Beyond the Visual: Achieving Accessibility in Scientific Figures
Open accessAbstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Scientific figures are essential tools for conveying complex research data, yet their accessibility issues can exclude individuals with disabilities, limiting the reach and impact of scientific publications. This Commentary explores strategies for enhancing figure accessibility in accordance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA, which will become a legal standard for public agencies in April of 2026. Approximately 5% of U.S. adults have some form of visual impairment, underscoring the importance of inclusive design. Key recommendations include ensuring sufficient color contrast (minimum ratios of 3:1 or 4.5:1 depending on text size), using structural elements like patterns or shapes to differentiate data for colorblind readers, optimizing font styles and sizes for readability, and providing concise, descriptive alternative text for screen readers. These practices not only accommodate individuals with permanent or temporary limitations but also improve the overall usability and comprehension of figures for all readers, fostering broader engagement and equitable access to scientific knowledge.
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Inaccessible STEM materials represent a persistent barrier especially for blind and visually impaired learners.
“Given that inaccessible STEM materials represent a persistent barrier especially for blind and visually impaired learners [3,63], this oversight highlights a substantial gap in current accessibility infrastructures across several institutions.”
From Toward universal access to information: an analysis of digital accessibility policy readiness in U.S. public universities (2026) · cites this paper as [3]
Cites
Accessibility to digital technology: Virtual barriers, real opportunities
Botelho, F. H. F. (2021) · Assistive Technology · doi:10.1080/10400435.2021.1945705 · Cited by 154 · see citing works
Guidelines for preparing color figures for everyone including the colorblind
Roskoski, R. J. (2017) · Pharmacological Research · doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2017.02.005 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
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Utilizing tables, figures, charts and graphs to enhance the readability of a research paper
Divecha, C., Tullu, M. S., & Karande, S. (2023) · Journal of Postgraduate Medicine · doi:10.4103/jpgm.jpgm_387_23 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
The importance of figures in scientific ‘show and tell’
Hmeljak, J., & Hooper, K. M. (2023) · Disease Models & Mechanisms · doi:10.1242/dmm.050545 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Brandon, D. (2015) · Advances in Neonatal Care · doi:10.1097/anc.0000000000000173 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
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Uncovering the New Accessibility Crisis in Scholarly PDFsPreprint
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Accessibility worsens for blind and low-vision readers of academic PDFs
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Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 13 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
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Implementing Universal Design for Learning in Chemistry and Beyond
Fung, F. M., Reilly, A., Hu, Q., McGarrigle, E. M., Hooper, T. N., Kenny, A., Cussen, S. A., Negahdar, L., & Byrne, J. P. (2026) · Journal of Chemical Education · doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.5c00881 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Cudjoe, E. K., & Asilevi, P. A. (2026) · Universal Access in the Information Society · doi:10.1007/s10209-026-01379-8
Visualizing complexity: Infographic materials as complementary tools for data-rich articles. Part 2
Medvedev, D. A. (2026) · Chimica Techno Acta · doi:10.15826/chimtech.9686
- Authors
- Ramsey, H., & Schröder, I.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ramsey, Hannah
- Venue
- ACS Chemical Health & Safety
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2025-03-01
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 126-132
- ISSN
- 1074-9098 (ISSN-L)
- 1871-5532
- 1878-0504
- OpenAlex
- W4408071121
- Cited by
- 3
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3
- FWCI
- 18.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- ACS Chemical Health & Safety (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Human Factors and Ergonomics › Digital Accessibility for Disabilities
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Rights and Representation
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition › Data Visualization and Analytics
- Keywords
- visual impairment, color contrast, color vision deficiency, alternative text, screen readers, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, inclusive design, data visualization
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