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Accessibility of data visualizations:: An overview of European statistics institutes
... In this context, obstacles to accessing data can exacerbate societal inequalities, particularly among individuals with disabilities, who already contend with various social and economic disparities. Recent examples have highlighted challenges in accessing public health information [30][31][32], political data [33], preserving professional autonomy [34], and securing quality education [35,36]. ...
A remote user test was performed with two versions (one accessible and one non-accessible) of three types of web-based charts (horizontal bar chart, vertical stacked bar chart, and line chart). The objectives of the test were: (a) to validate a set of heuristic indicators for the evaluation of the accessibility of statistical charts presented in a previous work (Fariñas Falcón et al. in Mediocentro Electrónica 21(1):65–68, 2017); (b) to identify new barriers and preferences for users with low vision in the access and use of this content not previously contemplated. 12 users were tested, with a variety of conditions associated with low vision: low visual acuity (6 users), reduced central vision (2 users), reduced peripheral vision (2 users), blurry vision (1 user), sensitivity to light (3 users), Nystagmus (2 users) and color vision deficiency (CVD) (4 users). From a quantitative standpoint, accessible versions of charts were more efficient, effective, and satisfactory. From a qualitative point of view, results verify the relevance of heuristics H2, Legend; H3, Axes; H6, Data source (as data table); H10, Safe colors; H11, Contrast; H12, Legibility; H13, Image quality; H14, Resize; H16, Focus visible; H17, Independent navigation; related to the proposed tasks. As new observations, tooltips were highly valued by all users, but their implementation must be improved to avoid covering up significant parts of the charts when displayed. The data table has also been frequently used by all users, especially in the non-accessible versions, allowing them to carry out tasks more efficiently. The position and size of the legend can be a significant barrier if it is too small or appears in an unusual position. Finally, despite the limitations related to color perception, some users prefer color graphics to black and white, so, to target all profiles, it is necessary to redundantly encode categories with colors and patterns as well.
... Understanding data visualizations requires a specific kind of literacy, which can lead to different types of inequality. As nation-states increasingly make decisions based on data, uneven levels of visualization literacy have troubling implications for democracies (Snaprud and Velazquez 2020). Visualizations prioritize correlation over causation, and this can entrench certain types of bias (Rettberg 2020, 41-42). ...
In Theater as Data , Miguel Escobar Varela explores the use of computational methods and digital data in theater research. He considers the implications of these new approaches, and explains the roles that statistics and visualizations play. Reflecting on recent debates in the humanities, the author suggests that there are two ways of using data, both of which have a place in theater research. Data-driven methods are closer to the pursuit of verifiable results common in the sciences; and data-assisted methods are closer to the interpretive traditions of the humanities. The book surveys four major areas within theater scholarship: texts (not only playscripts but also theater reviews and program booklets); relationships (both the links between fictional characters and the collaborative networks of artists and producers); motion (the movement of performers and objects on stage); and locations (the coordinates of performance events, venues, and touring circuits). Theater as Data examines important contributions to theater studies from similar computational research, including in classical French drama, collaboration networks in Australian theater, contemporary Portuguese choreography, and global productions of Ibsen. This overview is complemented by short descriptions of the author’s own work in the computational analysis of theater practices in Singapore and Indonesia. The author ends by considering the future of computational theater research, underlining the importance of open data and digital sustainability practices, and encouraging readers to consider the benefits of learning to code. A web companion offers illustrative data, programming tutorials, and videos.
Purpose
Statistical charts are an essential source of information in academic papers. Charts have an important role in conveying, clarifying and simplifying the research results provided by the authors, but they present some accessibility barriers for people with low vision. This article aims to evaluate the accessibility of the statistical charts published in the library and information science (LIS) journals with the greatest impact factor.
Design/methodology/approach
A list of heuristic indicators developed by the authors has been used to assess the accessibility of statistical charts for people with low vision. The heuristics have been applied to a sample of charts from 2019 issues of ten LIS journals with the highest impact factor according to the ranking of the JCR.
Findings
The current practices of image submission do not follow the basic recommended guidelines on accessibility like color contrast or the use of textual alternatives. On the other hand, some incongruities between the technical suggestions of image submission and their application in analyzed charts also emerged. The main problems identified are: poor text alternatives, insufficient contrast ratio between adjacent colors and the inexistence of customization options. Authoring tools do not help authors to fulfill these requirements.
Research limitations/implications
The sample is not very extensive; nonetheless, it is representative of common practices and the most frequent accessibility problems in this context.
Social implications
The heuristics proposed are a good starting point to generate guidelines for authors when preparing their papers for publication and to guide journal publishers in creating accessible documents. Low-vision users, a highly prevalent condition, will benefit from the improvements.
Originality/value
The results of this research provide key insights into low-vision accessibility barriers, not considered in previous literature and can be a starting point for their solution.
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