Designing Inclusive and Accessible Dashboards

Combing through hundreds of spreadsheets to analyze trends and patterns in the data can be a daunting task. Clients often find this process time-consuming and challenging. Moreover, the communities impacted by these statics might not find them useful or accessible.

At Westat, we collaborate with clients to create interactive dashboards that address this problem. Our goal is twofold: distill complex information into an easily understandable format and ensure accessibility for a diverse audience. These dashboards not only provide a comprehensive view of the data but also adhere to Section 508 compliance standards. Importantly, both our clients and the communities that use the data benefit from our work. Karmen Perry, a Westat Research Analyst for Social Policy and Economics Research, presented at the 2024 Tableau Conference on Designing Equitable, Accessible, and Engaging Dashboards.

Q. How does Westat build inclusive data visualizations?

A. Inclusive dashboard design at Westat involves engaging staff for maintenance and collaborating with a variety of end users, including community members, advocates, policymakers, and researchers. Their input ensures the layouts are relevant and reflective of the people and programs the dashboards aim to serve.

Q. How does Westat ensure that users with visual or cognitive impairments can effectively use the dashboards?

A. Building accessible dashboards is a core component of our design and development process. We want to ensure that all users of the dashboards can fully engage with the data and information displayed. Our dashboard design team considers accessibility from the start of a project to ensure the dashboard layout can meet the needs of end users and ensures our products are perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. We also incorporate user testing throughout the design process to assess the usability and accessibility of the dashboard. Our goal is to ensure that all users of the dashboard can fully engage with the data and information displayed.

Q. What kinds of dashboards does Westat build and for whom?

A. At Westat, we pride ourselves on building strategic, operational, and analytical dashboards tailored to our clients’ needs. We’ve successfully built dashboards for various organizations, including the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Labor, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and state governments. Here’s how we approach each type of dashboard:

• Strategic: These dashboards summarize key performance indicators for decisionmakers. For instance, a strategic dashboard might display metrics related to revenue, customer satisfaction, or organizational goals.
• Operational: Operational dashboards assist program practitioners in managing day-to-day operations. They focus on real-time data and actionable insights.
• Analytical: Analytical dashboards highlight trends and patterns in data. They provide deeper insights for the public, policymakers, and researchers.

Q. Why do clients turn to Westat for this kind of work?

A. We have a strong, experienced team of data visualization specialists and dashboard developers who work closely with clients to build user-friendly and useful dashboards. We are continuously improving our techniques to make our dashboards engaging, interactive, and easy to understand. We are leaders in creating 508-compliant dashboards. Our focus is always on developing accessible and meaningful visualizations that meet the needs of end users.