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Guide to Planning Inclusive Meetings

Appendix C – Glossary

Advisor

The equivalent of a language interpreter, an advisor makes it possible for people with intellectual disabilities to understand new language and procedures; in effect, they are contextual interpreters.

Audiocassette

Publications are read aloud and recorded on cassette.

Braille

Publications are produced in a code of raised dots that are read by touch.

Chemical sensitivity

A chronic condition characterized by adverse effects from exposure to low levels of chemicals or other substances in modern human environments. Suspected substances include smoke, pesticides, plastics, synthetic fabrics, scented products, petroleum products and paints.

Closed captioning

Text hidden within the lines used to create the television picture, which cannot be seen unless decoded. Just like subtitles, the decoded text appears at the bottom of the screen.

Descriptive narration

A video with a described narrative woven into the original soundtrack that meets the viewing needs of a blended audience. It is meaningful for viewers with visual impairments and unobtrusive for the sighted viewer.

Digital talking book

The Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) allows users to move around text as easily as someone would on paper. Books and information published in the DAISY format can be read only using a DAISY player or DAISY software on a computer.

Diskette

Publications recorded onto a computer diskette using text or ASCII format to facilitate computer access to the information.

FM system

Use of radio frequencies to transmit signals to amplify sounds.

Guide dog/service dog

Guide dogs can often be used by people who have a visual impairment. Service dogs can be used by people who have different disabilities (e.g., people with reduced mobility).

Infrared system

Use of infrared light to transmit signals to amplify sounds.

Intervenor

A professional service provider who communicates auditory and visual information to a deaf-blind person using a variety of methods, depending on what works best for the individual. These include visual sign language, tactile sign language, tactile finger spelling, Braille and large-print notes.

Large print

Publications printed in a font size that is 14 points or greater.

Note taker

A person who provides a text (written or transcribed using a keyboard) of the key messages communicated through presentations and discussions.

Open captioning

Text that appears on the television screen at all times, without decoding.

Oral interpreter

Some people who are hard of hearing may rely on speech (lip) reading. At larger meetings and conferences, it is difficult to be positioned in front of all speakers to speech read. Oral interpreters repeat the spoken words silently so that their speech can be read.

Real-time captioning

A captionist records speech on a shorthand transcription machine, similar to court reporting.

Sans serif font

Sans serif fonts do not have serifs, which are the little extra strokes at the start and end of the letters. Serifs look like tails or curls that often lead from one letter to the next. Examples of sans serif fonts are Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Futura, Univers and Franklin Gothic.

Sign language interpreter

An interpreter facilitates communication between people who do not share a common language, such as people who are hard of hearing and those who are not. In Canada, sign language interpreters communicate in both American Sign Language (ASL) for anglophones and Langue des signes du Québec (LSQ) for francophones.

Teletypewriter (TTY)

A telecommunication device that enables conversation over the telephone. It consists of a keyboard, an acoustic coupler and a printer or electronic screen, or both.

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Date Modified:
2011-07-27