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Front Matter 

Chapter 1
Could Helen Keller Use Your Library?

Chapter 2
Click (W)Here(?)!—
Basic Document Design

Chapter 3
Large-Print Access to the Internet

Chapter 4
Hearing the Internet

Chapter 5
Touching the Internet with Braille

Chapter 6
Adaptive Technology for Hearing Impairments

Chapter 7
Surfing the Internet with a "Different" Board

Chapter 8
Computers Reading and Speaking—
"Stand-Alone" Systems

Chapter 9
Funding Adaptive Technology

Chapter 10
Making It All Work—Staff Training

Chapter 11
Announcing Improved Access

Chapter 12
Working in the Real World

Appendix A
Websites Helpful for Information on Accessibility

Appendix B
Selected Vendors, Manufacturers, and Consultants

Appendix C
Special Libraries with Adaptive Technology Programs

Glossary

Bibliography and Reading Resources

Glossary

A-C | D-F | G-K | L-Q | R-U | V-Z

Accessible Web design A design that ascribes to universal design principles which seek to eliminate or reduce barriers, including those that affect people with disabilities or whose economics prohibit upgrades of computer equipment.

Accommodation An adjustment to make facilities, programs, and services accessible to persons with disabilities.

Adaptive technology A wide variety of electronic items that enable an even wider variety of people with disabilities to live independently. Many of the devices are based on computer technology.

Address A string of characters used in cyberspace that allows users to identify themselves.

Alt attribute The HTML code that when combined with graphical tags provides a vehicle for alternative text for graphical elements.

American Sign Language (ASL) A sign-language system for the deaf that uses specific hand gestures in relation to the upper body for communication purposes.

Applet A computer program that is launched from within another application.

ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A standard set of characters (128) used by computers. This "universal language" allows adaptive technology to work.

Auxiliary aids and services According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, this includes securing qualified interpreters or other devices to make aurally delivered materials accessible to persons with hearing impairments; or securing readers, taped texts, or devices to deliver print materials to persons with visual impairments. Frequently, auxiliary aids include modified equipment or devices.

Board An integrated circuit board that plugs into a slot (open space) in the computer.

Boot To turn on or restart a computer.

Braille A writing system using raised dots in patterns (cells) that represent the standard text alphabet.

Braille embosser/printer A device that produces Braille mechanically or electronically; some are driven by a PC.

Browser Software that allows the user to access the World Wide Web. Browsers may be graphical or text-based. Text-based browsers do not display graphics or sound clips.

Captioned film, video Text description of spoken script that allows people who are deaf to fully enjoy the presentation.

Card See Board

Carriage length The maximum number of characters on a line; it varies with the type of print used.

Closed captioning A method by which American Sign Language translations are either broadcast live to television sets with captioning decoders or laid down on a track of videotape recordings. This allows the hearing impaired or deaf person to "hear" the dialogue as it is being spoken.

Closed-circuit displays (CCDs) A closed-circuit system that enlarges almost any item placed on its viewing tray.

Closed-circuit TV (CCTV) A system consisting of a television camera that takes a picture of an item and projects the enlarged display on a monitor.

Computer Braille A Braille code developed by the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) that added items primarily used in computer communications (example: the backslash \ or the vertical bar |).

Digital format Computer-formatted data or information. Digitized information may be text, sound, or graphical.

Download The process that transfers computer files from one source to another.

Expanded keyboard A keyboard that has keys and spaces between individual keys. This configuration enables a person with limited dexterity to accurately input information into the computer.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) The Internet tool that allows the user to copy files from one computer to another over the Internet.

Grade-II Braille The accepted form of written Braille communication that consists of the Braille alphabet, numbers, and punctuation marks in an abbreviated format. Common words and letter contractions are reduced to a type of shorthand that eliminates the need to spell out words such as with or the and eliminates the tedium of printing and reading a cell for every letter.

Graphical User Interface (GUI) Program interface that allows the user to view a character-based format as a graphical presentation.

HTML Hypertext Markup Language used to create World Wide Web pages.

HTML validation Process that analyzes HTML documents in comparison to rules identifying errors.

Hyperlink Highlighted word or graphic on a Web page that when selected allows the user to travel to another part of the document or another Web location.

Hypertext The format that allows the user to link a word or phrase in one document to a related document anywhere in the Web.

Image map Picture of a graphic on a Web page in which hyperlinks are embedded.

Internet Computer network that allows individual computers to connect to computer systems worldwide.

Java Programming language used to create programs or applets that work with browsers to explore the World Wide Web and allow features such as animation to be added.

Joystick A device equipped with a single control lever that tilts in different directions to allow individuals with limited dexterity to input information into a computer.

