Color
Purpose of Color Awareness
Color, like images, can add visual appeal to your pages, heighten the level of professionalism, and provide a focus for important information. In order for color to work, however, it needs to be perceivable. Poor color choices can affect students with low-vision or are color blind.
Using color can interfere with learning when the color contrast - the difference in color between the background and the text or image - is not sufficient. All sighted users suffer when color contrast is not high, but this can be especially difficult for users with low-vision.
Color can also be an issue when it alone is used to convey information. Color blindness is a common condition involving the color-sensing cells in the retina. There are many types of color blindness. The following examples will give you a sense of what your students may see:
The colors of the rainbow
Color vision per students who are visual.
The colors of the rainbow
Protanope (simulation)
Absence of red retinal photoreceptors.
The colors of the rainbow
Dueteranope (simulation)
Absence of green retinal photoreceptors.
The colors of the rainbow
Tritanope (simulation)
Absence of blue rentinal receptors.
When possible, use the default settings for text colors. If you are using custom colors for headings or other textual markers, check the contrast via a free online color contrast tool. In order to test your colors, you will need to know the hex code Links to an external site. of the colors you are using. Some recommended color contrast tools are:
- WebAim: Color Contrast Checker Links to an external site.
- ACART Communications: Contrast Checker Links to an external site.
If you would like to know more about color, HTMLColorCodes Links to an external site. offers excellent, clear advice for choosing colors for your web pages.
Avoid using color as the sole means of providing information. For instance, the following chart may not be accessible to a user who is color blind, and the color contrast is not high enough for all of the colored text:
All green items are due on Mondays, orange on Wednesdays, and red on Fridays.
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussion | Discussion | Discussion | Discussion |
| Quiz | Quiz | ||
| Final Project |
Color, when used wisely, can add to the learning experience, but color contrast should always be kept in mind, and color should never be used as the sole medium for conveying information. Instead, use redundant channels for providing information, such as both shape and color:
Items marked with a green triangle are due on Mondays, with a blue circle are due on Wednesdays, and a red square due on Fridays.
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | |
| Discussion | ||||
| Quiz | ||||
| Final Project |
"What is Color-Blindness" Links to an external site. by J.L. Morton is licensed under CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site. / A derivative from the original work Links to an external site.