{"id":175,"date":"2019-06-04T12:27:33","date_gmt":"2019-06-04T16:27:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/iwacc\/?post_type=chapter&p=175"},"modified":"2019-07-29T14:24:13","modified_gmt":"2019-07-29T18:24:13","slug":"1-4-distinguishable-level-a","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/iwacc\/chapter\/1-4-distinguishable-level-a\/","title":{"raw":"1.4 Distinguishable (Level A)","rendered":"1.4 Distinguishable (Level A)"},"content":{"raw":"
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Guideline 1.4<\/strong> Distinguishable<\/h2>\r\nMake it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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<\/a>Success Criterion 1.4.1<\/strong> Use of Colour<\/h3>\r\nLevel A\r\n\r\nColour is not used as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element.\r\n
\r\n\r\nNote:<\/strong> This success criterion addresses colour perception specifically. Other forms of perception are covered in\u00a0Guideline 1.3<\/a>, including programmatic access to colour and other visual-presentation coding.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Use of Colour Explained<\/h4>\r\nMost estimates suggest that about 8% of males and 0.5% of females have some form of colour-blindness, ranging from an inability to see colour at all to minor deficiencies seeing specific colours.\r\n\r\nUse of colour becomes a barrier for some people when it is used on its own in a meaningful way. For example, \u201cclick the green button to start and the red button to stop\u201d is going to be problematic for people who may have trouble seeing greens or reds (the majority of colour-blind individuals) not to mention problematic for people who are blind. A solution in a case like this might be to add the word \u201cStart\u201d to the green button and \u201cStop\u201d to the red button. Or, in the instructions, suggest using the first\/left\/top button to start and using the second\/right\/bottom button to stop.\r\n\r\nA common issue in web content occurs when error feedback messages are presented in red or success feedback is presented in green, without some other indicator of what the text represents. A simple fix might be to include a checkmark icon with the success feedback (with alt text of course), and an X icon with an error message. Or, just include the word \u201cError\u201d with an error message and \u201cFeedback\u201d or \u201cWarning,\u201d and so on with other forms of feedback.\r\n\r\nWhenever colour is used in a meaningful way, some other element with equivalent meaning is required. Text as an alternative to colour is often a good choice.\r\n
\r\n\r\nKey Point: Forms of Colour-Blindness<\/strong>\r\n