Creating accessible course materials means ensuring that all students can easily read and engage with your content, including those with low vision or color vision deficiencies. One of the most common and impactful accessibility issues is insufficient color contrast between text and background colors. This is especially important as Austin Community College (ACC) approaches the April 24 digital accessibility compliance deadline.

In this installment of our four-part accessible course materials blog post series, we’re highlighting a simple, effective tool to help you evaluate and improve color contrast in your course materials.

What is a Color Contrast Checker?

A color contrast checker helps determine whether the colors used in your materials meet accessibility standards outlined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines define levels of accessibility compliance (Level A, AA, and AAA), with Level AA serving as the required standard for most higher education institutions.

Using a contrast checker ensures that text is readable against its background, improving clarity for all students and supporting those who rely on accessible visual design. View a comprehensive list of 15 color checking tools here.

Featured Tool: WebAIM Contrast Checker

The WebAIM Contrast Checker is a free, user-friendly tool that allows you to test whether your color combinations meet WCAG standards.

What it does:

• Evaluates contrast between foreground (text) and background colors
• Indicates whether your selection meets WCAG Level A, AA, or AAA
• Provides immediate feedback so you can adjust colors as needed

What to keep in mind:

• You’ll need the HEX values of your colors (e.g., #000000 for black) to run a test
• The tool does not allow image uploads, so you may need to extract color values from your materials first

Why Color Contrast Matters

Strong color contrast directly impacts how students experience your course. Poor contrast can make content difficult or impossible to read, particularly for students with visual impairments or those accessing materials on different devices or in varying lighting conditions.

Improving contrast is often a quick fix that can significantly enhance readability and usability across your course materials, presentations, and PDFs.

Color Contrast: Do’s and Don’ts

Improving color contrast is often one of the quickest ways to make your materials more accessible. Use the following guidelines as you review your course content:

✅ Do:

• Use high contrast combinations (e.g., dark text on a light background or vice versa)
• Check your colors using a tool like WebAIM Contrast Checker to ensure they meet WCAG Level AA standards
• Make links easy to identify by using underlines in addition to color
• Use consistent, simple color schemes across your materials
• Test your content before publishing, especially slides, PDFs, and Blackboard materials

❌ Don’t:

• Use low-contrast combinations (e.g., light gray on white or pastel on pastel)
• Rely on color alone to convey meaning (e.g., “items in red are important”)
• Use neon or overly bright colors for body text, which can strain the eyes
• Choose color combinations that are difficult for colorblind users (e.g., red/green or blue/purple)
• Assume content is accessible without checking — accessibility issues are often not visible at a glance

Get Support!

Faculty are encouraged to take advantage of available support resources to meet accessibility requirements:

• One-on-one consultations with instructional designers provide personalized guidance on accessibility best practices, including color contrast (check the ID list here, or email [email protected] if you don’t see one listed)
• Remaining Remote Recess sessions highlight accessibility tools like Blackboard Ally
• Join the Accessibility and Universal Design Hacks for Your Courses Instructional Design session, hosted by Distance Learning, on Friday, April 10, 2026

These resources can help you quickly identify issues and implement effective solutions ahead of the April 24 deadline.

Act Now to Meet the Deadline

With the April 24 digital accessibility compliance deadline approaching, now is the time to review your course materials for color contrast issues. Small adjustments, such as updating text or background colors, can make a meaningful difference in accessibility and help ensure your materials meet required standards.

Stay tuned for part three of this series, which will highlight additional tools to support accessible forms and document design, or take a look back at part one, all about the many benefits of using Blackboard Ally.