Glossary

Automated tools built-in to many platforms that check for common accessibility issues. Are not to be considered a guarantee of accessibility.

A reactive adjustment to a resource or activity to make it accessible to a person with a disability.

Alternative text is a text equivalent of graphics in a document or webpage. Alternative text is coded to be hidden visually, but read to a screen reader user.

Accessible Rich Internet Applications are roles and attributes that can make Javascript widgets, error messages, and live content more accessible.

Additional audio added to a video that describes important visual details that are not conveyed by the main audio alone.

Capitalization of the first letter of each word in multi-word hashtags. Without Camel Case, hashtags will be read aloud as one long, unintelligible word.

Also known as CamelCase, Pascal Case, or Title Case

Keyboard navigation using the text cursor to navigate a web page or document. Usually activated by pressing F7 in your browser.

Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) magnifiers are cameras used to magnify documents or books on a monitor.

A text equivalent of audio content in a video, displayed synchronously. Closed captions are toggled on or off by viewers, as opposed to open captions that are burned into the video and always displayed.

Colour contrast is the difference in saturation, brightness, and pigment of different elements relative to one another. A contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 between text and background is required by common accessibility standards.

The contrast ratio between the font colour and the background colour. Accessible contrast should be at least 4.5:1.

An image that does not contain unique information or is used for visual appeal only. Decorative images must be marked as decorative or use alt=""

The Document Object Module (DOM) represents the hierarchical, logical structure of a document/web page.

Most common ebook file format. A very customizable and accessible format.

This is an example glossary term to illustrate how glossary terms work in Pressbooks.

A framework for assessing the accessibility of content, by focusing on key criteria, including:

Function

Appearance

Structure

Text Equivalents

A digital object that has been "flattened" into a single layer when exported. A scanned document or a PDF created using "Print to PDF" (or similiar) will be a flat image without recognizable text or digital document structure. A flat copy may visually appear as a document, but be completely inaccessible.

On a webpage, a control or content item that can receive focus by a mouse, keyboard, or screen reader. Typically links, buttons, forms, and menus are focusable.

A visual indicator of what element on a page is currently focused. This assists users to know where they are on a page and to select menus, links, and buttons with a keyboard.

The order in which interactive elements on a page are focused. Focus order should follow a logical pattern that aligns with visual layout.

When something does not meet accessibility standards but is still useable by users of assistive technology.

Headings are text used to organize a document. Headings are section and subsection titles used to logically separate content, build and show relationships between ideas, and explain the development of concepts. Headings must be hierarchical, not skip a level, and be semantically programmed, not merely cosmetic.

Linked text to another document or part of document that the user can follow by selecting. Effective hyperlink text should make sense independent of the content around it.

Also known as a figure caption. Generally placed below an image, a caption is a brief description of the visual content. Figure captions are accessible and available to all users, whereas alt text is only available to assistive technology.

The practice of incorporating audio descriptions of actions or visual content into the flow of video content. For example, when recording a process on a computer, integrated description would include the narrator including steps such as: "Click on Add New. Type your answer in the textbox. Click Create."

When a user cannot navigate away from an interactive element using their keyboard alone.

In HTML, the label element acts a caption for input fields, indicating what a control (form field, check box, radio button, etc.) relates to.

XML format used to add math to HTML.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is software which converts printed material or images of text into recognizable digital text. Scanned PDFs require OCR processes to be accessible. Adobe Acrobat includes builtin OCR technology, but other assistive technology software also employs OCR.

Portable Document Format. One of the more difficult format to make accessible. Lacks customization options for readers (font customization, reflow, colour options, etc.)

Language that is easily understood by the intended audience. Write for the audience using clear, simple language with focus on important information. Organize and group content.

The order in which a screen reader reads content on a page. This should match visual order. Reading order also refers to how a PDF will reflow when zoomed.

Responsive content automatically adapts to the size of the user's display (phone, laptop, tablet, etc.)

Assistive technology software that reads content aloud and helps blind and low vision users navigate and interact with their computers.

The use of code (HTML attributes, PDF tags, XML, etc.) to distinguish content by meaning, not appearance. For example, a <h1> heading tag creates both a visual and coded navigation waypoint whereas increasing the font size and bolding simply makes regular text appear larger.

Search engine optimization is the process of improving search engine ranking.

Often hidden links accessible by keyboard navigation that assist users to skip over repeated parts of webpages or to different parts of a webpage, such as search or navigation region.

Information presented in a grid format of rows and columns, generally to show a relationship between sets of set

A tagged PDF includes semantic information and structure to create an accessible document. This is done by adding tags to the document in Adobe Acrobat.

Preset document or file format, used for consistency without having to recreate each time

Specific time in video, often expressed as hh:mm:ss

Transcription is the process of converting audio into written text. A transcript is a written record of all audio in media. Captions are synced to the content.

Design of content, software, facilities, and services so that they are useable, without accommodation, by the largest scope of users.

The World Wide Web Consortium sets web technology standards.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are maintained by W3C and set the minimum standards for web accessibility.