Accessible Power BI reporting

Plain English 

Written content in your Power BI dashboard should use plain English. This is simple and clear language that avoids complex wording and jargon.

Using plain English will help ensure that all users understand the text as intended. It will help your dashboard reach:

• A broader audience  
• New users
• Non-native speakers 
• Users with various cognitive impairments 

How to write in plain English

• Write in short, clear sentences
• Use easy words where possible. For example, "doctor" instead of "general practitioner". The Plain English website provides an A to Z of alternative words.  
• Do not include more than one piece of information in a sentence
• When writing instructions, do not rely on the user being able to see the page. You should not refer to things only by colour, size, position or shape.  
• Explain what acronyms, abbreviations and technical terms mean the first time you use them. For example, "Norfolk County Council (NCC)".  You could add a separate section or page for definitions.

Go to our accessible content guide for more information on writing accessible content.

Writing for your target audience

We recommend using plain English. But, you should find the right balance. Using common industry terms and avoiding oversimplifying information can be helpful. This will depend on your target audience. It may also be difficult to fit long chart titles and labels in Power BI.

Consider who you are aiming your dashboard at. You can then write to suit the audience. For example, a dashboard aimed at technical users could contain more acronyms and industry terms than one aimed at members of the public.  

Tools for writing

Use a readability checker such as the Hemingway Editor to check any text. This reviews your text and highlights any complex sentences and common writing errors. It gives text a readability score (grade 8 is recommended for most users).

You can use Power BI Auto-text/narrative function to create text. But, as with all autogenerated content, you will need to check it for accessibility. It will not be accessible by default.