Visa Accessibility - Not Only Color (VIS-002)

VGAR Visual Requirements

Visual

Not Only Color (VIS-WEB-002)

Don't use color to convey information unless you use another method as well

Color is not perceived equally by all users so depending on color to communicate information is not a reliable way to ensure user understanding. For instance, if a line graph shows two lines comparing two sets of data and one is blue and the other is purple, a colorblind user might not see a difference in these colors. Without knowing the difference in these colors, the user will not understand the data comparison being displayed.

To improve this data display, the design should also include text labels for each line that clearly communicate the identity of each line.

Requirements

Not Only Color (VIS-WEB-002-01)

If a color difference is used to convey information, that information MUST also be available in text or through some other alternative method.

Test Procedures

Visual Inspection (VIS-WEB-002-01-T)

Confirm that whenever a difference in color is used to convey information, that information is also be available in text or through some other alternative method.

Related Content

WCAG Success Criteria

W3C Techniques

Common Failures