Accessibility Guide: Color Use in Instructional Materials

🎯 Why Color Use Matters 

• Supports readability and comprehension for all users. 

• Ensures accessibility for users with color vision deficiencies. 

• Promotes professional and consistent design aesthetics. 

• Complies with web accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG 2.1). 

✅ Appropriate Color Use 

Examples: 

  • High contrast between text and background (e.g., black text on white background). 

  • Use of dark text on light backgrounds and vice versa. 

  • Colors used in combination with text labels, icons, or patterns (not color alone) to convey meaning. 

  • Consistent color palette across pages for a cohesive experience. 

❌ Inappropriate Color Use 

Examples: 

  • Using color as the only method to convey important information (e.g., 'items in red are required'). 

  • Low contrast combinations such as light gray text on white or red text on green background. 

  • Excessive or overly bright color usage that distracts from content. 

  • Inconsistent use of color across course materials or pages. 

🎨 Best Practices for Using Color 

• Use a color contrast checker (e.g., WebAIM Contrast Checker) to ensure compliance. 

• Provide patterns or text labels in addition to color for charts, graphs, and alerts. 

• Stick to a limited color palette and test across devices. 

• Avoid red-green combinations, as they are most problematic for color blindness. 

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