Clear, plain-language definitions for every accessibility term you need to know — from ADA law to WCAG standards, assistive technology, and beyond.
An accessibility overlay is a third-party JavaScript widget that claims to automatically detect and fix website accessibility issues, but independent research, court rulings, and disability advocacy organizations have consistently found that overlays do not deliver meaningful accessibility and may increase legal risk.
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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark U.S. civil rights law enacted in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including employment, education, transportation, and access to public and private places open to the general public.
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ADA compliance means meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to facilities, services, employment, and digital content — including websites and mobile applications.
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A systematic evaluation of a website, application, or physical space to determine whether it meets ADA requirements and WCAG standards for accessibility.
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An ADA lawsuit is a civil rights legal action filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act alleging that a business or organization has discriminated against people with disabilities by failing to provide accessible facilities, services, or digital experiences.
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ADA Title III prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in places of public accommodation operated by private entities, including hotels, restaurants, retail stores, healthcare providers, and — as courts and the DOJ have increasingly affirmed — their websites and digital services.
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ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) is a set of HTML attributes defined by the W3C that add semantic meaning to web elements, enabling assistive technologies like screen readers to understand and interact with dynamic content and custom interface components.
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Audio description is a narration track added to video content that describes important visual information, actions, and scene changes during natural pauses in dialogue, making video accessible to people who are blind or have low vision.
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Color contrast ratio is a mathematical measurement of the luminance difference between foreground text and its background color, used by WCAG to ensure text is readable for people with low vision or color vision deficiencies.
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Keyboard navigation is the ability to use a website or application entirely through keyboard input — using Tab, Enter, arrow keys, and other keys — without requiring a mouse, which is essential for users with motor disabilities and screen reader users.
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The process of identifying and fixing accessibility barriers in digital content, websites, or applications to bring them into compliance with WCAG and legal requirements.
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A screen reader is assistive technology software that converts on-screen text, images, and interface elements into synthesized speech or braille output, enabling people who are blind or visually impaired to use computers and navigate websites.
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Section 508 is a provision of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities, including federal websites, software, documents, and digital services.
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An assistive technology method that allows people with severe motor disabilities to operate computers and mobile devices using one or more switches instead of a keyboard or touchscreen.
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A text alternative is a textual description that serves as a substitute for non-text content such as images, videos, audio, and charts, making the information accessible to people who cannot perceive the original format.
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Assistive technology that allows users to operate computers and mobile devices using spoken commands, enabling people with motor disabilities to navigate, type, and interact without a keyboard or mouse.
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A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is a standardized document that explains how a digital product or service conforms to accessibility standards, primarily used in government and enterprise procurement to evaluate whether technology meets Section 508 and WCAG requirements.
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WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a set of internationally recognized technical standards published by the W3C that defines how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities, organized around four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.
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Web accessibility is the practice of designing and developing websites, tools, and technologies so that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, interact with, and contribute to the web equally and independently.
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