Learning New Things
Isn't learning anything hard work? Change is hard because we have to teach ourselves to stop doing what we were doing and start doing something new.
I talk to a lot of people about accessibility. Almost every time people say
It's a lot of work
It should be! You're changing your "default". You're thinking about things in new ways.
In the beginning, it was hard. I had to think more. I had to research more. I was slower. I felt less creative.
Yet, I knew in my heart and my gut that it was the right thing to do.
Over time, I have become more creative. I still research, but I'm looking for different things to increase my knowledge. And I'm faster because I have a standard set of colors and graphics to use.
What You Need to Know
Can You Read Me?
What About Me?
Or Me?
In May 2019 I co-presented a webinar about Accessibility. The very first accessibility issue we talked about was color contrast (minute 23).
Why?
In 2019 Web AIM analyzed the top 1 million web pages. What do you think the number one problem was on 85% of home pages?
Yep! Color Contrast!
The colors you use can have a significant impact on accessibility.
If you were colorblind, could you see the difference in the colors? What about if you had a vision impairment? What if you were really tired because your 2 year old still doesn't sleep through the night? What about if you were outside on a sunny day and there was a glare on your phone?
Color Blindness
Color Blindness is fairly common and most people don't share that they are color blind.
According to the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health:
As many as 8 percent of men and 0.5 percent of women with Northern European ancestry have the common form of red-green color blindness.
I know at least 4 people who are color blind. And those are just the ones who have told me.
The Challenge
Your mission is to change one color. That's it.
Step 1:
You probably have a set of colors that you like to use. Take a look at the colors you are using:
- in documents
- in artwork
- on web pages
- everywhere
Are the colors light? Dark? Soft? Muted? Bold? Vibrant?
Step 2:
Pick one color. Maybe it's your least favorite. Maybe it's your favorite. Grab the HEX (web color) or Red Green Blue (RGB) code and compare it to your background color; usually white.
You can do this by using one of my favorite and free color contrast checkers:
- Colour Contrast Analyser: This is my favorite because you don't need to know the color codes. You can use the color picker (eyedropper) to grab them. Works on Windows or Mac
- Color Contrast Checker: This is my favorite web based checker because if you don't know the HEX (web color) code, you can use the Red Green Blue (RGB) codes. You can also choose the size of the text (yes, this matters).
- Web AIM Color Contrast Checker: Use this if your colors don't have enough contrast. The slider under each color can be used to make them darker or lighter.
- Color Blindness Simulator (Coblis): Upload an image or photo to see what it looks like for people with color deficiencies.
When you're looking at the contrast of the colors, a "good" contrast is 4.5 to 1. There is some wiggle room if you're using large (18pt or larger) text or if the text is bolded. Use 4.5 to 1 as your starting point.
Step 3:
Now that you know a little about color contrast and the contrast of the colors you're using, make some changes.
Remember, your goal is to change one color. I'm challenging you to change it today.
Make it a little darker or lighter. Start using it!
The Extended Challenge
There's no doubt that colors have meaning. The way you feel about green may be different from the way your best friend feels about green. Or any color.
For years, my son's favorite color was blue. Then one day his favorite color was red. He was too young to tell me why he had a new favorite color; he just did. His feelings about the color had changed.
We pick colors we like and use them everywhere. If you work in a large company, they have probably picked some colors for you to use (branding).
If you're using a color that is offensive to your audience, pick a new color. Think about your audience and choose wisely!
Did You Know?
Colors mean different things in different cultures. It's not by chance that red is the primary color used for the Chinese New Year. Or that one color for Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is purple.
Help!!
Let me know if you need help finding the color code, want to talk about this, or have questions.
 Love It!
4
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 Yes
4
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 Not Sure
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 No
7
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 Not At All
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