Revolutionizing data visualization for blind and low-vision readers, Tactile Vega-Lite streamlines tactile chart design with ease.
The process of creating tactile charts has long been a challenge for designers and educators who aim to make data visualization accessible to blind and low-vision readers. The Braille Authority of North America’s 2022 guidebook is a comprehensive resource, but the extensive guidelines can be overwhelming, especially for those without prior experience in tactile design.
Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed an innovative approach to streamline the design process. Tactile Vega-Lite is a program that can take data from Excel spreadsheets and convert it into both standard visual charts and touch-based ones. Design standards are hardwired as default rules within the program, making it easier for educators and designers to create accessible tactile charts.
The tool’s lead author, Mengzhu ‘Katie’ Chen, explains that the program strikes a balance between the precision design professionals want for editing and the efficiency educators need to create tactile charts quickly. The researchers interviewed teachers and designers who worked on tactile charts, identifying areas where they could improve the process.
Tactile Vega-Lite’s code editor allows users to customize axis labels, tick marks, and other elements. Different features within the chart are represented by abstractions, or summaries of longer bodies of code, that can be modified. These shortcuts enable users to write brief phrases that tweak the design of their chart.
While Tactile Vega-Lite’s current user interface is intuitive, the researchers aim to refine it to make it more accessible to users less familiar with coding. They are exploring alternative editing methods, such as clicking on different buttons, to improve usability.
Stacy Fontenot, owner of Font to Dot, emphasizes the importance of providing equal access to information for tactile readers. Graphics that follow current guidelines and standards are crucial for consistency, especially with complex data-filled graphics. Tactile Vega-Lite has a straightforward interface for creating informative tactile graphics quickly and accurately.
Tactile Vega-Lite represents a significant breakthrough in making data visualization accessible to blind and low-vision readers. By streamlining the design process and providing intuitive editing tools, this program has the potential to revolutionize the way we communicate complex data insights.
Tactile Vega-Lite is an open-source library for creating interactive, web-based visualizations.
It allows users to create a wide range of chart types, including bar charts, scatter plots, and line graphs.
Tactile Vega-Lite is designed to be highly customizable, with support for various mark properties and encoding channels.
This enables developers to create complex and nuanced visualizations that can effectively communicate data insights.
