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Cornell University

Web Accessibility Reviews

All Guidelines

30

Color may not exclusively distinguish between plain text and interactive text or distinguish one type of content from another without a 3:1 color contrast difference.

WGAC 2 criterion 1.4.1 Use of Color (A)
Category Color
ACT Rules

WCAG 2 criterion

1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A)

Tools and requirements

  • Siteimprove
  • Manual Evaluation
  • Color Contrast Comparison tool

Test procedure

For this criterion, evaluate if there are any situations where Interactive text is visually identified using color alone, or if there are more than one different types of content which are only distinguishable from one another by a difference in color.

Interactive text with only a color difference is defined as having the exact same styling (same font, same font size, same text decorations (if any), and same emphasis or bolding (if any) aside from a color shift.

Below are visual examples of text differences that are not evaluated under this criterion.

  • The concert starts at 9pm, you still have time to purchase tickets!
  • The concert starts at 9pm, you still have time to purchase tickets!
  • The concert starts at 9pm, you still have time to purchase tickets!
  • The concert starts at 9pm, you still have time to purchase tickets!
  • The concert starts at 9pm, you still have time to purchase tickets!

An example where color is used to distinguish between two different states or types of content could be a page where "Cornell alumni are identified in red and Yale alumni are identified in blue." This scenario applies if the only visual distinction is a change of color, regardless of what is changing color. (A scenario where two different states/types of content are identified by a background color shift are evaluated no differently than if the color of the text itself were the only difference between the two.)

For any interactive text that is only identified by a color shift, or where one state/type of content is visually identified by a color shift alone:

  • Ensure that the color contrast difference of the interactive text is a 3:1 color contrast difference from the surrounding text.
    • Color contrast requirements against the background still apply, but any failures of this would be marked in Guideline 33 or 34: 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum)
  • Ensure that the interactive text gains a different visual indicator when focused and hovered over.
    • Examples of a different visual indicator would include an outline or underlined text.

Mark a failure if either of the above two criteria are not met.

AI Prompt