In a world where data guides our actions, dashboards are essential for decision-making. Yet, what if the visuals and tools we rely on to share this data aren’t accessible to all individuals? For example, imagine the challenges faced when the screen readers that some people depend on can’t read charts, when colors are indistinguishable for people with color vision deficiencies, or when dashboard users struggle to access interactive filters and buttons integral to an effective experience. These challenges can render data difficult, if not impossible, to interpret and utilize.

Accessibility plays a crucial role in ensuring that an experience, such as understanding a visual display of data, is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility is especially important in healthcare and public services, as accessibility ensures that everyone, including those with disabilities in sight, sound, dexterity, or cognition, can make sense of critical information about their health and communities and fully participate in the conversation.

Tableau stands out as a leading data visualization tool, continually advancing its efforts to enhance accessibility for both developers and consumers of dashboards. In this post, I will point out some of the most noteworthy, and newest, accessibility features that Tableau has to offer.

Alt Text

Alt text, or alternative text, is crucial for making data visualizations accessible, especially for users who rely on screen readers to navigate digital content. It offers a descriptive account that communicates the meaning or purpose of visuals like charts, graphs, maps, or dashboards. Screen readers interpret and vocalize this text, transforming visuals into audible insights or Braille. Without alt text, a screen reader may say “Chart” or “Image,” leaving users with no sense of its meaning or importance. On the other hand, a well-written alt text might say, “Line chart illustrating a steady rise in 7-day readmission rates from 2019 to 2024, highlighting a significant spike between 2020 and 2021.” This detailed description ensures that screen reader users have equal access to information visually available to others.

Tableau has made substantial strides in alt text support and enhancements:

• Added in the 2023.1 release, automatic alt text is generated for all interactive visualizations on the web. The alternative text is generated from a formula incorporating the title, visualization type, and information about the columns and rows.
• Improved further in 2023.3, you can manually customize the alt text to provide more descriptive and context-specific information with character limit of up to 2,500 characters which enhances comprehension for screen reader users.

To edit the alt text in Tableau Desktop:

• • Select “Accessibility” from the Worksheet dropdown menu.
  • Modify or replace the default alt text description with a more detailed caption and select OK.
  • Alt text can also be modified on Tableau Cloud and Server through the Data Guide and the Worksheet menu.

Figure 1: Custom alt text provides screen reader users with essential context, such as data trends or key changes over time

Keyboard Navigation:

One of the most exciting accessibility advancements in Tableau over the past year has been the introduction and expansion of keyboard navigation and interactivity features. These features enable users to explore and interact with visualizations without the need for a mouse. These updates not only improve usability for those using assistive technologies but also benefit anyone looking for a faster, more efficient way to navigate dashboards.

Viz Navigation, introduced in the 2024.3 release, allows users to navigate Marks across all online visualizations on Tableau Cloud using a keyboard and assistive technologies. To use this feature:

• Press Enter on a visualization to activate it.
• Press Enter again to enter mark exploration mode.
• Use the arrow keys to move between marks, headers, columns, and rows.
• If you’re navigating a complex chart, such as a dual-axis, scatter plot, or map, you’ll be given an additional option to focus on groups of marks. Use the arrow keys to select a group and press enter to drill down.
• To exit the visualization, press Esc.

Figure 2: Data Visualization Navigation using a Keyboard

This is a game-changer for screen reader users and anyone who relies on keyboard navigation, as it removes barriers to interacting with charts that were previously mouse-dependent.

Keyboard Interactivity, introduced in Tableau 2025.1, takes accessibility a step further. Beyond navigating visualizations, users can now fully interact with them using only a keyboard. This enhancement allows users on Tableau Cloud, Tableau Server, and Tableau Public to perform key actions without ever needing a mouse, including:

• Keeping or excluding data directly from tooltips.
• Sorting data within visualizations.
• Selecting and highlighting marks in charts.

Figure 3: Action Filter and Dashboard Exploration using a Keyboard

These updates shift accessibility from static viewing to dynamic data exploration, which empowers users to uncover insights, test their hypotheses, and share their findings with the community.

Data Modeling Accessibility: Tableau 2025.1 extends its keyboard navigation improvements to the Data Model, enhancing accessibility for analysts who use keyboard controls and screen readers. These enhancements make it possible to:

• Navigate between tables, relationships, and fields using only the keyboard.
• Understand how data sources are connected and interact within the model.
• Build and troubleshoot data models without relying solely on visual cues.

Figure 4: Navigating the Data Model using the Keyboard

This is a significant step toward making the entire data analysis process accessible—not just the visual front end but also the backend data modeling—so everyone can fully participate.

Google Font Support:

Typography plays a crucial role in making dashboards accessible. The selection of fonts impacts aesthetic appeal as well as readability.

With the 2024.3 release, Tableau Cloud introduced support for a larger selection of sans-serif Google Fonts, including Open Sans, Lato, Montserrat, Noto Sans, and Poppins. These fonts are:

• Easier to read due to their clean, modern style.
• More inclusive for users with dyslexia, visual impairments, or other challenges who may struggle with ornate or serif fonts.
• Better aligned with web accessibility guidelines, which recommend sans-serif fonts for clarity.

Opting for user-friendly typography is not merely a matter of design; it plays a crucial role in enhancing user experience. When used alongside a clear layout and proper contrast, the ideal font can facilitate quicker and easier comprehension for a diverse range of users.

In Summary:

Accessibility is more than just a requirement; it’s about ensuring that everyone, irrespective of their abilities, can explore, understand, and act on data. The recent updates from Tableau have made it easier to create dashboards that are open to the widest audience, including features such as custom alt text, keyboard navigation, accessible data modeling, and easy-to-read fonts.

Utilizing these features with intention allows us to break down barriers, enhance equity in data access, and empower a wider audience to join in data-driven dialogues, especially in areas like healthcare, where these insights can have a significant impact. The journey towards accessibility continues, and Tableau is making notable advancements. As data professionals, it is our responsibility to implement these features and advocate for inclusive design in every data visualization we create.