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Re: Using color to distinguish a visual element

for

From: Stephan Wehner
Date: Dec 8, 2008 12:45PM

On Mon, Dec 8, 2008 at 11:17 AM, Angela Colter < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> I'm in the middle of conducting an accessibility review on a nonprofit's Web site using WCAG 2.0 guidelines, and I'd like some opinions regarding whether a component passes or fails a guideline.
>
> The site uses hyperlinks that are styled blue, but not underlined (or bold or anything else that distinguishes text from links.) However, the site DOES include a hover state for links. When you mouse over a link, the underline appears.
>
> Guideline 1.4.1 states that to pass, "Color is not used as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element."

I think Jakob Nielsen explains it well in his Alert Box, "Guidelines
for Visualizing Links". His first item is

"To maximize the perceived affordance of clickability, color and
underline the link text. Users shouldn't have to guess or scrub the
page to find out where they can click."

See http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20040510.html

Stephan

> So here's my question: Is the hover state enough to qualify as a distinguishing visual element? Frankly, I don't think so. If you assumed all the blue on the page is just text, or don't notice the difference between blue and black text, you might not bother to mouse over and trigger the hover state.
>
> What do you think?
>
> Angela Colter
> Senior Usability Specialist
> UserWorks
> 301-431-0500
>
>