Attachment
CITY OF
SAN JOSE Office of the City Manager
CAPITAL OF SILICON VALLEY
Office of Administration, Policy & Intergovernmental Relations Glossary of Disability Access Terms
The City Manager's Office is engaged in a portfolio of work dedicated to disability inclusion and accessibility. As this work continues to evolve and through partnership with World Institute on Disability, tools and resources have been designed to facilitate accessibility in the design and implementation of City programs, policies, and initiatives. The following glossary of disability access terms is provided for review. The glossary will continue to evolve; input is welcome to [email protected].
To view this document in a different language or ADA alternative format, email [email protected],call (408) 535-8147 (voice) or 7-1-1 (TTY).
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Để yêu cầu định dạng thay thế, hãy gửi email tới raania. [email protected], gọi số (408) 535- 8147 (thoại) hoặc 7-1-1 (TTY).
1-1 (TTY) •
**#· [email protected], #XEX I (408) 535-8147 A11y A term that stands for "accessibility"; a
numeronym, with 11 representing the count of
letters between the letter a and the letter y.
Ableism The discrimination of and social prejudice
against people who are perceived to be
disabled, based on the belief that typical
abilities are superior; rooted in the assumption
that disabled people require "fixing" and that
people by are defined by their disability(ies).
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 1 Accessibility The practice of making information, activities, and/or environments sensible, meaningful,
and usable for as many people as possible, and
specifically people with disabilities.
Accessible A person with a disability is afforded the
opportunity to acquire the same information,
engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the
same services as a person without a disability
in an equally effective and equally integrated
manner, with substantially equivalent ease of
use; the person with a disability must be able
to obtain the information as fully, equally, and
independently as a person without a
disability.
Accessible Housing The construction or modification (such as through renovation or home modification) of
housing to enable independent living for
people with disabilities.
Accessible Parking A designated parking space identified by prescribed signage which is reserved for the
exclusive use of people with disabilities who
have an accessible parking permit.
Accessible Room A room that meets ADA standards and is easy for disabled people to enter and leave;
typically located on the ground floor and has
wider doorways that allow for wheelchair
access.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 2 Accommodation Used to describe an alteration of environment, curriculum format, or equipment that allows
an individual with a disability to gain access to
content and/or complete assigned tasks.
Adaptive Strategies Techniques that people with disabilities use to improve interaction with the web; for
example, increasing the font size in a common
browser; include techniques with mainstream
browsers or with assistive technologies.
Aira A professional app-based service that connects
blind and low-vision people to trained agents,
who provide a visual interpretation of the
person's surroundings and assist them in
navigating the world.
Alternative Format A document in large print, Braille, printed on colored paper, a paper copy of an electronic
resource or vice versa, or an electronic
resource in an alternative way, that provides
equal access to information for people who
are blind or low-vision.
Alternative Text Also referred to as "alt text", ', "alt tags" , or "alt descriptions", this is written copy that
describes the content of images, graphs, and
charts for screen reader users; can be added to
the image's HTML tag on a website.
Americans With A federal civil rights law that prohibits Disabilities Act (ADA) discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including
jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and
private places that are open to the general
public; signed into US law in 1990.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 3 ASL Acronym for American Sign Language; the
most commonly used sign language in the
United States.
ASR Acronym for Automated Speech Recognition;
also referred to as "Automatic Voice
Recognition (AVR)", "voice-to-text" , or simply
"speech recognition"; a technology that
identifies and processes a human voice,
converting spoken words into text or
performing actions based on spoken
instructions.
Assistive Technology Any item, piece of equipment, software (AT) program, or product system that is used to
increase, maintain, or improve the functional
capabilities of persons with disabilities;
examples are screen readers, screen
magnifiers, voice recognition software, and
selection switches.
Audio Description Also referred to as "description" or "visual description", verbal depiction of key visual
elements in media and live productions;
provides information on visual content that is
considered essential to the comprehension of
the program.
