Published 3rd August 2016
Measurement of colour contrast and luminosity is key in assisting people with low vision to navigate both built environments and the world wide web.
Roger Johansson a web engineer put together a very helpful web page entitled 10 colour contrast checking tools to improve the accessibility of your design. Roger made the point that "It is important to understand that there are different algorithms used to calculate contrast ratios. Some tools use the luminosity contrast ratio algorithm mentioned by the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.0 working draft, while others use the colour brightness and colour difference algorithms."
An updated list of useful tools is given below based on Roger's orginal list:
While none of the above are intended for the built environment some can be used with photographs or a new measuremt tool called the CUBE, this is a colour sampling tool linked to an App for ios and Android smart devices.This device when paired to the Cube's amtching Companion App can record, tag and share captured colors. It then reveal detailed color information which can dovetail with the above tools) and is matched to the world’s best paint and color databases. This very helpful information can be used to improve colour, contrast and perception for internal built environments. More detail can be found within the Colour, light and contrast manual: Designing for and Managing Inclusive Built Environments book authored by Bright and Cook in 2010.
As explained within the same book "the ways colour, light and contrast are used within built environments [is] critical in determining how people interact with the space, and how confident, safe, and secure [people] they will feel when doing so. ... Understanding how to use colour and contrast and how they are influenced by both natural and artificial lighting is vital for all those involved in the design and management of the environments and spaces we all use".
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