A Case Study in Accessible Redesign of a Wastewater Dashboard

Authors

Tingying He (University of Utah), Jake Wagoner (University of Utah), Md Rahat-uz- Zaman (University of Utah), Md Dilshadur Rahman (University of Utah), Willy Ray (University of Utah School of Medicine), George G Vega Yon (The University of Utah), Matthew Samore (University of Utah), Alexander Lex (Graz University of Technology), Paul Rosen (University of Utah)

Abstract

Public health dashboards communicate data that can inform important decisions, but they often raise accessibility challenges. We present a case study redesigning the Utah Wastewater Surveillance System dashboard to improve accessibility and usability across desktop and mobile settings. The redesign was informed by WCAG and developed iteratively with Utah DHHS collaborators, and we collected feedback on the final design from an external blind researcher. Our case study highlights that accessible dashboard design requires aligning accessibility guidelines with user needs, stakeholder workflows, and technical constraints. It also suggests that simple, targeted technical solutions tailored to the existing environment can provide practical value for dashboard redesign in government contexts.