Canvas Accessibility Checker - Contrast Errors

Color contrast is the difference between the text color and the background behind it. When text has poor color contrast, it can make it difficult or impossible for students who are blind, have low vision, or who are color blind to read. Sometimes, poor color contrast can even make it difficult for everyone to read. For instance, yellow text on a white background is difficult for everyone to read, but would be completely inaccessible for a student who has low vision.

If your content has poor color contrast, the accessibility checker will show this menu: 

Screenshot of a Canvas Accessibility Checker demo page showing the accessibility checker interface on the right-hand side. The first objective, "Gain a basic understanding of what captions are," is highlighted in red, indicating a contrast error. The accessibility checker panel on the right displays the message: "Text smaller than 18pt (or bold 14pt) should display a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1," with a color picker for adjusting the text color and a button labeled "Apply".

In this menu, you can select a new color and apply it. If the new color is not accessible, the issue will still show in the checker and you will need to pick a new color. Remember, dark-colored text is better on light backgrounds (such as Aggie Blue on white) and light-colored text is better on dark backgrounds (such as white on Aggie Blue).