Making bioinformatics plots accessible to blind researchers also improves reproducibility.

Bioinformatics researchers study biological data using computers. Today, their workflows rely heavily on visuals like plots and dashboards to make key analytical decisions. This visual focus creates a huge barrier for blind and low-vision scientists who rely on screen readers, braille displays, or audio tools. Important choices get hidden inside pictures instead of being written down. To solve this, the authors propose ten simple rules to make bioinformatics accessible without sight. They argue that accessibility and reproducibility share the exact same goal: clearly explaining why scientists make each decision. Instead of relying only on images, scientists should create structured decision records. Using single-cell RNA-seq as an example, they show how these records work. A good record stores the underlying data, the goal of the analysis, the quantitative evidence, and the uncertainty. This shift makes biological research easier to audit and open to everyone.

Why it matters

Blind and low-vision researchers are currently excluded from core analytical decisions in bioinformatics because evidence is visual. These ten rules show that making analyses non-visual also forces scientists to document why they made each decision, which makes the entire work more reproducible and auditable. The result is a more inclusive science that is also more rigorous.

Questions answered