Glossary terms for discussion on Thursday - please review prior to the meeting

Hi,
Abi, John Kirkwood and I met and have prepared a process for Thursday’s meeting. Some of the work is prior to the meeting.
I will include the instructions and definitions in the email below, for those that prefer to respond by email. Please respond by end of day on August 19th if you cannot attend the call on August 20th.
Prior to the meeting:

  1.  Review proposed definitions (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AuM-06Alk5VgVgFPTsJD2DcadIrcGIRVDcNgFwPiQRc/edit). Priority 1 definitions will be discussed first, then Priority 2 as time allows. Definitions which have been agreed on by the COGA group are in the bottom section of the document.
  2.  There was conversation on the list about “Cognitive and Learning disabilities” being split into a definition of “COGA task force” and “Cognitive disabilities.” Steve and Lisa replied +1. Consider this when reviewing.
  3.  Use comments to add +1 next to definitions you agree with or are ok with going in as is to the public working draft. Indicates “I can live with it for now.”
  4.  Use comments to add -1 next to definitions you are not ok with in Priority 1 and Priority 2 sections.
  5.  Use comments in the Google doc, not edits, to add your suggestions or concerns.
  6.  At this time we will follow the W3C process of following American spellings and using person first language, such as "People with autism."
  7.  We will add in comments that come in by email into the document prior to the meeting.
During the meeting:
We will discuss the priority 1 terms. We will also quickly discuss terms with several +1s.
Priority 1 - all mentioned in the introduction
Cognitive and Learning Disabilities

-including  Learning Disabilities and Cognitive Disabilities and Specific Learning Disabilities



Cognitive and learning disabilities affect how people process information. For the purposes of COGA<https://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/task-forces/coga/>, this definition also includes behavioral and mental health disorders that are not neurological.


Cognitive and learning disabilities can range from impacting specific skills and tasks to many aspects of daily living. They can affect a person’s: perception, memory, language, attention, problem solving, and comprehension. These neurological disorders can also impact physical and sensory skills such as impact how well people hear, move, see and speak which rely on processing information. Examples of cognitive and learning disabilities include dyslexia, developmental disabilities, dementia, and brain injuries.



Learning disabilities

Learning disabilities involve difficulties processing auditory, tactile, visual, or other sensory information often accompanied by poor working memory. This can affect reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), processing numbers (dyscalculia), processing auditory information (auditory processing disorder), or spatial and temporal orientation (dyspraxia). [WAI]

Note, learning disabilities are sometimes called “specific learning disabilities/difficulties (SpLD)” in Europe and some other countries, and “perceptual disabilities” in other regions.

Alternative proposal following 11th June call:

Learning Disabilities
Sometimes called “Specific Learning Disabilities/Difficulties (SpLD)” and “perceptual disabilities”

Learning disabilities involve difficulties with processing auditory, tactile or visual, or information, often accompanied by poor working memory, that impact the ability to learn and apply certain skills. These processing problems can interfere with learning basic skills such as reading, writing and/or math.  They can also interfere with higher level skills such as organization, time planning, abstract reasoning, long or short term memory and attention. Specific learning disabilities cover a spectrum of conditions which often overlap including dyslexia (reading), dysgraphia (writing), dyscalculia (processing numbers), auditory processing disorder and dyspraxia/developmental coordination disorder (spatial and temporal coordination and orientation)



Memory impairments

Memory impairments involve limited working and short-term memory, missing long-term memory, or limited ability to recall language. Brain injuries, dementia and learning disability are among many different causes of memory impairments.

Working memory is a temporary, short-term memory function that holds information, so that it is available for processing. It is needed for tasks such as copying.

Short-term Memory is the ability to hold information for about 30 seconds. This information can then be lost or moved into long-term memory.


Long-term Memory is the ability to hold information long term, which includes information from personal events, language, and facts.

Intellectual disabilities

Intellectual disabilities involve impairments of intelligence, learning more slowly, or difficulty understanding complex concepts which started before adulthood. Down syndrome is one among many different causes of intellectual disabilities.

Note, intellectual disabilities are sometimes called “learning disabilities” in Europe and some other countries, and “developmental disabilities” in other regions.

Mental health disabilities

Mental health disabilities refer to conditions that disrupt a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning. This includes anxiety, delirium, depression, paranoia, schizophrenia, and many other disorders. These conditions may cause difficulty focusing on information, processing information, or understanding it. In particular, medication for these disorders may have side effects including blurred vision, hand tremors, and other impairments.

Priority 2

Executive Function


Executive function is a set of cognitive processes and skills that help an individual plan, monitor, and execute their behaviors or goals.


Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)


Mild cognitive impairment is when some people have more memory and processing problems than is normal for their age. MCI is often used when impairments are not a part of typical aging and a person doesn’t have a specific diagnosis. MCI may impact a person’s ability to concentrate on a task or process new information. There is often a marked feeling of mental fatigue when mental tasks are attempted, and new learning is found to be difficult. This can sometimes develop into other types of cognitive disabilities like dementia.

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis causes damage to nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and can affect auditory, cognitive, physical, or visual abilities, in particular during relapses.

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity is a term that refers to the different ways the brain can work and interpret information. It highlights that people naturally think about things differently. People with cognitive and learning disabilities, particularly those with autistic spectrum disorder, may identify as neurodiverse as they regard themselves as part of normal variation in the human population.

Note: Autism (ASD), AD(H)D, Dyslexia, and other cognitive and learning disabilities may also be included in the spectrum of neurodiversity

Thank you,
Jennie

Jennie Delisi, MA, CPWA
Accessibility Analyst | Office of Accessibility
Minnesota IT Services | Partners in Performance
658 Cedar Street
St. Paul, MN, 55155
O: 651-201-1135
Information Technology for Minnesota Government | mn.gov/mnit<http://mn.gov/mnit>
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