In communication, it is important for messaging to be accessible to all intended audiences. Accessibility, the ease of availability, can mean making special accommodations to suits the specific needs of individuals or groups in order to effectively communicate (Henry, Abou-Zahra, & Brewer, 2014). For instance, when communicating online it is important to consider visual forms of accessibility. Color vision deficiency (CVD), is one such condition communicators should anticipate in webpage development (Colour Blindness, n.d.).
Color Vision Deficiency
According to colourblindawareness.org, a UK bases organization dedicated to raising awareness of CVD, colorblindness affects 1 in 200 woman globally (Colour Blindness, n.d.). More strikingly, CVD disproportionately affects approximately 1 in 12 men (Colour Blindness, n.d.). In 2006, it was estimated 280,000,000 world wide stubbled with various forms of CVD (Colour Blindness, n.d.). …show more content…
Visuals are added to websites for a few different reasons, the visual might help explain something such as directions, it may highlight how a product looks, or a visual may be included on a webpage simply to increase visual appeal (Liu, 2010). However, if CVD accessibility is not taken into consideration, visuals can be challenging for those will CVD to decipher (Colour Blindness, n.d.). A common visual is a company’s brand, insignia, or logo.
Colored graphics and logos. In an effort to solidify branding, a company or team website will almost certainly feature a company logo. Examine Figure 1, the logo for the Minnesota Wild Ice hockey team. As the majority of individuals see it, the clever logo features a bright white shooting start racing across a full yellowed moon hanging in a crimson red sky, all overlooking ever-green evergreen trees and a winding river, then fit into the outline of a wild animal (Minnesota Wild,