Supported browsers for Tableau
According to their documentation, Tableau supports these browsers:
- Chrome on Windows, Mac, and Android
- Microsoft Edge on Windows
- Mozilla Firefox & Firefox ESR on Windows and Mac
- Apple Safari on Mac and iOS 11.3 or later
For screen reader users
Screen reader users may encounter difficulties using Tableau dashboards. Screen readers present dashboard visualizations as graphics with the default alternative text for each visualization, which is not customizable, and limited interactions.
You might have a better experience by skipping a dashboard, reading the information on the page to get the context of the presented data in the dashboard, then browsing the data through the data table as an alternative presentation to the dashboard.
If you wish to proceed to a dashboard, use Tableau keyboard commands to navigate and interact in a dashboard. Please keep in mind that interaction could be limited.
Dashboard skip link
A skip link is located before each dashboard. The link takes you to the end of the dashboard. Each skip link skips one and only one dashboard. It doesn’t skip multiple dashboards at once. By using skip links, you will not miss any content between dashboards.
Screen reader interaction with data visualization elements
Screen readers might pick up on some elements in a data dashboard but content announced by them might not be comprehensive to you because of lack of contextual information. Interactive dashboards are currently too complex for modern assistive technology. For example, screen readers usually cannot associate data points with the x-axis and y-axis. Some features in a data visualization might be only available as visual effects that are not translated to text information that screen readers can recognize.
This is a common issue with many data visualization software.
Identify dashboards
Dashboards are embedded in the page as iframes. Dashboard iframes have the same default title "data visualization" generated by Tableau. Currently, the title is not customizable.
To identify each dashboard, each dashboard iframe is in a figure container and the figure container has a unique label for each dashboard. When you access a figure container, your screen reader announces the unique title of the dashboard in the container.
For JAWS users
JAWS has the Frames List feature (INSERT + F9). When you use the feature on a page with multiple dashboards, they are all listed as "data visualization," which is usually unhelpful.
JAWS has the Frames List feature (INSERT + F9). When you use the feature on a page with multiple dashboards, they are all listed as "data visualization," which is usually unhelpful.
Navigate and interact with Tableau dashboards
Tableau has a unique set of keyboard commands that are not necessarily aligned with universal keyboard commands for keyboard, screen readers, and other assistive technologies you may be accustomed to.
Using a keyboard command for a feature that doesn’t match with Tableau’s could cause unexpected results. For example, the feature might not get triggered (no response), or an unintended feature might get triggered. Please refer to the list of frequently used keyboard commands. You can see the full list of their keyboard commands on Tableau's help page.
Access a dashboard from the main page
Keyboard users see the focus indicator (blue outline) on the first focusable element in a dashboard when they enter a dashboard.
Screen readers may announce a dashboard as a figure or an iframe. Once in the frame, press TAB to go to the first element in the dashboard.
Do not use arrow keys to navigate elements while you’re in a dashboard. See the rest of the navigation and interaction below.
Frequently used Tableau keyboard commands
This is a list of keyboard commands that we tested with common tasks to browse, navigate and interact with Tableau dashboards.
Our testing was done with JAWS 2022 2207 and NVDA 2022.2.3 in Windows 11, VoiceOver in macOS Monterey, and with a keyboard with both operating systems.
The Tableau documentation has the full list of the keyboard commands.
Navigate in a dashboard
For sighted users, the blue outline on an element indicates their current location.
| Task | Keyboard command |
|---|---|
| Navigate to next element | TAB |
| Navigate to previous element | SHIFT + TAB |
Interact with filters
Filters enable you to adjust the data for your preference. As you select an option, the dashboard gets refreshed to match the selected options.
| Task | Keyboard command | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Navigate to the next filter | TAB | |
| Navigate to the previous filter | SHIFT + TAB | |
| Open combo/list box | SPACEBAR or ENTER | |
| Close combo/list box | ESC | |
| Browse combo/list box options |
DOWN or RIGHT ARROW to forward UP or LEFT ARROW to backward |
Circulate the items in the combo/list box. |
| Make a single selection in combo/list box | SPACEBAR or ENTER | |
| Make multiple selections in combo/list box |
|
Option 1. Deselect "All" first (all items get deselected), then select items you like. This is an easier approach when a combo/list box has many options. Option 2. Deselect items you don't need one by one. In this case, when you deselect the first item, it triggers to deselect "All", but all other items are still selected. |
|
Navigate a radio button group forward |
DOWN or RIGHT ARROW |
Outline is not displayed over deselected items. This makes it hard to recognize which item you are currently on. Circulate radio buttons in the group. |
| Navigate a radio button group backward | UP or LEFT ARROW |
Outline is not displayed over deselected items. This makes it hard to recognize which the item you are currently on. Circulate radio buttons in the group. |
|
Check/uncheck checkboxes, Select radio buttons |
SPACEBAR | |
| Activate the button | ENTER or SPACEBAR |
Resize a dashboard
Browsers have a built-in zoom feature (CTRL + + or -). When you use the feature, a dashboard gets resized along with the other page content. The dashboard might get refreshed to be displayed in proper proportion in the process.
If you need to enlarge a dashboard more, use Tableau's full-screen mode to display the dashboard itself, then adjust the size you need.
The Tableau toolbar is located at the bottom of the dashboard. The full-screen mode button is at the very right of the toolbar.
When you click the button, the dashboard is displayed in full screen. To go back to the page, use the ESC key.
Screen magnifier users can also use the full-screen mode.
Alternative presentations to dashboards
Data tables as alternative presentation formats are presented as download links, usually located below dashboards. They could also be grouped in the resources section.
Accessibility improvement efforts
We're aware that Tableau dashboards are not fully accessible at this time and continually making efforts to ease the inconvenience to affected users.
Known issues are monitored for solutions and workarounds for users. Tableau releases are reviewed for any accessibility improvements.
This page will be updated with any helpful information for affected users comes available.