Module 14: Color Contrast Analyzer

Voice Over (VO): Welcome to the Color Contrast Analyzer CCA Module. The purpose of this module is to ensure the contrast ratio between text and images of text and its background is sufficient.

VO: People who are colorblind or have low vision will only have comparable access if there is sufficient contrast between the text and the background. The color contrast standards are 4.5 to 1 for standard text and 3 to 1 for large text.

VO: Incidental text and local types are excluded from this requirement. Note, if the text is black on a white background or close to it, there is no need to perform this test.

VO: To start, open a web page that contains text elements, then open the CCA tool. Select the foreground color picker button and move the color picker box over the darkest part of the text and select enter.

VO: Next, select the background color picker button and move the color picker box over the background section of the text and select enter. After the foreground and background colors have been identified, the contrast ratio displays in the result luminosity section in the result memo text area box.

VO: Note, do not select the drop-down menu of the color picker. An element passes when the color contrast ratio meets the minimum contrast requirement of 4.5 to 1 for standard text and 3 to 1 for large text.

VO: An element fails when the color contrast ratio does not meet the minimum contrast requirement of 4.5 to 1 for standard text and 3 to 1 for large text. The test does not apply when there is no text on the page.

VO: This concludes the color contrast analyzer CCA module. To download the latest version of the CCA tool, go to http://www.pacillogroup.com/resources/contrastanalyzer.