SAS Graphics Accelerator enables users with visual impairments or blindness to create, explore, and share data visualizations. It supports alternative presentations of data visualizations that include enhanced visual rendering, text descriptions, tabular data, and interactive sonification. Sonification uses non-speech audio to convey important information about the graph.

SAS Graphics Accelerator is compatible with SAS Visual Analytics, SAS Studio, SAS Enterprise Guide, SAS OnDemand for Academics, and the SAS ODS Graphics procedures.

For a wide range of resources for SAS users with disabilities, see SAS Disability Support Center.

The most recent release is SAS Graphics Accelerator 5.6.21.17120.

News

Key Features in SAS Graphics Accelerator 5.6.21.17120

• The following plot types can be explored interactively using sound (sonification): bar charts, box plots, bubble plots, heat maps, histograms, line charts, parameterized lines, pie charts, scatter plots, dendrograms, and time series plots. Grouped charts can be explored using sonification.
• The following plot types can be described but cannot be explored using sonification: contour plots, band plots, block plots, drop lines, ellipses, fringe plots, mosaic plots, model band plots, needle plots, loess plots, polygons, regression plots, PBSpline plots, scatter plot matrices, step plots, surface plots, text plots, vector plots*, waterfall charts, 3-D histograms, and multi-layered plots.
• In SAS Graphics Accelerator's Laboratory, users can create accessible graphs of their own data. Users have several options for providing data, including importing the data from the file system, extracting data from web pages, and creating data tables interactively within the Laboratory.
• Users can import geospatial maps as Keyhole Markup Language (KML) files. The maps can be explored using sonification. In addition, maps created in Google My Maps can be explored using sonification. Users can also create maps of their tabular data. Users can use a game controller to navigate maps.
• Users can import the following file types: comma-separated-value (CSV), tab-separated-value (TSV or TAB), Microsoft Excel workbooks (XLSX), and Keyhole Markup Language (KML).
• Users can modify various table properties. For example, users can change the table's title or the data type that is associated with a column. Users can also subset the data by applying a filter to one or more columns. Users can then graph the filtered data.
• Users can visualize and share graphs including those that they create. A visual graph can be downloaded as a PNG file or as an HTML page.
• Users can download tabular data as a comma-separated value (CSV) file, an HTML file, and a SAS program that, when executed in SAS, generates a SAS data set. Users can download graphs and save graphs to the Laboratory.
• SAS Graphics Accelerator provides an easy way to explore table variables and access automatically generated graphs for further analysis.
• Users can customize visual and auditory settings for the alternative presentations.
• SAS Graphics Accelerator provides localized content within graphs. Note that SAS Graphics Accelerator user interface is English only.

Supported software:

• Windows 10
• macOS 10.13 or later
• Browser: Chrome 88 or later
• JAWS on Microsoft Windows for Chrome
• NVDA on Microsoft Windows for Chrome
• VoiceOver on Apple OSX for Chrome

SAS products that SAS Graphics Accelerator supports

• SAS Visual Analytics 8.3 or later; SAS Report Viewer 8.2
• SAS Visual Analytics Viewer 7.4 (the modern viewer only)
• SAS Studio 3.6 or later
• SAS Enterprise Guide 7.13 or later
• SAS ODS Graphics procedures, fourth maintenance release for SAS 9.4 or later; SAS ODS Graphics procedures for the SAS Viya platform

Install the SAS Graphics Accelerator extension for your browser from the browser's app store.

• Install on Google Chrome

Here are our top suggestions for new users of SAS Graphics Accelerator:

• Watch this overview video.
• Add the free SAS Graphics Accelerator to your browser.
  • Chrome Web Store
• Play around with the sample graphs. In the Sonification view, press H for Help.
• If you are a SAS programmer, learn to create accessible graphs.

Don't hesitate to contact us if you have technical questions.

Free Online Documentation

• SAS Graphics Accelerator: User's Guide
• SAS Graphics Accelerator: Supported Types of Data Visualizations
• SAS Studio 3.8: Accessibility Features
• SAS Enterprise Guide 8.2: Accessibility Features
• Creating Accessible SAS 9.4 Output Using ODS and ODS Graphics
• Creating Accessible SAS Viya Platform Output Using ODS and ODS Graphics

All online documentation for supported releases of SAS Graphics Accelerator

Technical Papers

2018

• Accessibility and ODS Graphics: Seven Simple Steps to Section 508 Compliance Using SAS 9.4M5

2017

• Accessibility and SAS University Edition: Tips for Students and Professors
• Accessibility and SAS Visual Analytics Viewers: Which Report Viewer is Best for Your Users' Needs?
• A Guru's Guide: Producing Section 508-Compliant Custom Reports with the Output Delivery System
• Raising the Bar: The Pending Section 508 Refresh and the ODS HTML5 Destination
• Tag, You're It! Creating Accessible (Tagged) PDF with SAS 9.4 Output Delivery System

2016

• A Guide to Section 508 Compliance Using SAS 9.4 Output Delivery System (ODS)

SAS Publishing Representatives are available in the U.S. from 8-5 ET to answer your documentation questions. Contact us at 1-800-727-0025, option 4 or e-mail.

Training

SAS currently does not offer public training for SAS Graphics Accelerator. You may submit your requests for training using our Interest List.

Your input will be reviewed as we develop the course schedule throughout the year. From time to time, we are able to add course dates to our schedule based on your input.

For webinars that explain how people with disabilities can use SAS to make better decisions using data, see SAS Accessibility Webinars.

Curriculum consultants are available in the U.S. from 9-5 EST. Contact us at 1-800-727-0025, option 4 or e-mail.
International customers, please contact your country office.

Highlighted Sample

See sample graphs created by ODS Graphics procedures.

For more samples, see SAS Accessibility Gallery.

Videos

SAS Graphics Accelerator: Getting Started

SAS Graphics Accelerator: Audio Mappings for Sonification

For more videos, see SAS accessibility YouTube playlist.

Online Support Resources

Visit the Technical Support page to access various self-help and assisted-help resources or submit a problem through the SAS Technical Support form.