join forces to deliver combined accessibility expertise, tools, and support to a shared audience.
Accessibility affiliate program A commission-based partnership where affiliates promote accessibility solutions and earn rewards for each client they bring on board.
Video subtitle Text displayed on screen representing spoken dialogue and other audio elements within a video for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
AI accessibility remediation The use of artificial intelligence to automatically detect and fix accessibility issues on a website.
Voice navigation A feature that enables website navigation and interaction through spoken commands instead of a mouse or keyboard.
VPAT / ACR report A compliance document that records how closely a digital product conforms to accessibility standards such as WCAG, Section 508, and ADA.
Manual accessibility audit A human-led evaluation of website accessibility performed by trained experts to catch issues automated tools cannot detect.
Manual accessibility remediation The hands-on correction of accessibility barriers by developers or specialists, fixing issues that automated tools cannot resolve.
PDF Accessibility Checker A tool that examines PDF documents for accessibility issues such as missing tags, reading order, alternative text, and more.
WCAG Color Contrast Checker A tool that measures the contrast ratio between text and background colors to verify compliance with WCAG guidelines.
DyslexiaEasyRead App An application that adjusts text formatting, spacing, and fonts to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.
Color Blindness Simulator A tool that shows how digital content appears to individuals with different types of color vision deficiency.
Accessibility Consulting Guide businesses through evaluating, planning, and improving digital accessibility compliance.
Accessibility Monitoring The ongoing process of tracking website accessibility status to detect and address new issues over time.
Mobile App Accessibility The design and development of mobile applications so screen readers, voice controls, and other assistive technology can operate them effectively.
Accessibility Widget A tool added to a website that provides on-page accessibility adjustments without changing website code, such as text resizing, contrast changes, screen reader support for users with disabilities.
Accessibility Overlay A layer of code added to a website that applies accessibility adjustments without altering the site's underlying structure.
Inclusive Design A design approach that considers the full range of human diversity to create products usable by as many people as possible.
PDF Tagging / Tagged PDF The process of adding structural tags to a PDF document so its content can be interpreted correctly by assistive technology.
Document Accessibility The practice of structuring, tagging, and labeling digital files, such as PDFs, Word documents, and spreadsheets, so their content is usable with assistive technology.
Dyslexia Accessibility Design and content adjustments that make digital information easier to read and comprehend for individuals with dyslexia.
Motor Impaired Accessibility Design considerations that allow individuals with limited physical mobility to navigate and interact with digital content.
Auditory Accessibility Features such as captions and transcripts that make audio content usable for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Accessibility Governance A framework of policies and responsibilities a business establishes to manage and maintain digital accessibility.
Link Accessibility The practice of writing descriptive, meaningful link text that clearly indicates a link's destination or purpose.
Accessible Form A form designed with proper labels, instructions, and error handling so it can be completed by users of all abilities.
Audio Accessibility Features such as transcripts and audio descriptions that make audio content understandable for individuals with hearing or visual impairments.
Multimedia Transcript A text version of the spoken and audio content within a multimedia file, provided for users who cannot access audio.
Accessible Media Player A video or audio player equipped with accessible controls, captions, and keyboard operability for users of all abilities.
Image Accessibility The practice of adding descriptive alternative text to images so their meaning is conveyed to users who cannot see them.
OCR Accessibility The use of optical character recognition to convert scanned or image-based text into readable, accessible digital text.