Digital Accessibility Glossary

This page defines commonly used terms related to digital accessibility.

Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA)

ARIA is a set of HTML attributes, developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), that help make web content and web applications more accessible for users. These sets of roles, states, and properties that can be added to HTML elements provide additional information about user interface elements and interactivity to assistive technologies.

Alternate Text (Alt Text)

Alt text is a short description added to images on websites. It helps people who can’t see the images understand what they are about, as screen readers can read this text aloud.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The ADA is a law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. It ensures that people have equal access to public spaces, including websites and digital services.

Assistive Technology (AT)

These are tools and devices that help people with disabilities interact with digital content. Examples include screen readers, screen magnifying software, and alternative input devices.

Audio Descriptions (AD)

Audio descriptions are narrated descriptions of important visual elements in videos, such as actions, characters, scene changes, and on-screen text. These descriptions are inserted during natural pauses in dialogue or during brief pauses in the video to help people who are blind or have low vision understand what's happening on screen. However, not all videos require audio descriptions. If a video consists primarily of dialogue with minimal visual information, audio descriptions may not be necessary.

Captions

Captions are text displayed on videos that provide a written version of the spoken dialogue, along with descriptions of important sounds and music. They benefit not only people who are deaf or hard of hearing but also anyone who prefers reading along while watching.

Descriptive Transcripts

A descriptive transcript is a complete text version of audio or video content that includes the spoken dialogue, descriptions of visual elements, actions, scene changes, and other relevant audio cues such as music or sound effects. Descriptive transcripts are particularly valuable for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, as they provide full context and understanding of the content. However, they are not always necessary. If video content already includes captions and audio descriptions, a descriptive transcript may be redundant.

Headings

Headings are used to organize content on a webpage. They are ranked, with the most important heading as 1 (<h1>), which is typically used for the main title, and the least important as 6 (<h6>), used for sub-sections. Each level indicates the hierarchy of information, helping users understand the structure of the content.

HyperText Markup Language (HTML)

HTML is the standard language used to create and structure web pages. It uses a system of elements and tags to define content, such as headings, paragraphs, links, images, and interactive forms, allowing browsers to display information in a structured format.

Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (P.O.U.R.)

These are the four principles of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Content must be perceivable (easy to see or hear), operable (easy to use), understandable (easy to read and comprehend), and robust (compatible with various tools and technologies).

Readability

Readability is how easy it is to read and understand text. It involves factors like sentence length and word choice, ensuring that all users can grasp the content clearly.

Screen Readers

Screen readers are software programs that read aloud the text displayed on a computer or mobile device. They help visually impaired users access digital content. Examples of popular screen readers include VoiceOver (built into macOS and iOS), NVDA (Windows), and JAWS (Windows).

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act is a federal law that requires government agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities.

Usability

Usability refers to how easy and pleasant it is for people to use a website or application. A usable design is intuitive and efficient for all users.

User Experience (UX)

UX is about how a person feels when interacting with a website or application. A good user experience is smooth, enjoyable, and meets the user’s needs.

User Interface (UI)

UI refers to the visual layout of a website or application. It includes buttons, menus, and other elements that users interact with.

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

The WAI promotes web accessibility standards and guidelines to help make the internet usable for everyone.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are international standards created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure web content is accessible to people with disabilities. These guidelines offer specific criteria to create accessible websites and applications, making sure everyone can navigate and use digital content easily.

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

The W3C is an international organization that develops web standards and guidelines, including those for accessibility, to ensure the web is open and accessible for all users.