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A new way to make graphs more accessible to blind and low-vision readers
Designed to help blind and low-vision readers understand graphics, the “Tactile Vega-Lite” system from MIT CSAIL converts data into a standard visual graph and a tactile chart. Accessibility standards are hardwired as default rules within the program, helping educators and designers follow those guidelines.
The tool could make it easier for blind and low-vision readers to understand many graphics, such as a bar chart comparing minimum wages across states or a line graph tracking countries’ GDPs over time. According to lead author Mengzhu “Katie” Chen SM ’25, the tool strikes a balance between the precision that design professionals want for editing and the efficiency educators need to create tactile charts quickly. The CSAIL team also incorporated input from Rich Caloggero from MIT’s Disability and Access Services, as well as the Lighthouse for the Blind, which let them observe technical design workflows as part of the project.
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