Re: Check that all information conveyed with color is also available without color

I have been using the "Grayscale the Page" bookmarklet found at
http://www.508compliant.com/tools.htm  and I think it works well.  Once
you've downloaded the tool, it ends up as a favorite in your IE favorites.
They also have "Kill Style Sheets" and "IMGs missing ALTs".

Kathleen Anderson, Chair
State of Connecticut
CMAC Web Site Accessibility Committee
email: kathleen.anderson@po.state.ct.us
phone: (860) 702-3355
URL: http://www.cmac.state.ct.us/access/


----- Original Message -----
From: "Alan Chuter" <achuter@teleservicios.com>
To: <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Sent: Monday, June 17, 2002 5:00 AM
Subject: Check that all information conveyed with color is also available
without color



This is so obvious that I can't think that nobody has thought of it before.
The
WCAG techniques suggest:

  "To test whether color contrast is sufficient to be read by people with
color
  deficiencies or by those with low resolution monitors, print pages on a
black
  and white printer (with backgrounds and colors appearing in grayscale)."

As many people have pointed out printing is not sufficient as the browser
compensates
for color problems. Using a B&W monitor it's awkward to compare between
monitors.

A simple solution is as follows. My example uses Windows and Microsoft
Office Photo
Editor but it will work with other platforms and editors I think.

1. Use Ctrl+Alt+PrintScreen to copy the image of the browser window
   to the clipboard.

2. In Photo Editor, select Edit/Paste as new Image

3. Select File/Properties/Image/Type and switch to grayscale

4. Repeat step 2

You now have two copies of the window, one with color and one in grayscale,
and you
can toggle between them with Ctrl+F6 to compare.

Alan Chuter
achuter@teleservicios.com
Fundosa Teleservicios (ONCE Foundation), Madrid, Spain
ONCE (Spanish National Organization of the Blind)

Received on Monday, 17 June 2002 08:04:37 UTC