Temporary Disability
A temporary disability is a limitation caused by a short-term injury or medical condition, such as a broken arm, eye surgery recovery, or a concussion, that resolves over time rather than lasting permanently.
Read moreGlossary Terms
Text Alternatives
Text alternatives are written descriptions that convey the same information as a non-text element, such as an image, chart, or icon, so screen reader users and search engines can understand it.
Read moreText-to-Speech
Technology that converts written text into spoken audio, used both by screen readers for blind users and as a standalone reading aid for people with dyslexia or low literacy.
Read moreThird-Party Accessibility Risk
The accessibility exposure an organization takes on from embedded third-party tools, widgets, ad content, or vendor software that it does not directly control or build.
Read moreThree Flashes or Below Threshold
A WCAG success criterion (2.3.1, Level A) prohibiting any content from flashing more than three times per second unless the flash is below a defined size and contrast threshold.
Read moreTiming Adjustable
A WCAG success criterion (2.2.1, Level A) requiring that time limits imposed by content be adjustable, extendable, or removable, with narrow exceptions.
Read moreTranscript
A transcript is a full text version of an audio or video's spoken content, and for video, ideally its important visual information too, provided as a separate, readable document alongside the media.
Read moreUAE Digital Accessibility Policy
The UAE's digital accessibility requirements come from a layered framework of federal and Dubai-specific laws rather than one single act, anchored by Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 on the rights of people with disabilities.
Read moreUK Equality Act 2010
The UK's core anti-discrimination law, which covers disability as a protected characteristic and underpins the legal duty to provide reasonable adjustments, including accessible digital services.
Read moreUnderstandable
Understandable is WCAG's third principle: content and interface operation must be clear enough that users can read it and predict how it will behave.
Read moreUniversal Design
Universal design is the broader architectural and product-design principle of creating environments and products usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation.
Read moreUnruh Civil Rights Act
The Unruh Civil Rights Act is a California state law that, per Civil Code Section 51(f), treats any violation of the federal ADA as also being a violation of Unruh, giving California plaintiffs a state-law path to statutory damages.
Read moreUsability Testing with People with Disabilities
Usability testing with people with disabilities means observing real disabled users, including screen reader users and people with motor or cognitive disabilities, attempting real tasks on a site, rather than relying only on standards-based review.
Read moreUser Acceptance Testing (Accessibility)
A final testing phase where people with disabilities actually use a product before launch, verifying real-world usability in a way that expert review and automated tools cannot fully substitute for.
Read moreVendor Accessibility Questionnaire
A standardized set of questions an organization sends to a software or service vendor during procurement to assess the accessibility of that vendor's product before purchase.
Read moreVideo Accessibility
Accessibility applied to video content, covering closed captions, audio description, transcripts, and accessible video player controls.
Read moreVoice Control / Dictation Software
Voice control and dictation software lets users operate a computer or device and enter text using spoken commands instead of a mouse, keyboard, or touchscreen, used by people with motor disabilities and increasingly for general convenience.
Read moreVPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template)
A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is a standardized document that describes how well a product or website conforms to accessibility standards like WCAG and Section 508.
Read moreWAS (Web Accessibility Specialist)
An IAAP certification focused specifically on the technical skills needed to evaluate and remediate web accessibility, including WCAG success criteria, ARIA, and assistive technology testing.
Read moreWCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the internationally recognized technical standard published by the W3C that defines what makes web content accessible to people with disabilities.
Read moreWeb Accessibility
Web accessibility is digital accessibility applied specifically to websites and web applications, meaning they can be used with a keyboard alone, understood by screen readers, and perceived without relying on color or precise vision.
Read moreWeb Accessibility Lawsuit
A web accessibility lawsuit is litigation filed against a business alleging its website violates the ADA or a related state law, most commonly under Title III, often following an unanswered or unresolved demand letter.
Read moreZoom Testing
Manually testing a page at 200 percent or higher browser zoom, and separately with screen magnification software, to confirm content remains usable without clipping, overlap, or lost functionality.
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