Accessible Color: Dos and Don’ts

Presented at 2:00pm in Gov Square 12 on Thursday, November 18, 2021.

#34708

Speaker(s)

  • Dax Castro, Accessible Document Specialist, Chax Training and Consulting

Session Details

  • Length of Session: 1-hr
  • Format: Lecture
  • Expertise Level: Beginner
  • Type of session: General Conference

Summary

It is often thought that accessible documents cannot be colorful, beautiful or complex. In this session you will learn how to select colors that work together to present the most inclusive and accessible material.

Abstract

Get useful information about accessible color palettes, color as a differentiator and tools you can use to identify low vision color contrast and colorblind barriers. We will also be covering the following WCAG Success Criteria and how they play a part in validating your content: • 1.4.1 Use of Color • 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast • 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum) • 1.3.3: Sensory Characteristics

Keypoints

  1. Accessible color palettes do not need to be simple black and white variations.
  2. Good color contrast benefits everyone - not just those with low vision or colorblind barriers.
  3. Understanding what makes a color combination accessible empowers designers with creative freedom.

Disability Areas

Cognitive/Learning, Vision

Topic Areas

Accessible Course Design, Accessible Educational Materials, Alternate Format, Uncategorized, Web/Media/App Access

Speaker Bio(s)

Dax Castro

Dax is an Adobe Certified PDF Accessibility Trainer, Accessible Document Specialist and member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. He has more than 25 years experience creating digital content using InDesign, Acrobat and other creative software. Dax specializes in user-centered accessibility approaches that push the envelope of technology to produce more robust accessible documents that still meet Section 508, WCAG 2.0/2.1 and PDF/UA compliance. Dax is also the co-host of the accessibility podcast Chax Chat streaming on all major podcast platforms.