How to Create an Accessible Organizational Chart Using Venngage

Creating accessible organizational charts is essential for ensuring inclusivity in digital documents. Venngage, a user-friendly design tool, provides templates and accessibility features to make charts easy to navigate for people using screen readers and other assistive technologies. This guide walks through the step-by-step process of selecting a template, formatting it for accessibility, and running accessibility checks to ensure compliance with standards like PDF/UA and WCAG.

Video Guide

Selecting a Template in Venngage

1. Log into Venngage: Access your account to begin designing your organizational chart.
2. Choose a Template: Click on Templates, then type “Organizational Chart” in the search bar.
3. Filter for Accessibility: Click on the filter button and select “Accessible” to find pre-optimized templates.
4. Select a Template: Choose a template that suits your needs, ensuring it follows best accessibility practices.

Editing the Organizational Chart

1. Modify Text & Headings
   • Update the organization name and employee details (names, titles, roles).
   • Ensure the main title (e.g., “Company Organizational Chart”) is formatted as H1.
   • Use H2 for department names and H3 for individual employee roles.
2. Replace or Adjust Images
   • Click on an image and either replace it or remove it if it is unnecessary.
   • If a logo is included, ensure it has a descriptive alt text (e.g., “Company Logo”).
3. Adding New Elements
   • If additional employee positions or details are needed, copy and paste elements to create new rows or columns.
   • Ensure that all added elements maintain logical reading order.

Ensuring Accessibility

Setting Up Headings

Properly structuring headings improves navigation for screen readers:

• H1 → The main title (e.g., “Organizational Chart”)
• H2 → Department names
• H3 → Employee names and roles

Adding Alt Text for Images

1. Select each image and choose “Alt Text.”
2. Provide a meaningful description for logos or relevant images.
3. For decorative elements (e.g., lines, icons), mark them as “decorative” to prevent unnecessary screen reader announcements.

Adding Hyperlinks

1. Click on any company website links or email addresses.
2. Add the correct URL (e.g., http://www.company.com).
3. If adding an email, use “mailto:” format (e.g., mailto:hr@company.com).

Checking Text Size

• If the accessibility checker flags text size, you can mark it as complete, as there is no strict requirement on text size.

Logical Reading Order

• Check that the reading order flows correctly from top to bottom.
• Adjust any misplaced text by dragging elements into the correct order.

Running Accessibility Checks

Using Venngage’s Accessibility Checker

1. Navigate to File → Accessibility → Check Accessibility.
2. Review any warnings or errors and make adjustments as needed.

Downloading the PDF

1. Export the organizational chart as a PDF.
2. Open the file and check whether the headings, alt text, and reading order remain intact.

Verifying with PAC 2024 Tool

• Upload the PDF to PAC 2024 (a PDF/UA and WCAG compliance checker).
• Ensure it passes PDF/UA and WCAG accessibility tests.

Reusing the Accessible Template

• Once your accessible template is finalized, you can reuse it for future updates.
• Modify employee details, departments, or structure without repeating the accessibility adjustments.

Making an accessible organizational chart ensures inclusivity and compliance with digital accessibility standards. By using Venngage’s accessibility tools, you can create structured, screen-reader-friendly, and easily navigable charts for all users.

If you work with digital documents, consider Vengage for accessible design solutions.

Key Benefits of Using Venngage for Accessibility

• Pre-made accessible templates save time.
• Screen-reader-friendly headings and logical order enhance usability.
• Alt text and hyperlink features ensure a complete experience.
• Built-in accessibility checker streamlines the process.
• Reusable templates simplify future updates.

Let me be your champion for inclusion. I offer tailored solutions (and self-paced courses!) to ensure your documents meet and exceed compliance expectations. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!