3. Colour

Problem 1: Avoid using colour alone for emphasis

Meaning

When emphasising text, you may use colour (with sufficient contrast). However, you should also apply some other form of emphasis, such as bold or italics. This ensures that screen reader users are aware of the text’s importance.

How to fix it

In UDOIT Advantage, click the Review button for more information. Check the boxes for the change(s) to resolve this issue and click Save.

Problem 2: Insufficient text colour contrast with the background

Meaning

Colour contrast is the difference between text and background colours. Most people prefer white text on a black background (high contrast) over orange text on a red background (low contrast). This is especially the case for people with low contrast sensitivity or colour blindness, who may struggle to discern meaning when insufficient contrast is provided.

Conversely, some people with high contrast sensitivity (e.g., Irlen Syndrome or visual stress) may struggle with extreme contrast. This can lead to discomfort, such as eye strain and headaches. Therefore, providing balanced colour contrast is important.

How to fix it

In UDOIT Advantage, click the Review button for more information. Change the colour of the text and/or the background until the contrast ratio indicator in the UDOIT tool changes to a valid ratio.

Choose font and background colours that provide good contrast. The accessibility checker in Canvas’ rich content editor can scan your content as you create it. One of its features is to report when there is a contrast issue with text.