Accessibility is the ability of the design or system to match the requirements of the individual.
Example: The Inclusive Design Guide. The Inclusive Design Guide has a display
preference at the top of the page which gives you many options to adjust information the way you want it to be portrayed to you.
Alternative text
Alternative texts are texts that detail and give literal description of images and pictures so that for whatever reason
the user cannot see the picture can visualize the picture and get the message behind the image.
Example: See the alternative text description for the noncommercial pictures on the Guides page of this OER.
Assistive technology
Products, equipment, and systems that enhance, improve, and help enable the user with a disability to perform a
certain task or with their everyday lives.
Example: Wheelchairs, screen readers, prosthetic devices, automatic door openers.
Design affordance
The design of an object that allows you to easily know and be aware of how you can interact with it
Example: A tea kettle. There is a handle, lid and spout which is direct and easy to figure out for the user.
Dissemination
The act of spreading something widely, especially information
Example: The dissemination of an email or data/information. This is done so the information is open and
viewable to the public.
Heuristic
Enabling someone to independently figure out and learn something themselves.
Example: A baby is playing with a shape sorter and uses the method of trial and error to figure out where each
shape fits in and which holes they fit into.
Human diversity
The differences among humans and is not limited to one's religion, age, gender, color, disabilities, and etc.
Example: You and me are both related in the sense that we are both human, but we are all different in our own ways.
We all have different appearances, interests, capabilities, backgrounds, and etc.
Information architecture
The organizing, structuring, and labeling to support usability and findability
Example: A typical website would have clickable page titles linked to a hyperlink that describes what the user
is going to expect from clicking on it. Websites also structure their information in order (starting with an introduction,
expanding it, and then ending with a conclusion) so that information is not placed all over the place. A website may also
have a search toolbar which may help the user find what they are looking for more easily.
Interconnectedness
The state of being connected with one another
Example: The IRCCloud chat which allows everyone that joined the group to connect with each other.
Interface (computing)
The exchanging of information between two separate components of a computer system
Example: Typing on your keyboard or using your mouse
Metadata
Data that describes other data
Example: The date created, last edited, or who is viewing your document are examples of metadata.
Multimodal interaction
The multiple and different modes for the user to interact with a system
Example: A website may offer many multimodal interactions for the user to encounter such as a text component,
a text to sound option for users who can’t understand the text, and an image describing or exemplifying the information
from the text.
One-size-fits-one
A one-size-fits-one perspective points out the shortcomings of a one-size-fits-all perspective.
Example: One-size-fits-all would imply that inclusive design is not needed, and that everyone is able to read
a site that does not cater to people who need something different. In reality, that is a one-size-fits-one design.
This means that if one size fits all, there would be no inclusive design, because there is no minority of users who
need the extra assistance. The user would be able to tailor the experience to match their specific needs and preferences.
Open Education Resource (OER)
Freely accessible pages/documents used for teaching, learning, and research
Example: Khan Academy. Khan Academy is a website where high school students can look up a concept in mathematics
they don’t understand, and Khan Academy will give them a lesson.
Stewardship
The planning and management of resources
Example: Being in charge of a project. You will need to allocate resources to certain departments,
and manage manpower to show stewardship.
User Centered Design (UCD)
The process of designing a tool from the perspective of the user, and how the user will use the tool.
Example: A sound reading option is an example of a user centered designed tool that is used when they
are unable to read or understand text.
User Experience Design (UX)
The process of enhancing the user's experience by making it more usable, accessible, and pleasurable for the user
when interacting with the product.
Example: The use of OERs vs the use textbooks. OERs are much more accessible, handy, and pleasurable.
OERs can be accessed pretty much anywhere now that we live in a technological society, users can interact with the
content they are absorbing, and they can be accessed by anyone for free.
