Edith MauroFollow

Keywords

Keywords: Accessibility, Data Visualization, Accessible Documents

Select the category the research project fits.

Innovative Technology/Entrepreneurship/Design

Is this submission part of ICaP/PW (Introductory Composition at Purdue/Professional Writing)?

No

Abstract

Accessibility of a document means that the material can be read by a visually impaired person just as well as a person without a visual impairment would. Accessibility is an essential factor of consideration because it allows students with visual impairments and other disabilities to be smoothly integrated into courses. Purdue is making efforts to mandate accessibility within all departments, but there is still a significant gap that needs to be filled. One method of combating a limited document layout, and normalizing accessibility, is to format electronic course documents to be fully compatible with a screen reader. The focus of this research is answering the question, “how can data visualization activity worksheets be designed and made accessible for the visually impaired?” In this study, we will examine scholarly works that provide data visualization worksheets designed to guide novices through the visualization design process. We anticipate design decisions, in previously published works, were made with a focus on the content, not accessibility. In this work, we are developing data visualization activity worksheets to introduce the data visualization process with a focus on accessibility and understanding the intricate stages of the process. The activity worksheets, for this study, are being designed and formatted according to Purdue’s public manual, Accessibility for Instructional Design. Outcomes from this work will support and enable access for all communities and empower all persons to actively engage in the data visualization design process while meeting the requirements for accessibility of electronic information, communication, and technology.

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Making Data Visualization Design Worksheets Accessible

Accessibility of a document means that the material can be read by a visually impaired person just as well as a person without a visual impairment would. Accessibility is an essential factor of consideration because it allows students with visual impairments and other disabilities to be smoothly integrated into courses. Purdue is making efforts to mandate accessibility within all departments, but there is still a significant gap that needs to be filled. One method of combating a limited document layout, and normalizing accessibility, is to format electronic course documents to be fully compatible with a screen reader. The focus of this research is answering the question, “how can data visualization activity worksheets be designed and made accessible for the visually impaired?” In this study, we will examine scholarly works that provide data visualization worksheets designed to guide novices through the visualization design process. We anticipate design decisions, in previously published works, were made with a focus on the content, not accessibility. In this work, we are developing data visualization activity worksheets to introduce the data visualization process with a focus on accessibility and understanding the intricate stages of the process. The activity worksheets, for this study, are being designed and formatted according to Purdue’s public manual, Accessibility for Instructional Design. Outcomes from this work will support and enable access for all communities and empower all persons to actively engage in the data visualization design process while meeting the requirements for accessibility of electronic information, communication, and technology.