Correct: Color Alone Shouldn't Convey Meaning
If people can't distinguish between colors, then they can't use that part of your site.
Example One (Acceptable Example)
We added some text that states what we meant by the green background.
Example Two (Unacceptable Example)
Similarly, we added text to explain the red background.
Links
A lot of times you will have links that only are a different color, but it is better to add a visual difference like an underline when you hover or focus the link.
Resources
- W3C, "G183: Using a contrast ratio of 3:1 with surrounding text and providing additional visual cues on focus for links or controls where color alone is used to identify them", Techniques and Failures for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, 2016.
- Princeton University Digital Accessibility, "Color Alone"