Standard being reported: Section 6: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and Subsection Two: Don't rely on color alone

The standard may be accessed here.

Color is not viewed by everyone the same way--some people cannot differentiate between green and red, others cannot see any color at all. Consequently, it's necessary to use more than just color as a visual cue. Since some people have a hard time making sense of colors, or they all appear in a similar monochromatic scheme, it is important to use colors for the background and foreground that have a lot of contrast. Images should be placed with plenty of contrasting colors or a text alternative describing what they look like if the color conveys something special. Personal user settings can make it easier for text to be more visible with a different color, but it is still important to maintain a high level of differentiation for all users. Blind users will not be able to hear that there is a different color on the screen, so it is important to use the correct markup.

This standard can and must be implemented in a number of ways. Web designers should NOT use colors that are too similar as a background and foreground--it makes it difficult for even the average eye to make sense of it. When something is required (as it often is in forms that need to be filled out), there should be something other than just a color signal as to its importance. Generally, fields that are required should be marked with a 'strong' element. Anything that has special emphasis shouldn't be used just with color to create the emphasis--the em tags work for that, too. Basically, the web designer needs to make sure he or she is busy trying to reach the biggest number of users possible. And, since users can define their own styles, it should be done in a way that doesn't rely wholly on color to relay information, so as to not exclude those with difficulties seeing or differentiating between colors.

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