Announcing GrayBit v1.0
Converted Contrast is one of those challenges accessible web developers must contend with, else risk leaving users behind. The type of user being left behind in this case, specifically, would be one with color-blindness or a related vision disability. To the unchallenged web user a colored site will indeed be colored. The reds will be red, the greens, green. To the color-blind user, though, those same reds will be a medium gray and, this is where the problem lies, so, too, will the greens. Obviously medium gray on medium gray leaves no contrast, and for some users this is going to be a big problem.
When your reds are red and greens, green, it’s easy to think all is well, but when seeing the same picture through the eyes of the afflicted, a whole new understanding dawns. But what are developers to do? Guess? Take an educated chance? Sure, been doing it for years. But this doesn’t have to be the case. First of all there are a few site checking utilities available to you. Use them. It’s free help for the most part. And for testing grayscale contrast accessibility, specifically, there’s a new tool in town. Actually, it’s been around since March 7th but now it’s ready!
Introducing GrayBit v1.0, just released in its first non-beta form. Not bad, just a little over thirty days from its beta release. All thanks to the amazing talents of Jonathan Fenocchi, a really amazing PHP-script-master — with some special help from Bokehman — and track-happy Mike Cherim who better-darn-well-of made a reasonably accessible user interface (there is a style changer to those who don’t like the reverse) and back-end. To describe GrayBit itself, we’ll let GrayBit do that:
“GrayBit is an online accessibility testing tool designed to visually convert a full-color web page into a grayscale rendition for the purpose of visually testing the page’s perceived contrast.
Relying on colors to determine page visibility and contrast can be misleading. Converting the colors to their grayscale equivalents is a more reliable method. By removing color’s influence, you’ll better find true visual contrast… GrayBit makes it possible.
GrayBit isn’t without limitations. Currently the tool works best on websites that make use of cascading style sheets and a standardized markup. Sites that use style information within tables and such may not be properly converted. Moreover, certain site JavaScripts may not function as expected. This would include imagery as found in remotely generated ads.” –GrayBit Website
If you wish to comment on GrayBit or if you have questions, you may use this post on Jona’s Blog, and/or the one on Mike’s Blog, or you can simply use the contact form at Graybit.
