When Lucid documents are accessible to everyone—whether a user is a document creator, editor, or viewer—collaboration happens faster and more efficiently.

Use the tips and information in this article to learn how to use existing Lucid features and document settings to increase the accessibility of your Lucidchart documents and Lucidspark boards.

Improve accessibility for others

When creating a document that will be viewed by others, there are many ways you can use existing Lucid features to make it more accessible to viewers with different needs. Read the sections below for more details.

Customize with accessible styles

The first and most visible step toward creating more accessible documents is to customize them using formatting styles and colors that are inclusive and support accessibility needs.

Note: Most of these suggestions can be used in all Lucid products but some features may be unique to either Lucidchart or Lucidspark.

Color
When choosing colors to customize your document, consider these suggestions:

Use high color contrast with the background, objects, lines, and text.
Use more than just color to provide more information.
- For example, when using a red sticky note to signify that something is on-hold, consider also adding a tag or other type of label as well.
Change the background color of your document to be dark to reduce strain on the eyes. As an alternative, use dark frames while maintaining a lighter background.

using-tags-high-contrast-and-thick-lines-in-lucidspark.png

Text
To make text easier to read, consider the following options:

Increase font size when possible.
Use simple fonts that are easier to read, such as Liberation Sans.
Add captions below images, describing what they show and their purpose.

Learn more: Check out our articles for more information about editing text in Lucidchart and Lucidspark.

Lines
When using lines to connect objects in your document:

Increase the pixel size to make the lines thicker and easier to follow.
Avoid crossing lines over each other if possible. When it is unavoidable, consider using contrasting colors or line jumps.

Learn more: Check out our articles for more information about editing lines in Lucidchart and Lucidspark.

Organize content and reduce distractions

In addition to being intentional about the styles and customization you use in your Lucid document, organizing the content and reducing distractions can also add to document’s readability and accessibility.

Organize content
When planning the overall organization of your board, place items in a linear pattern allowing for easy scrolling even when the content is zoomed in. Lucid has a variety of features to help with organizing content. See the chart below for details on where these features are available. Click the name of the feature to learn more about how to use it.

	Lucidchart	Lucidspark
Containers
Dynamic Table*
Frames
Paths
Swim lanes
Table of Contents

*Dynamic Table is only available to premium accounts. See the Upgrade your Lucid account article for instructions to upgrade.

Reduce distractions
The following tips can help your document’s viewers stay focused on the content:

Be consistent with color choices. Use high contrast between text and backgrounds, but avoid excessively bright colors.
Reduce motion on the canvas by using GIFs sparingly.
Use simple language and bulleted lists when possible. Avoid large chunks of text.

Guide collaborator attention when presenting

Organizing content and reducing distractions can improve the readability of your document when you share or publish it. These same principles apply when you are presenting your document to a live audience. The following tips can help your audience fully understand the material you are presenting:

Organize your document using presentations.
Invite others to follow you as you navigate through the document.
Use facilitator tools in Lucidspark.
Encourage your audience to hide collaborator cursors if they find the movement disruptive.

Optimize your document for screen readers

Using the Accessibility Settings in Lucidchart and Lucidspark, you can add alt text to objects in your document and change the order in which a screen reader reads objects on an accessible PDF that has been downloaded.

Note: To have your document read by a screen reader, you need to export it as an accessible PDF. Alt text added to objects cannot be read by a screen reader within Lucidchart or Lucidspark.

Add alt text to images

Right-click an image on the canvas.
Select Add alt text.
Type a description of the image in the panel that appears.
Click Save.

Add alt text to objects

Locate the Export menu.
- In Lucidchart, select the File menu from the menu bar.
- In Lucidspark, selectthe More menu from Board Controls in the upper-left of the workspace.
From the dropdown, hover your cursor over “Export”.
Select PDF.
Under “Advanced” in the export options, check the box next to “Accessible PDF”.
Click Accessibility Settings.
Select an item from the workspace or from the numbered list on the right-hand side of the page.
Type a description of the object in the box under “Alt Text” in the upper-right corner of the page.

Add alt text to hyperlinks

Following the steps in the “Add alt text to objects” section above, use alt text to specify the purpose and destination of any hyperlinks on the document. For example, a screen reader stating "Weather in New York City" is more user-friendly and descriptive than it reading the associated URL: https://weather.com/weather/today/l/USNY0996:1:US

Change the reading order

Follow steps 1-5 in the “Add alt text to objects” section above.
Usethe six-dot icon to drag the numbered items in the list to new positions.

Improve accessibility for yourself

Whether you are editing a document or viewing a document that has been shared with you, there are several settings within Lucid’s products that can help improve your experience based on your specific needs.

Adjust document settings

You can change the following document settings to adjust your viewing or editing experience in Lucid:

In Lucidchart and Lucidspark:
- Turn off collaborator cursors to reduce the amount of movement on the canvas.
- Change the Navigation Mode to reflect whether you are using a mouse or trackpad.
In Lucidchart:
- Toggle off GIF animation.
- Change the appearance of the shapes panel to include text descriptions.
In Lucidspark
- Reduce motion when panning around your board with a cursor or trackpad.

View plain text names of colors

If you have difficulty differentiating between certain colors, you can hover your cursor over a color in your document’s color picker to see a plain text name of the color. These names also appear when you select a sticky note from the Primary Toolbar in Lucidspark.

Note: Plain text names are only visible on Lucid’s default color options. They will not appear on custom colors.

Adjust zoom settings

Use the zoom settings in the bottom-right corner of your Lucid workspace to increase or decrease the size of the content on your screen.

Using the document’s zoom settings only affects the document’s contents, not the toolbars. If you want to see a larger version of the toolbar, increase the zoom in your browser settings.

Use keyboard shortcuts

Press “F1” on your keyboard while in Lucidchart or Lucidspark to view a comprehensive list of keyboard shortcuts available in each product. The shortcuts may not appear exactly as they do in the image below, as they are specific to each computer.

Export an accessible PDF

In Lucidchart and Lucidspark, you have the option to download a PDF that has been optimized for assistive technologies like screen readers. To do this:

Locate the Export menu.
- In Lucidchart, select the File menu from the menu bar.
- In Lucidspark, selectthe More menu from Board Controls in the upper-left of the workspace.
From the dropdown, hover your cursor over “Export”.
Select PDF.
Under “Advanced” in the export options, check the box next to “Accessible PDF”.
Click Download.

The file will download to your local device.

Tip: Use Adobe Acrobat for an optimized screen-reading experience with exported accessible PDFs

Resources

To learn more about this feature, explore the additional resources below. These resources are available in English only.

Community post
Improve accessibility by utilizing color and contrast: Make your documents inclusive!

Post in the Lucid Community

If you want to see additional accessibility options in Lucid, join our conversation and give us your feedback in the Lucid Community.

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