Data visualizations must be accessible to all users, including people with disabilities. This means that:
- The visual design, including use of color, must be perceivable and understandable for people who are colorblind, have low vision, and use assistive technology.
- Clear titles must be provided. Plain language summaries are also recommended. This benefits everyone, especially people with cognitive and learning disabilities.
- Visual elements must have an alternate format that is accessible to assistive technology users, such as screen reader users. For simple images, this means using alt text. For data visualizations, this often means enabling data tables.
- Careful consideration must be given to how assistive tech users, including non-mouse users, will interact with your data visualization. This means selecting widgets and elements that will work correctly for these users and ensuring a logical focus order.
- You must learn about the accessibility features and pitfalls specific to your platform and make thoughtful choices based on that information. No data visualization platform is accessible “out of the box.”
Here are some links to help you design accessible data visualizations: