Google Slides Chapter 6: Charts and Graphs
- Daniel LaGrow
Instructions
Section 6.1: Charts and Graphs
Graphs and Charts are very helpful for displaying information. To create a graph or chart,
Go to the Insert Tab.
Click Chart, then the type of chart you want to make.
Your chart will appear on your slide. To edit your chart, click on the chart and go to the top right corner. Click the 3 button icon next to Linked Chart and click Open Source. This will open a spreadsheet that allows you to change your data.
To change your data, click on your chart in Google Sheets and click the 3 button icon. Click Edit Chart. The Chart Editor will appear on the right side of the screen. There you can go to the Customize Section to add data and make changes to the pie slices.
The last step for making a chart accessible is by adding Data Labels. Data labels are very important for accessibility purposes. You should always include a title, axis labels, data labels, and any other relevant labels that make the graph easy to understand. If data labels are not present, then readers will have fewer queues to help them read the information. Charts, tables, and graphs cannot be read by screen readers without their labels, so always add them. In our example, data labels have already been added, but the numbers are grey and have a low color contrast to the background. You can fix this by adding the data to the pie slices.
This chart has data labels with low color contrast.
This table has more accessible data labels.
After you have completed your chart or graph, be sure it has an alt text. You can make one by right clicking on the chart and clicking the Alt Text button. In the Format Options panel, explain your chart or graph in less than 150 characters. You can also include a link to a long description in addition to the alt text if 150 characters is not enough. When you are finished, check your chart to be sure that your font is accessible with a good size and contrast ratio to its background.