Data structure diagrams play a central role in computer science education by supporting students’ understanding of abstract data types and the structural relationships that define their properties and behaviors. However, accessibility practices often reduce these diagrams to linear descriptions, which can obscure the relational structure necessary for computational understanding. This approach limits blind and visually impaired learners’ access to the fundamental structure of computation. Drawing on theoretical frameworks that conceptualize diagrams as structured representations, as well as on experiences in designing and evaluating accessible data structure representations, we advance a perspective that reframes accessibility for these diagrams as access to relational structure rather than solely linear, visual description. We conclude with implications for computer science education, accessibility policy, and future research on equitable access to core computational concepts.

We also built a solution that automatically creates accessible representations from structural information about diagrams. Based on a Wizard-of-Oz study, we derive design requirements for an automated system, Arboretum, that compiles text-based diagram specifications into three synchronized nonvisual formats—tabular, navigable, and tactile. Our evaluation with BVI users highlights the strength of tactile graphics for com- plex tasks such as binary search; the benefits of offering multiple, complementary nonvisual representations; and limitations of exist- ing digital navigation patterns for structural reasoning. This work reframes access to data structures by preserving their structural properties. The solution is a practical system to advance accessible CS education.

Try it out at access-flows.com

Wimer, B.*, Kanchi, R.*, Frierson, K., Potluri, V., Metoyer, R., Mankoff, J., Natsuhara, M., & Wang, M. (2026). Nonvisual Support for Understanding and Reasoning about Data Structures. In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’26), April 13–17 (html)

Brianna L. Wimer, Ritesh Kanchi, Jennifer Mankoff, Ronald A. Metoyer:
Diagrams Are Structures: Reframing Accessibility for Data Structure Diagrams. RESPECT 2026: 1-6 (html)