Audism Discrimination, negative attitude, or prejudice
against people who identify as d/Deaf or hard
of hearing; a form of ableism; a term used to
describe a lack of willingness to accommodate
those who cannot hear. The term was first
coined in 1977 by Tom Humphries in his
doctoral dissertation.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 4 Barrier A condition or obstacle that prevents
individuals with disabilities from using or
accessing knowledge and resources as
effectively as individuals without disabilities;
can be attitudinal, organizational or systemic,
architectural or physical, information or
communications, or technology.
Black American Sign Language
A dialect of American Sign Lanugage (ASL) used
(BASL) or Black Sign Variation
most commonly by deaf African Americans in
(BSV)
the United States. The divergence from ASL
was influenced by the segregation of schools in
the American South. Like other schools at the
time, schools for the d/Deaf were segregated
based upon race, creating two language
communities among deaf signers: black deaf
signers at black schools and white deaf signers
at white schools. As of the mid 2010's, BASL is
still used by signers in the South despite public
schools having been legally desegregated since
1954. Linguistically, BASL differs from other
varieties of ASL in its phonology, syntax, and
vocabulary.
Blind Unable or nearly unable to see because of
injury, disease, or a congenital condition; Legal
blindness is considered a central visual acuity
of 20/200 or less in the better eye with
correction, and functional blindness is having
to use so many alternative techniques to
perform tasks that are ordinarily performed
with sight that the person's pattern of daily
living is substantially altered.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 5 Braille A system of writing or printing, devised by
Louis Braille for use by the blind, in which
combinations of raised dots or points are used
to represent letters, characters, etc., and are
read by touch.
Captioning Can refer to automatic speech recognition
(ASR) captions, CART, or hybrid versions, e.g.,
Hamilton Web CapTel service were a live
person (Communication Assistant) repeats into
speech-to-text technology what one party in
the conversation says.
Communication Access Real-time speech-to-text service provided by Realtime Transcription live captioners.
(CART) Captioning
CART Captioner Provider of a commonly used captioning
service; CART stands for Communication
Access Real-Time Translation.
Cognitive Disability Also referred to as "intellectual disability" or "cognitive impairment"; a term used when a
person has certain limitations in mental
functioning and in skills such as
communication, self-help, and social skills; can
be caused by injury, disease, genetic condition,
or a brain abnormality.
Color Contrast The difference in light between font (or anything in the foreground) and its
background.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 6 Curb-Cuts Sidewalk indentations that were created for
wheelchair users, and ended up benefitting
many others: those pulling suitcases on
wheels, pushing babies and young children in
strollers, bikers, workers with large racks
making deliveries, etc.
Curb-Cut Effect Phenomenon of a disability-friendly feature (curb-cuts) being used and appreciated by a
larger group than the people they were
designed for; asserts that an investment in one
group can cascade out and up, and be a
substantial investment in the broader well-
being of society.
d/Deaf When used with a lowercase 'd', this means
having total or partial hearing loss; little to no
functional hearing. When used with an
uppercase 'D', it is meant to describe people
who identify as culturally Deaf and are actively
engaged with the Deaf community.
Dexterity Disability A disability that causes pain, discomfort, or complete loss of feeling in a person's fingers,
hands, wrists, and/or arms, making it difficult
to use a standard keyboard or mouse; can be
caused by a wide range of common illnesses
and accidents, such as carpal tunnel, arthritis,
stroke, Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson's, Multiple
Sclerosis, loss of limbs or digits, spinal cord
injuries, and repetitive stress injury, among
others.
Developmental A group of conditions that involve impairments Disabilities in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 7 Disability Any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or effectively
interact with the world around them, socially
or materially; these conditions, or
impairments, may be cognitive,
developmental, intellectual, mental, physical,
sensory, or a combination of multiple factors;
may be present from birth or acquired during a
person's lifetime.
