As you begin to explore our accessibility resources, you may encounter some terms that are unfamiliar to you. Below are definitions of some common accessibility terms.

• Accessibility – degree that products and systems in the digital context generally allow individuals with disabilities to access and use those products and systems.

• Accessible – an electronic and information resource that can be used in a variety of ways and (the use of which) does not depend on a single sense or ability.

• ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law signed in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities and protects their right to equal access.

• Alternate formats – Alternate formats usable by people with disabilities may include, but are not limited to, Braille, ASCII text, large print, recorded audio, and electronic formats that comply with the Texas Administrative Code.

• Alternate methods - Different means of providing information, including product documentation, to people with disabilities. Alternate methods may include, but are not limited to, voice, fax, relay service, TTY, Internet posting, captioning, text-to-speech synthesis, and audio description.

• Alternative text is a description of an image. Without descriptive text, individuals with vision related conditions may not be aware of what images are included in a webpage or document.

• Ally (Anthology Ally™) –  A tool available for multiple Learning Management Systems for evaluating and making digital course content more accessible.

• ART – Accessibility Remediation Team comprised of EIRACs and campus partners such as web specialists, Instructional Designers, and accessibility liaisons.

• Assistive Technology – Any item, piece of equipment, or system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is commonly used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

• Audio Browsers – web browsers with text-to-speech capability for individuals with vision impairments.

• Braille terminals – machines that convert text on a screen to braille by raising bumps through holes on a flat surface.

• CAP or Corrective Action Plan – An institutionally-approved plan by which EIR will be brought into and maintained in compliance with the Texas Administrative Code.

• Captions – real-time textual representations of sounds, such as dialogue in videos.

• Color contrast – a measure of the difference in perceived “luminance,” or brightness, between two colors. The measure of the difference between foreground and background colors is referred to as the luminance contrast ratio. WCAG 2.0 specifies minimal ratio values based on font size.

• DIR or Texas Department of Information Resources – The official technology agency for the State of Texas that delivers technology solutions to state and local government entities.

• Disabilities – conditions that generally may present for a person who:

  • has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities;
  • has a “record of” such an impairment; or
  • is regarded as having such an impairment.

  Examples of common categories of disabilities that may affect interactions with digital products include the following.

  • Auditory, or hearing, related conditions.
  • Vision related conditions, such as blindness, color blindness, low vision, and limited field of vision.
  • Cognitive disabilities that affect an individual’s ability to process, understand, and remember on-screen content, such as dyslexia, autism, and attention deficit disorder.
  • Physical impairments that affect manual dexterity, ability to use the hands and more.
  • Other conditions may also have an impact (vocal, mobility conditions, etc.) depending on the nature of the products, communication format and more factors.

• EEAAP or Equally Effective Alternate Access Plan – An EEAAP describes how information will be made available to individuals with disabilities until conformance with Section 504 and the UHS Electronic and Information Resource (EIR) Accessibility Policy can be met.

• EIR or Electronic Information Resources – Also known as Information Communication Technology (ICT). Information Technology and any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment that is used in the creation, conversion, duplication, storage or delivery of data or information.

• EIRAC or EIR Accessibility Coordinator – Each University has an EIRAC designated by the President or Chancellor to facilitate institution-wide EIR accessibility compliance and practices in support of the EIR Accessibility Policy.

• Exception Request– A justified, documented non-compliance with one or more standards or specifications of TAC Chapter 206 and/or Chapter 213, which has been approved by the President or Chancellor.

• Exemption – A justified, documented non-compliance with one or more standards or specifications of TAC Chapter 206 and/or Chapter 213, which has been approved by the Texas DIR and which is applicable statewide.

• Protected Class - A class of persons who are protected under applicable federal or state laws against Discrimination and Harassment on the basis of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, religion, age (over 40), national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or status, gender expression, or any other legally protected status.

• Reasonable Accommodations (Academic) ‒ Reasonable academic accommodations may include not only disability-related accommodations, but also disability-related adjustments, services, and/or auxiliary aids that give a student with a disability an equal opportunity to engage in and benefit from the educational process.

• Reasonable Accommodations (Workplace) - A reasonable adjustment or modification in the work environment or in the manner a job or position held is customarily performed, that enables a Qualified Person with a Disability to perform the Essential Functions of that position, so long as it does not create an undue hardship to the System or University.

• SAM or System Administrative Memorandum – UH System Policy.

• Screen readers – software programs that allow individuals to receive text content displayed on a computer screen through an alternate output, such as a speech synthesizer or braille display.

• SEIRAC – UH System EIR Accessibility Coordinator.

• Subject Matter Expert (SME) – designated individual who may serve as the first point of contact to answer policy or department questions; the employee with working knowledge and/or direct responsibility for the subject in question.

• TAC Accessibility Rules – Rules issued by the DIR regarding the development, procurement, maintenance and use of EIRs by institutions of higher education and set forth in Title 1, Chapter 206, Rule 206.70 of the Texas Administrative Code and in Title 1, Chapter 213 of the Texas Administrative Code.

• Tags – markers in a document, form or website code that establish a logical reader order for screen readers and other assistive technology.

• Transcripts – text versions of what is said in a movie, TV series, or video. Transcripts are not a recommended substitute for captions because they are generally limited to speech and are not generated in real time.

• Usability – how easily, effectively, and efficiently individuals can use a product and how satisfied they are with the experience of using a product. For example, understandable instructions and feedback for website forms and applications is good usability, which help people with cognitive and learning disabilities. 

• Voice Recognition (also called Speech Recognition) – a software application that enables a computer to accept voice commands, thereby requiring little or no use of the keyboard, mouse and/or touchscreen (such as for a tablet or mobile device).

• WCAG or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines – Guidelines published by the Worldwide Web Consortium, an international standards organization for the Internet, adopted as technical accessibility requirements for developing accessible EIR.

• WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) – the display of a word processing or desktop publishing application that simulates the appearance and represents the effect of fonts and line breaks on the final pagination.

• Web Accessibility Scanning Tool – product that automatically scans pages of a website and provides data on how well the website pages meet certain technical criteria as defined in accessibility technical standards, such as Section 508 (the basis for Texas Accessibility Rules 1 TAC 206 and 1 TAC 213), WCAG 2.0, or customized rules if needed, and may also be referred to as automated accessibility testing.