Dashboard Week Accessibility
Today’s challenge was to redesign a sales dashboard it so it is more accessible. Accessible design creates visualizations that can be easily accessed, understood, and used by a wide range of individuals, including those with disabilities. I can't include images of the dashboard, but here are practical strategies to enhance accessibility in your visualizations.
1. Use Readable Fonts
- Font Size: Ensure text is at least 12 points for easy reading.
- Font Style: Choose simple, sans-serif fonts like Arial or Verdana.
- Avoid Italics: Italics can make text harder to read, as it makes words appear cramped.
- Font colour: Use a dark grey font as opposed to a pure black font.
- Use Bold for Emphasis: Highlight key points with bold text instead of color alone.
2. Optimize Layout and Design
- Background Colors: Use soft pastel colors, such as light blue, as the background rather than white.
- Descriptive Titles: Clearly label each chart with meaningful, plain-language titles.
- Reduce Clutter: Have filters available so that the user can reduce the number of marks on the viz.
- Numbers in Context: Present data in plain sentences, e.g., "Total sales this quarter reached $1 million." or rather than saying 30% you could say 1 in 3 people...
- Color-Blind Friendly Palettes: Test your colors with tools like Coolors Contrast Checker or Venngage Color Blind Simulator.
- Consistent Color Use: Avoid using the same color for different meanings.