Pointing at Data Together: Establishing Common Ground with Multi-modal Data Representations in Blind/Sighted Collaboration

Abstract

Research on collaborative analytics has long recognized that data representations enable collaborative sensemaking by establishing a common point of reference. Yet research on visualization accessibility has largely approached data representations in terms of individual comprehension — whether they enable a blind reader to independently extract equivalent information. In this paper, we draw on linguistic anthropology to understand data representations’ central role in mediating communication in collaborative, mixed-ability settings that include both blind and sighted data analysts. Through a contextual inquiry with Bower Lab, an oceanography lab led by blind PI Amy Bower, we show how multi-modal representations provide shared linguistic affordances for data reference and social signaling that enable collaborators to establish common ground and manage joint attention. These findings suggest a reframing of accessibility in visualization as effective bidirectional communication — for instance, tactile representation not only makes data accessible non-visually but also makes a blind analyst’s analysis process accessible to sighted collaborators.