GETTING STARTED | ENHANCED ACCESSIBILITY | KNIME ANALYTICS PLATFORM
KNIME: Making Data Analytics More Accessible — Configurations for Enhanced Usability
A quick KNIME guide for individuals seeking minimal or no mouse movement, as well as for those with visual impairments
As a low-code data analytics solution, KNIME inherently presents an intriguing user interface that primarily hinges on visual interactions. At a first glance, this may pose some challenges for individuals with visual impairments or difficulties with precise mouse movements. However, the KNIME team is actively invested in fostering an inclusive environment for all users and has implemented several strategies to alleviate potential accessibility issues. Also the new Version 5.0 Web-interface might offer new options.
There are a variety of settings available to aid those who may face these challenges. Additionally, KNIME has developed an array of features specifically designed to support users who might encounter difficulties. For instance, the use of keyboard shortcuts not only serves to enhance accessibility, but also stands to bolster the productivity and efficiency of all KNIME users, thereby enriching the overall user experience. The team’s commitment to accessibility ensures that everyone, regardless of physical abilities or limitations, can fully engage with and benefit from KNIME’s powerful data analytics capabilities.
Thursday, May 18, 2023, help us celebrate the 12th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)! The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion, and the more than One Billion people with disabilities/impairments. https://accessibility.day/
Font Sizes and Themes
Perhaps the most straightforward adjustment is the manipulation of font sizes, both within the workflow and in the KNIME preferences.
Navigating to the ‘Preferences’ section offers the opportunity to personalize your user interface extensively. Here, you can initially select a general Theme and Color Palette that aligns with your preference (I’m partial to lighter schemes).
Subsequently, you can delve into the more granular details. This includes the option to increase the size of all fonts (numerous entries are available for this) and to select colors that are more discernible for you. While these adjustments may require some initial investment of time, they pave the way for a significantly more comfortable user experience in the long run.
This is the workflow used in the screenshots: “Extract File Name and add new extension to Path variable”
Zoom and Outline
The “Zoom” and “Outline” features are additional tools that significantly enhance the navigation within a KNIME project. These options reduce the necessity for excessive scrolling and offer a clearer, more comprehensive view of nodes, thereby facilitating a smoother user experience.
Shortcuts to select nodes
You can also use shortcuts to select nodes or a group of nodes. And as we will see you can later move or manipulate them.
Finding and Defining Keyboard Keys
KNIME is equipped with a comprehensive selection of keys and key commands, including familiar ones such as ‘Ctrl-C’ and ‘Ctrl-V’. Utilizing the ‘Alt’ key provides quick access to menu items, many of which have predefined shortcuts for further convenience.
An example of this is the ability to maneuver nodes using key commands. Instead of manually dragging nodes with the mouse, you can efficiently move a node or a selection of nodes upwards using the ‘Ctrl+Shift+Up’ command. This feature contributes to an overall smoother and more accessible workflow within KNIME.
Certain settings may not be immediately evident, but a closer examination of the interface will reveal these options. By familiarizing yourself with these settings, you can modify them to better suit your needs. Moreover, KNIME’s flexible environment allows for the creation of new settings, enhancing your ability to customize your experience for optimal accessibility and efficiency.
Example: add new node with Keys
For instance, let’s consider the feature of adding a new node using key commands. To showcase the potential of personalizing your own keys, I’ve ‘bound’ the command for invoking the Node Repository to ‘Ctrl+Alt+N’.
Once a node in the workflow is selected (for our example, let’s take ‘CSV Reader’) using the tab key, the predefined shortcut can be used to open the Node Repository. Here, I conduct a search for “Constant…” (Value Column). Utilizing the arrow keys for navigation, I reach the desired node. With a simple press of the ‘Enter’ key, the node is readily added to my workflow. This showcases how efficiently tasks can be performed in KNIME using keyboard shortcuts, enhancing its accessibility for users with different needs:
Upon adding the node, the ‘F6’ key can be used to quickly access its settings. Once the desired adjustments are made, ‘Ctrl-Enter’ serves as a handy shortcut to save the settings and execute the node. Should you need to reset the node at any point, simply press ‘F8’. These keyboard shortcuts demonstrate how KNIME streamlines workflow management, making the platform more accessible and user-friendly for individuals with diverse needs.
While such a workflow may not be optimal for every circumstance, it presents an effective approach for those seeking to minimize mouse movements.
Initially, I encountered some difficulty when attempting to access the nodes within my workflow. The key to overcoming this challenge lies in using the ‘Tab’ key (‘Shift-Tab’ for reverse order) until you reach the top of your workflow, indicated by the appearance of small grey dots around it:
Upon reaching the top of your workflow, press ‘Tab’ one more time. This action enables you to utilize the arrow keys to navigate through your workflow. From this point, other shortcuts, such as Link and Unlink, can also be effectively utilized.
Colorblind safe palette
The Color Manager has a special palette that is safe for colorblind people you might use in graphics.
As demonstrated, despite its inherent graphical interface, KNIME proves to be quite accessible for individuals seeking minimal or no mouse movement, as well as for those with visual impairments. This flexibility highlights KNIME’s commitment to inclusivity and user-friendly design in the realm of data analytics.
There has also been this discussion on the forum:
https://forum.knime.com/t/accessibility-for-handicapped-colleagues/63625/2?u=mlauber71
