Data Visualization Accessibility

The practice of designing charts, graphs, diagrams, and other visual data representations so they are perceivable, operable, and understandable by people with disabilities, particularly those who are blind or have low vision. This includes providing meaningful alternative text, structured screen reader navigation, sonification (representing data through sound), tactile graphics, and interactive exploration interfaces. A key challenge is that visual representations communicate information through spatial structure—proximity, alignment, containment, and connectedness—that is difficult to convey through non-visual modalities. Effective accessible visualizations must preserve these structural relationships rather than simply providing flat textual descriptions.