Keyguard A template that fits over the keyboard and keys. The holes in the cover correspond to each key on the keyboard and help persons with limited dexterity to correctly isolate the key they wish to depress.

Large monitor Any monitor that is larger than 17 inches. It enables the user to enlarge print without losing continuity.

Large print A print type that is larger than 13.9 printer's points or about 4.5 millimeters from the top of the ascenders to the bottom of the descenders in lowercase.

Large-print screen displays Available in many formats, such as a simple magnifier, closed-circuit television type technology, or an enlarged screen.

Link Any connection between two files or computers.

Lynx A text-based browser that allows users to access information on the Internet. Often used by persons with adaptive equipment or older computer equipment.

Membrane keyboard A flat keyboard with programmable keys. This keyboard allows persons with limited and varied strength to input information into a computer. If, for instance, the user has more strength in his or her thumbs and little fingers, frequently used letters such as <a> and <s> and function keys such as <ENTER> and <SPACE> would be programmed within the reach of these appendages.

Menu A programming technique that lists choices that are available to the user.

Micro-keyboard (mini) A keyboard on which the keys are grouped together as closely as possible so users whose fingers cannot flex over a standard keyboard can access the entire keyboard. The micro-keyboard is very often the size of a pocket calculator.

Mouthstick A mouthpiece that serves as a finger to control a computer or other device. The user is able manipulate the controls using this small device.

OCR scanner A computer-based optical character recognition system that translates material into an electronic format that can then be stored and accessed via a computer monitor, a printer, or an adapted device such as a speech synthesizer or a Braille display.

Paperless Braille display A device that translates the ASCII notations it sees to small pins that are raised or lowered electronically to form different Braille characters. No hard copy is made.

Phoneme Smallest measurement of speech sound. These elementary speech sounds are represented by the letters of the alphabet. In the English alphabet, however, some phonemes are represented by a combination of letters (th or sh) and some letters represent more than one phoneme (c, g, o).

Phonological awareness The ability to attend to the phonological or sound structure of language and to be aware of words, syllables, and phonemes.

PPP (Point to Point Protocol) An interface used with a modem to connect to the Internet.

Print awareness (orthographic awareness) An awareness of how print works and how it looks. Print is made up of letters, letters correspond to sounds and words, and text in the English language is read from left to right across the page.

Refreshable Braille See Paperless Braille display

Screen reader A software program used with a speech synthesizer to properly interpret and read text.

SLIP (Serial Line Interface Protocol) An interface used with a modem to connect to the Internet.

Speech synthesizer A device that converts text characters into artificial speech using a standard pronunciation rule for speech.

Switch interface A software or hardware device that acts as a link between the switch and the computer.

Switches Used in conjunction with a hardware or software device to provide input to the computers or assistive devices such as battery-operated wheelchairs. A variety of types of switches, including pressure switches, pneumatic switches, and voice-activated switches, are available.

Tag HTML code that designates the structure and the format of Web pages.

Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD) or Teletypewriters (TTYs or TTs) Terms often used interchangeably to describe a telephone that allows the user to type a message rather than use speech.

Touch screen An input device that allows access to a computer by touching the screen. These are widely used commercially at retail outlets and banks.

Trackball Resembles and functions like a mouse but does not have a contoured housing that fits neatly into a typical hand. Buttons on the trackball emulate the clicks of a mouse. Trackballs are easier to use for persons who cannot manipulate a mouse.

Universal design Designing programs, services, tools, and facilities so that they are usable without modification by the widest range of users, taking into account the users' abilities and disabilities.

URL (Universal Resource Locator) Address used to locate a specific resource on the Internet.

Voice recognition A device that is programmed to recognize the voice of the user and execute the voice commands made by the user.

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Founded in 1997 to promote and achieve Web functionality for people with disabilities. The International Program Office (IPO) of the World Wide Web Consortium is responsible for developing software protocols and technologies, creating guidelines for their use, educating the industry, and coordinating research and development.

Web page A document that could either be graphic- or text-based, found on the World Wide Web.

World Wide Web (WWW, W3, or Web) Hypertext and multimedia gateway to the Internet.

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Founded in 1994 to develop common standards for the evolution of the WWW. Membership is international.

[ TOP ] [ Bibliography and Reading Resources ]


Adaptive Technology for the Internet, by Barbara T. Mates
ISBN 0-8389-0752-0

© 2000 by the American Library Association. All rights reserved except those which may be granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976.


Links located within Adaptive Technology for the Internet are not maintained by the Author or Publisher. Any broken links can be reported to the Webmaster, and will be promptly removed from the Website.

  


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Glossary from the book Adaptive Technology for the Internet by Barbara T. Mates.