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Accessibility of data visualizations

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From: Moore,Michael (Accessibility) (HHSC)
Date: Feb 4, 2016 7:56AM

Great point Angela,

When graphs and charts get to the point where the complexity makes them difficult for anyone to understand I often ask the person who created the chart what information they are attempting to convey. All too frequently I am met with a blank stare. "My boss told me to present the data in a graph." I find the graphs to be much more understandable when they depict only one or two relationships at a time, beyond that my head hurts. Breaking things down into a series of simpler tables and graphs usually makes it easier to see and understand the relationships. Of course, sometimes you might just want to hide them :)

Mike Moore
Accessibility Coordinator
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Civil Rights Office
(512) 438-3431 (Office)