Lecture about accessibility in data visualization

Visualizations are widely used to communicate important information to diverse audience groups. Using innate visual perceptual cues, visualizations have a proven track record of helping people better understand and retain information. However, not all people process information the same way, and for the 15% of the global population living with some form of disability, visualization design is often (unintentionally) exclusionary. Accessibility, in the context of data visualization, is the practice of making information, content, and functionality available to, and usable by, people with disabilities.

This lecture will provide a foundation for understanding and implementing accessibility best practices in data visualization, with a discussion of current guidelines and state-of-the-art research in creating visualizations that are accessible via the array of modalities and assistive technologies available today. Accessible visualizations do not just benefit the disabled. Following accessibility guidelines, in many ways, echoes good design practices that facilitate communication and understanding for a broad range of users. 

Bio: 

Laura Ann Garrison is a researcher in visualization at the Department of Informatics, UiB, and the Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualization Center at Haukeland University. She researches visualization techniques for biomedical data that can improve health literacy for any audience.