Colour blindness

[Hal Murray]

> In case it helps, I am quite colorblind (I mix up anything that CAN be
> mixed up...) and I haven't had any problems with the keyboard. 

That's because the original subject of this thread is misleading.

The problem is not color, it's reduced contrast.  Any background color will 
do the same thing.  A lighter green would better,

I haven't found a good web page that explains this crisply.  (If anybody 
does, please let me/us know.)

The Readability Guidelines at the bottom of this rant cover it:
  http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20020819.html
But they assume you know what's going on rather than explaining things.

Which reminds me of one of my pet gripes about modern computer aided layout 
software: they encourage idiots to put text on pictures.  Even Scientific 
American screwed that one up many many years ago, and they had a reputation 
for good graphics and such.

The same problem happens when web pages use a background color that reduces 
the contrast.  This is frequently obvious when the background is a picture.


Interesting timing.  I was at my doctor's office last Fri, getting a tetanus 
booster shot.  They gave me a sheet of fine print to read.  It was black ink 
on red paper.  I could read it, but I think I would have noticed that it was 
slightly hard to read even without this discussion.


PS for vision geeks:
  Swordfish have 100 watt heaters behind their eyes.
  That's because eyes/brains work better when they are warmer.
  http://www.bioedonline.org/picks/news.cfm?art=1511
  http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/pfrp/newsletters/Apr-June2005.pdf


-- 
These are my opinions, not necessarily my employer's.  I hate spam.