Fair Housing Act Part of the Civil Rights Act of 1968; federal law that forbids discrimination in housing based on
race or color, religion, sex, national origin,
family status, or disability.
Guide Animal A working animal specifically trained to assist blind or low vision people when navigating in
public; may be trained to avoid obstacles,
open doors, recognize traffic signals, guide
their owners safely across public streets, and
navigate through crowds of people.
Hard of Hearing Someone who has hearing loss but with
enough functional/residual hearing that an
auditory device, such as a hearing aid, cochlear
implant, or FM system, can provide adequate
assistance to process speech and sound.
Hearing Aid A small electronic device that you wear in or behind your ear; makes some sounds louder so
that a person with hearing loss can listen,
communicate, and participate more fully in
daily activities; can help people hear more in
both quiet and noisy situations, however, only
about one out of five people who would
benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 8 Hearing Animal A working animal that has been specifically selected and trained to aid a person who is
deaf or hard of hearing, often by alerting their
handler to important sounds, such as
doorbells, smoke alarms, ringing telephones,
alarm clocks, sirens, forklifts, and a person
calling the handler's name.
Hearing Loss The loss of hearing in one or both ears, ranging from mild to profound.
Independent Living Founded by Ed Roberts; a worldwide
Movement movement of disabled people working for
equal opportunities, self-determination, and
self-respect; stems from the fundamental
principle that people with disabilities are
entitled to civil rights, options, and control
over choices in their own lives.
Independent Living The emancipatory idea and practice which Philosophy empowers disabled people and enables them
to exert influence, choice, and control in every
aspect of their life; emphasizes that people
with disabilities are the best experts on their
own needs, having crucial and valuable
perspective to contribute, and are deserving of
equal opportunity to decide how to live, work,
and take part in their communities.
Interpreter A person whose job is to translate what
someone is saying into another language.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 9 Invisible Disabilities Also known as "hidden disabilities" or "non- visible disabilities"; disabilities that are not
immediately apparent to others, including
cognitive disabilities, brain injuries, chronic
illnesses, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, PTSD,
anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, and other
conditions that significantly impact normal
activities of daily living.
Low Vision Having vision loss that cannot be treated by glasses, contacts, surgery, or medication.
Mental Health Disability A medical condition that disrupts a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to
others, and/or daily functioning, often
resulting in a diminished capacity for coping
with the ordinary demands of life; common
examples include anxiety, depression, eating
disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
(OCD), PTSD, schizophrenia, and substance
abuse.
Mobility Aid A wheelchair, scooter, electric personal
assisted mobility device, crutches, walker,
cane, brace, orthopedic device, or similar
equipment or device, designed to assist people
with mobility disabilities in navigation.
Mobility Disability Any condition that limits a person's ability to walk, ambulate, or maneuver around objects,
or to ascend or descend steps or slopes.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 10 Neurodiversity A concept that regards individuals with
differences in brain function and behavioral
traits as part of normal variation in the human
population, often used in the context of autism
spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as other
neurological or developmental conditions such
as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) or learning disabilities.
Person of Short Stature A person with a medical or genetic condition that results in a height that is considerably
below average compared to the height of their
peers (4 ft 10 inches or shorter for an adult);
also may be referred to as "little person" or
"dwarf".
Physically Accessible A facility or place that people with functional limitations, caused by impairments of sight,
hearing, coordination, cognition, or
perception, or persons with mobility
disabilities, may readily enter, leave, and
circulate within, and in which they can use
public restrooms and elevators.
Plain Language A style of communication that prioritizes easy- to-read, concise, and clear information;
particularly helpful for people with cognitive
and learning disabilities.
Reasonable Modification A change in a policy, practice, or procedure (ADA) that is done to offer equal access and equal
opportunity for a person with a disability.
