Color contrast is an important part of making digital content easy to read for everyone, including people with low vision or color blindness. Good contrast helps users clearly see text, links, and important information across websites, emails, and social media.
What Is Color Contrast?
Color contrast is the difference between the text color and the background color.
✅ Black text on a white background (easy to read)
❌ Light gray text on a white background (hard to read)
Required Contrast Ratio
All district content must meet a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text.
This applies to:
Websites
Emails and newsletters
Social media graphics
Digital flyers and documents
Schoology and other digital platforms
Why It Matters
Low contrast can make content difficult or impossible to read for:
People with visual impairments
Users viewing content on mobile devices
Anyone in bright or low-light environments
Accessible contrast helps make sure everyone can read and understand your message.
Best Practices
Use dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background
Avoid light colors like yellow, light gray, or pastels on white backgrounds
Make sure links stand out clearly from the surrounding text
Use readable font sizes (at least 12–14pt for most content)
❌ Inaccessible Example
This text is too light and difficult to read on a white background.
✅ Accessible Example
This text has strong contrast and is easy to read.
Don’t Rely on Color Alone
Color should not be the only way you share information.
❌ “Students in red are absent.”
✅ “Absent students are marked in red and labeled ‘Absent’.”
Always include text labels or symbols so all users can understand the message.
Check Your Colors
Use this free tool to test your color combinations before publishing:
Check color contrast with WebAIM
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Light gray text on a white background
White text on a light background
Using color alone to show meaning
Text placed over busy images
Buttons with low-contrast text
Quick Tip
When in doubt, choose simple, high-contrast colors. Clear and easy-to-read content is always the best choice.