Research and innovation portfolio
All of the solutions in our portfolio have been co-designed with researchers, and the projects are grounded in peer reviewed science. To maximise impact, we are working with businesses on diffusing innovation that works.
Project Olli
Olli is an open-source library for converting data visualizations into accessible text structures for screen reader users. Starting with an existing visualization specification created with a supported toolkit, Olli produces a keyboard-navigable tree view with descriptions at varying levels of detail. Users can explore these structures both to get an initial overview, and to dive into the data in more detail.
Learn more about OlliProject Upset
This project aims to enhance the accessibility and usability of the UpSet visualisation technique, widely used in biomedical research. It will address challenges faced by low-vision and blind users in reading and creating UpSet plots. Key objectives include developing accessible workflows and alt-text templates, and improving the interactive, web-based version for non-coders.
Learn more about UpsetCommunity portfolio
All of our community projects are inspired by the skills our community members want to develop.
Project Journeys
This experimental project, led by Level3 Productions, aims to enhance accessibility in playful media creation for disabled artists. Collaborating with three disabled artists—a blind man, a woman in an electric wheelchair, and a woman with learning disabilities—we'll assist in developing prototype artworks suited to their needs. The process will be documented in a short film and a written report, shared online to broaden access to playful media tools for disabled artists.
Learn more about Level3Project Groundwork
Groundwork, led by This New Ground, aims to preserve and archive the heritage of people with learning disabilities in Portsmouth. By filling gaps in historical records, this co-designed project amplifies their voices, challenges historical views, and ensures their stories are accessible through permanent archives and exhibitions.
Learn more about This New GroundProject spotlight
Learn more about Olli, by viewing curated content in the tabs below.
Experience Olli
Try out the following demo of Olli.
Olli tree view
Vega Lite visualisation
List of publications
Check out the list of publications related to this project.
- Rich Screen Reader Experiences for Accessible Data Visualization
- Olli - An Extensible Visualization Library for Screen Reader Accessibility
- Customization is Key - Reconfigurable Textual Tokens for Accessible Data Visualizations
- Umwelt - Accessible Structured Editing of Multi-Modal Data Representations
Media content
Check out the list of media content related to this project.
- Association for Computing Machinery: CHI 2024 talk on 'Reconfigurable Content Tokens for Accessible Data Visualizations'
- Association for Computing Machinery: CHI 2024 talk on 'Accessible Structured Editing of Multi-Modal Data Representations'
- Montreal AI Ethics Institute: Four Characteristics of Textual Affordances for Accessible Data Visualization
- MIT News: New software enables blind and low-vision users to create interactive, accessible charts
- Reuters Institute: Blind news audiences are being left behind in the data visualisation revolution - here's how we fix that
- Nature: These tools help visually impaired scientists read data and journals
- MIT Visualisation Group: Eurovis 2022 talk on 'Rich screen reader experiences for accessible data visualisations'
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