1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A)
Table of contents
Color shouldn’t be used as the only visual way to convey information or make an indication.
What you need to know
- This success criterion aims to eliminate any circumstances where color alone is used to convey information, make an indication or prompt the user, or distinguish between visual elements. This error is present much more than you might think.
- Color is a common vehicle for enhancing the visual appeal of a website, but there are a lot of users who can’t discern or otherwise tell the difference between one color and another.
What you need to do
- Identify ways your website conveys information by color and make sure there are other ways to acquire the same information.
- If your website has a red button that is used to, for example, to cancel an order, your instructions should make clear that the button labeled “cancel” is the one to click on.
Related Resource
Ensuring that information conveyed by color differences is also available in text” from W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative.
Related Posts
1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A)
Make sure images and other non-text elements on your website are accessible by including meaningful text alternatives (alt text).
1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A)
Structure your website so that content is read by a screen reader in the same way it's presented visually.
1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (Level A)
Write clear instructions that incorporate multiple senses. No instructions should rely solely on the ability to perceive shape, size, visual location, orientation, or sound.