Reasonable Modification A structural change made to existing premises, (FHA) occupied or to be occupied by a person with a
disability, in order to afford such person full
enjoyment of the premises.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 11 Screen Reader Assistive technology that helps people who are blind or low-vision access and interact with
digital content, like websites or applications
via audio or touch, by converting text, buttons,
images, and other screen elements into speech
or Braille.
Section 508 Refers to a section in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination on the basis
of disability in federal programs or programs
receiving federal aid or employment; has since
been updated to incorporate the "digital" side
of accessibility. Its standards apply to the
accessibility of "information and
communication technology."
Service Animal Also referred to as "assistance animal" or "helper animal"; a working animal that has
been trained to perform tasks that assist
disabled people; categorized into three types:
guide animals, hearing animals, and other
service dogs.
Service Dog (other than Working dog that can perform a number of Guide animals or functions, related to alert and response, that Hearing animals) help people with medical conditions such as asthma, Epilepsy, diabetes, migraines, Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and more.
Sign Language An expressive language that uses gestures with the hands, arms, head, face and body to
communicate; there are over 300 different
sign languages in the world, varying from
nation to nation, including American Sign
Language.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 12 Speech Impairment An impaired ability to produce speech sounds; may range from mild to severe; may include an
articulation disorder characterized by
omissions or distortions of speech sounds, a
fluency disorder characterized by atypical flow,
rhythm, and/or repetitions of sounds, or a
voice disorder characterized by abnormal
pitch, volume, resonance, vocal quality, or
duration.
Switch An assistive technology device that replaces
the need to use a computer keyboard or
mouse; may allow users to control a computer,
power wheelchair, video game console, tablet,
smartphone, toy, or a variety of other
electronic devices.
Telecoils (t-coils) A part of hearing aids and cochlear implants that expand their usefulness, especially in
environments where it is typically challenging
to hear clearly; also called t-coils; built into
many hearing aids, all cochlear implants, and
some streamers; an essential component for
anyone wishing to easily and directly access an
assistive listening system.
Transcript A written or printed version of material
originally presented in another medium.
Universal Design The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent
possible, without the need for adaptation or
specialized design.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 13 Usability A measure of how well a specific user in a
specific context can use a product/design to
achieve a defined goal effectively, efficiently,
and satistactorily.
Visual Relay Service A form of Telecommunications Relay Service (VRS) that enables people with hearing disabilities
who use American Sign Language to
communicate with voice telephone users
through video equipment, rather than through
typed text; a video link allows a
communication assistant (CA) and the ASL user
to view and sign with each other, and the CA is
also connected to a user on the voice side of
the call through telephone, and the CA
interprets and relays the conversation back
and forth between the two parties.
Voice Recognition Also referred to as "automated speech recognition (ASR)", "automatic voice
recognition (AVR)", "voice-to-text" ",or simply
"speech recognition"; a technology that
identifies and processes a human voice,
converting spoken words into text or
performing actions based on spoken
instructions.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 14 Wayfinding The act of navigation: knowing your point of origin and your destination, following a good
route from your origin to your destination,
recognizing you've arrived at your destination,
and then finding your way back to your point
of origin; pedestrian wayfinding systems
deliver sensory cues - they can solicit sight
thanks to visual signage, audition by the
transmission of sound information, olfaction
with the orientation by the smells, etc.
Web Content Refers to the information in a web page or
web application, including text, images, forms,
sounds, etc.
Web Content Part of a series of web accessibility guidelines Accessibility Guidelines published by the Web Accessibility Initiative of (WCAG) the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the
main international standards organization for
the Internet; covers a wide range of
recommendations for making web content
more accessible to a wide range of people with
disabilities, including blind and low vision, deaf
and hearing loss, learning disabilities, cognitive
disabilities, mobility disabilities, speech
disabilities, photosensitivity, and combinations
of these.
Wheelchair User A person who uses a wheelchair to get around because their ability to walk is limited,
inefficient, or absent.
200 East Santa Clara St. Fl. #17, San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8100 www.sanjoseca.gov 15