Accessible Charts and Infographics
Charts and infographics turn data into a story at a glance — but only for people who can see and interpret them. Without care, they shut out blind users entirely and confuse people with colour blindness or low vision.
Making visual data accessible means offering the same information in more than one form, so no one is left guessing.
Multiple Ways to Access the Data
The safest approach is to never rely on the visual alone.
- Add a clear text summary of the key takeaway.
- Provide the underlying data as an accessible table.
- Label data directly rather than relying on colour keys.
Design Choices That Help
Strong contrast, direct labels and patterns alongside colour make charts readable for far more people — including anyone printing in black and white.
Keep the Story Simple
A chart should make one point clearly rather than cram in every figure at once. Overloaded visuals raise the mental effort for all readers and are especially hard for people with cognitive differences. We favour clean, focused charts with plain titles that state the takeaway directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What about charts in a live dashboard?
The same rules apply: we pair each visual with accessible labels and an underlying data table, and announce significant updates so nothing is lost on screen-reader users.
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.