A glossary of terms relevant to disability, accessibility and technology

The inclusion of people with disabilities, with or without special accommodations, in programs, activities, and facilities with their non-disabled peers.

Functions such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, and participating in community activities.

Refers to any illness or impairment that has significant psychological or behavioural manifestations, is associated with painful or distressing symptoms and impairs an individual’s level of functioning in certain areas of life (e.g., anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, obsession-compulsion, schizophrenia).

Disability that affects movement ranging from gross motor skills such as walking to fine motor movement involving manipulation of objects by hand.

A method of having an alternative device and/or software, such a switch-based system, serve the role of a mouse.

In terms of electronic information, any data which is presented through several formats including text, graphics, moving pictures and sound.