Flowcharts are a versatile tool that can help individuals and organisations to improve processes, enhance communication, make informed decisions, and streamline their operations. They are particularly valuable when dealing with complex systems, procedures, and workflows.
However, they can pose challenges for blind or visually impaired individuals due to their primarily visual nature. Whilst some software claims it can offer accessibility options these are often a poor experience for screen reader users and can be challenging to keep up to date when making changes. Therefore it is important to provide a structured text alternative to make sure the experience is accessible and inclusive.
The following guidance has been created through extensive and detailed research with screen reader users. It provides a consistent and structured approach to writing text alternatives for flowcharts. It currently covers the most commonly used symbols and flows.