Accessible text descriptions for UpSet plots
Authors: A. McNutt; M. K. McCracken; I. J. Elizay; D. Hajas; J. Wagoner; N. Lanza; J. Wilburn; S. Creem-Regehr; A. Lex
Published: Computer Graphics Forum, 44(3). Proceedings of the Eurographics Conference on Visualization (EuroVis) 2025 (2025)
DOI · Publisher’s page · PDF · Accessible HTML
Abstract
Data visualizations are typically not accessible to blind and low-vision users. The most widely used remedy for making data visualizations accessible is text descriptions. Yet, manually creating useful text descriptions is often omitted by visualization authors, either because of a lack of awareness or a perceived burden. Automatically generated text descriptions are a potential partial remedy. However, with current methods it is unfeasible to create text descriptions for complex scientific charts. In this paper, we describe our methods for generating text descriptions for one complex scientific visualization: the UpSet plot. UpSet is a widely used technique for the visualization and analysis of sets and their intersections. At the same time, UpSet is arguably unfamiliar to novices and used mostly in scientific contexts. Generating text descriptions for UpSet plots is challenging because the patterns observed in UpSet plots have not been studied. We first analyze patterns present in dozens of published UpSet plots. We then introduce software that generates text descriptions for UpSet plots based on the patterns present in the chart. Finally, we introduce a web service that generates text descriptions based on a specification of an UpSet plot, and demonstrate its use in both an interactive web-based implementation and a static Python implementation of UpSet.
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Making Complex Charts Accessible: Text Descriptions for UpSet Plots
Not all charts are created equal when it comes to accessibility. Some, like line or bar charts, lend themselves to concise descriptions. Others, like UpSet plots—used widely in science to show how sets overlap—are much harder to explain. UpSet has become a staple in fields like genomics, but for blind and low-vision readers, the lack of accessible descriptions is a major barrier.
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Textual descriptions for upset plots
Discover how we are tackling the challenge of making complex data visualizations, like the widely used UpSet plots, accessible to blind and partially sighted people. This episode will explain innovative methods for automatically generating comprehensive text descriptions that effectively convey the intricate patterns and insights found in these scientific charts.