Terminology
This glossary page defines important terms and concepts used across the wiki.
It is not a dictionary of general vocabulary, but a curated list of terms that matter in disability rights, access, justice, and community.
Here are a few sample entries:
- Accessibility — The design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities so they can use them with the same independence and dignity as others.
- Assistive Technology (AT) — Tools, devices, software or other products that help a person with a disability to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible.
- Disability Justice — A framework led by disabled people that goes beyond legal rights to consider intersectionality, community care, and systemic power.
- Independent Living — A philosophy and movement that supports people with disabilities to live fully in the community with choice, control and access to supports.
- Intersectionality — The interconnected nature of social categorizations (e.g., race, gender, disability, class) as they apply to a given individual or group, creating overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
(More entries to be added by contributors — please feel free to suggest new terms or refine existing ones.)
How to Suggest New Terms
If you’d like to add or modify a term:
- Ensure the definition is clear and accessible (plain language preferred)
- Provide an example or context where relevant
- Indicate if the term is specific to a region or community
- Link to a wiki page (if one exists) where the term is discussed further
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This page centers disabled people’s expertise and is informed by disabled-led organizing globally. For questions or to suggest additions, see How to Contribute.
Last updated: January 2026