Discovering Accessible Data Visualizations for People with ADHD

Abstract

There have been many studies on understanding effective data visualizations regarding general users. However, we have a limited understanding on how people with ADHD comprehend data visualizations and how it might differ from the general users. To understand accessible data visualization for people with ADHD, we conducted a crowd-sourced survey involving 70 participants with ADHD and 77 participants without ADHD. Specifically, we tested the chart components of color, text amount, and use of visual embellishments/pictographs, finding that some of these components and ADHD affected participants’ response times and accuracy. We outlined the neurological traits of ADHD and discussed specific findings on accessible data visualizations for people with ADHD. For example, we found that various chart embellishment types affected accuracy and response times for those with ADHD differently depending on the types of questions asked. Based on these results, we suggested visual design recommendations to make more accessible data visualizations for people with ADHD.