Guide
Choosing high contrast color schemes for low vision
Examples of good high contrast color schemes for low vision and why they are important, plus my favorite color schemes.
On several of my favorite assistive technology devices and software applications, there are several options for choosing high contrast color schemes with low vision. While I tend to rotate between the same color schemes depending on different factors, I still like to look at all of the high contrast color schemes when checking out a new device or application to see how different documents or displays look with the different color filters. Here are my tips for choosing high contrast color schemes with low vision and learning how they are used.
WHY ARE HIGH CONTRAST COLOR SCHEMES IMPORTANT?
High contrast color schemes allow users to be able to see information clearly and to read without putting additional strain on their eyes. While this is important for designing a product or tool for any audience, it is especially important for audiences that have people with low vision, as they may have more difficulty reading information if it is not shown with a high contrast color scheme.
RELATED LINKS
- How To Write Image Descriptions About Online Products For Visual Impairment
- How To Create High Resolution Images For Users With Low Vision
- How Web Accessibility Impacts My Life With Low Vision
EXAMPLES OF HIGH CONTRAST COLOR SCHEMES
What colors are the best for visually impaired users? Some of the most popular high contrast color combinations and color schemes I see within video magnifiers and high contrast displays include:
- White text on black background
- Black text on yellow background
- Yellow text on black background
- Green text on black background
- Yellow text on blue background
- Blue text on yellow background
- Grayscale display
RELATED LINKS
- Colored Paper and the Readability of Text
- Choosing Wallpapers and Backgrounds With Low Vision
- Designing Business Cards For Low Vision
BAD COLOR SCHEMES
Some examples of color combinations that do not make good high-contrast color schemes include:
- Yellow background with green text
- Black background with gray text
- Red background with blue text
- White background with gray text
RELATED LINKS
- Writing Utensils and Low Vision
- Ten Spooky Inaccessible Assignments and How To Fix Them
- My Eight Favorite Free Fonts For Print Disabilities
FACTORS THAT CAN INFLUENCE CHOOSING A HIGH CONTRAST COLOR SCHEME
Some examples of factors that can influence what high contrast color scheme I choose include:
- My eye condition- I have more difficulty seeing grayscale displays than colored ones
- Overhead/task lighting and shadows that may be cast on the page
- My eye fatigue level can impact my ability to look at bright colored backgrounds
- What materials I am working with
- How important it is to look at the colors of the original object
RELATED LINKS
- Using PicsArt To Simulate Vision Impairment
- Assistive Technology For Fluctuating Eyesight
- How I Document Accessibility Preferences With Low Vision
LIGHT BACKGROUND OR DARK BACKGROUND?
One of the questions I commonly get is whether someone should choose to use a light colored background with dark text, or a dark colored background with light text. My personal preference is to use a dark colored background with light colored text, as I have photosensitivity and don’t like bright lights. At my internship, I preferred to use a high contrast theme with a black background and yellow or green text, as I found this was the easiest to work with.
RELATED LINKS
- Ten Ways To Reduce Eye Strain From Screens With Technology
- Five Common Technology Behaviors That Hurt My Brain
- How To Customize Icons In Windows 10
IS DARK MODE THE SAME AS HIGH CONTRAST COLOR SCHEMES?
I have dark mode enabled on my Android phone by default, so that all of my apps will use a dark background with light text. However, some apps can be disorienting in dark mode or not have proper contrast settings enabled, so I use them in light mode. I’m hoping that as dark mode becomes more widespread, more apps will look better in dark mode and have proper high contrast displays. However, dark mode is not a total replacement for a high contrast display.
ENABLING HIGH-CONTRAST COLOR SCHEMES WITH POPULAR TECHNOLOGY
Did you know that it is surprisingly easy to enable high-contrast color schemes with popular technology? Here are some examples.
WINDOWS
Windows has a high contrast theme available that users can customize to their individual needs. I have an entire post about how to enable high contrast in Windows linked below.
IOS/IPAD OS
Within Accessibility settings, users can go to the “Display & Text Size” menu and enable options to reduce transparency, increase contrast, and use the Smart Invert tool to invert the display of their screen.
MACINTOSH COMPUTERS
Macintosh computers also support Smart Invert, which can be enabled by going to “system preferences”, clicking on “accessibility” and then “display”, and checking the box that says “invert colors.” Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut command-option-control-8
ANDROID PHONES
Within Display settings, users can turn on dark mode, and pair this with the high-contrast font option in the Accessibility settings menu.
RELATED LINKS
- Using High Contrast Themes In Windows 10
- Accessibility Settings I’m Using In iPad OS and iOS 13
- Low Vision Accessibility Settings For MacBooks
- Android Pie Accessibility For Vision Impairment
MY MOST-USED COLOR SCHEMES
My most used high-contrast color schemes include:
- Black background with yellow text for my computer or video magnifiers
- Light yellow background with black text for paper
- Black background with white text for some video magnifiers
RELATED LINKS
FINAL THOUGHTS
I love having access to so many different high-contrast color schemes, and am glad to see more applications and companies incorporating high-contrast designs into their products. I hope this post on common high-contrast color schemes is helpful for others wondering how and why I use high contrast displays with low vision!
By Veronica Lewis/Veronica With Four Eyes, www.veroniiiica.com
