I would like to request adding pattern-based visual formatting in Power BI visuals to improve accessibility for users with color-vision deficiencies. Many visuals and conditional formatting options rely mainly on color, which can be difficult for people who cannot distinguish certain color differences.
I suggest adding an option to use non-color indicators such as simple patterns or textures. This would offer an additional cue that does not depend on color and would make the visuals more inclusive.
2 Comments
- This is a GREAT idea! Thank you for suggesting it.
- One tip for the meantime: In the Windows accessibility settings, there is an option under "Colour Filters" to turn on a keyboard shortcut. You can then press Windows-Control-C to turn filters on and off. By careful use of contrast, it is often possible to make the dashboard accessible. Patterns would certainly help. In one page, I've "spent" my contrast on different series, but also need to show potential vs delivered values. For that, I used SVG to create a chart with patterns. The "potential" area was striped and the delivered area solid. It's also my understanding that IBCS requires patterns, so all the requests for IBCS visuals require patterns as a dependency. This would also require the improvements to legends to be completed. I have a chart with a dashed line instead of using more colours, but the legend isn't clear. Similarly, the legend would need to properly show the selected pattern and not just the colour. I have a chart that I don't particularly like (users demand it) with a nasty number of different colour series that there's no way to make contrast between all the items. It's a stacked chart where each item on the axis has different items in the stack. If I set different patterns along the axis, the stacks can be differentiated by contrast and re-using some colours would not be a problem. I'd be a lot happier with the visual. (Well, not completely happy but compromise is needed).
