Speculating a Tactile Grammar: Toward Task-Aligned Chart Design for Non-Visual Perception

2025-10-15

AI Summary

Existing tactile charts are typically direct translations of visual graphics, neglecting non-visual perceptual characteristics and resulting in low exploration efficiency for blind and low-vision (BLV) users. To address this, we propose a “haptics-first” chart design framework that systematically aligns analytical tasks—such as comparison, trend identification, and proportion estimation—with haptic encoding strategies—including texture gradients, relief sequences, and spatial topology. This framework establishes the first task–haptic encoding alignment model and introduces a haptic grammar grounded in non-visual perception. Leveraging speculative design, we integrate haptic perception theory with task-oriented modeling to generate an accessible COVID-19 data dashboard prototype. Our approach transcends the conventional vision-centric paradigm, offering both a theoretical foundation and practical entry point for co-design and task-driven empirical studies with BLV users.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: AI for Accessibility
• Knowledge Representation and Reasoning: Diagnosis and Abductive Reasoning
• Computer Vision: Visual Reasoning & Symbolic Representations

Application Category

• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Data quality aspects of human-annotated datasets
• Security and Privacy: Data transparency and provenance
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics for personalization

Abstract

Tactile graphics are often adapted from visual chart designs, yet many of these encodings do not translate effectively to non-visual exploration. Blind and low-vision (BLV) people employ a variety of physical strategies such as measuring lengths with fingers or scanning for texture differences to interpret tactile charts. These observations suggest an opportunity to move beyond direct visual translation and toward a tactile-first design approach. We outline a speculative tactile design framework that explores how data analysis tasks may align with tactile strategies and encoding choices. While this framework is not yet validated, it offers a lens for generating tactile-first chart designs and sets the stage for future empirical exploration. We present speculative mockups to illustrate how the Tactile Perceptual Grammar might guide the design of an accessible COVID-19 dashboard. This scenario illustrates how the grammar can guide encoding choices that better support comparison, trend detection, and proportion estimation in tactile formats. We conclude with design implications and a discussion of future validation through co-design and task-based evaluation.

Problem

• Developing tactile-first chart designs for non-visual perception
• Aligning data analysis tasks with tactile exploration strategies
• Creating accessible tactile graphics beyond visual translation approaches

Innovation

• Proposes tactile-first design framework for charts
• Aligns data tasks with tactile exploration strategies
• Uses perceptual grammar to guide encoding choices