The Power BI Accessibility Checklist ✅ - With Tips, Tools & Real-World Examples
- Elena Drakulevska
- 30 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Accessibility in Power BI isn’t just about compliance. It’s about clarity, empathy, and making sure every user—no matter how they navigate your report—can understand and engage with your data.
Whether you're designing for executives using tablets, keyboard-only users, or screen reader tech, accessibility is not a nice-to-have. It’s a design standard.
Here's the accessibility checklist I use in client projects and workshops—and now it's yours too!
The Power BI Accessibility Checklist
1. General Setup 🧭
☐ Tab order has been manually set in the Selection Pane
Match the natural reading flow of your audience (e.g. go top-left to bottom-right for English).
💡Tip: Check out my blogpost if you want to learn how to set the Tab order of your report.
☐ Each page has a clear visual hierarchy
Use consistent titles, spacing, and logical groupings.
☐ Navigation is logical and easy to follow
Use a clear page flow (e.g. Home → Overview → Details) to help users know where to go next. Avoid dead ends. Use navigation buttons, tabs, or consistent page naming to guide the journey.
2. Visual Design 🎨
☐ All text has sufficient color contrast (4.5:1 for small text and 3:1 for large text)
Use tools like Adobe Color or Coolors to meet WCAG 2.1 standards.
☐ No critical info is communicated by color alone
Add icons ↑↓, text labels, or patterns in charts. This supports users with color blindness and ensures everyone can understand the data, even in black-and-white or grayscale printouts.
☐ Fonts are at least 12–14pt.
Avoid anything below 10pt (I know sometimes the default is 8pt!!).
☐ Only accessible fonts are used—ideally sans-serif
Stick with a font like Segoe UI, Arial, or Verdana—skip the fancy stuff.
☐ Report layout feels clear and uncluttered
Overcrowded layouts, dense visuals, or too many elements can overwhelm your audience and dilute your message. Whitespace isn’t empty—it’s breathing room for your data.
3. Interactivity 🧩
☐ Report can be navigated with keyboard only
Test using Tab and Enter. Can you access every filter and visual?
☐ Tooltip content is short, descriptive, and accessible
NEVER rely on tooltips for crucial information—they’re not accessible to everyone.
☐ Buttons and slicers are large enough to click easily
Click targets should be 44x44px minimum.
4. Descriptions & Alt Text 🔊
☐ Page titles and headings are clear and descriptive
Avoid vague names like “KPIs”—be specific about what the user is looking at (e.g. “Monthly Revenue by Region”). Bonus points if you're using dynamic titles.
☐ All visuals include meaningful alt text
Go beyond labels like “line chart.” Alt text should explain what the chart shows—and why it matters. Use dynamic measures to describe changes in real time.
💡Tip: Check out my blogpost if you want to learn how to set Alt text (Alternative text).
☐ Images and icons have alt text or are hidden from screen readers
Decorative visuals should be hidden from screen readers (hide them in the Tab order).
5. Testing & Validation 🧪
☐ If possible: Test the report with a screen reader
☐ Try navigating the report without a mouse
It’s a fun (and humbling) keyboard-only challenge.
Want to Go Deeper On Power BI & Accessibility? 📚
Additional tools and links for improving accessibility in Power BI
Here are some blogposts on MoonStory 🌙 that touch upon Accessibility:
And here are some of my go-to tools and resources on Power BI and accessibility:
Designing for accessibility isn’t extra—it’s essential. And when you design for edge cases, everyone benefits.
Start checking the boxes. Your users (and your future self) will thank you. Happy designing! And don't forget to subscribe to MoonStory 🌙 for more gems like this.
P.S. Want me to review your report for accessibility? Drop me a message—or tag me if you use the checklist! Would love to hear your thoughts!