Southern New Hampshire University

Selecting Text Color Display in Microsoft Word

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Color accessibility helps lower or remove the barrier to entry for those users.  Avoid using color as a way to convey your message. Color accessibility is measured against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for contrast and color, standardizing color definitions, minimum contrast ratios by text size, and more.  

Creating a Microsoft Word Document

Relying on color alone to communicate information causes barriers to access for people. Many individuals with color deficiencies, colorblind, different cognitive abilities, and low vision users may not be able to perceive the color differences, and screen readers do not announce colors to non-sighted users. When you create a document, please consider your color choice and how you convey the message. Deliver your message in multiple modalities and apply accessible design. 

an image demonstrating color contrast, on the left is a light green background and a dark green text labelled "good", on the right is a bright red background and a light green text color, labelled "bad"

Ensure that text displays well by using the Automatic setting for font colors. Select your text, and then select HomeFont ColorAutomatic.

Microsoft Word homepage with the "Home" ribbon button boxed in.
The Font color button boxed in, with the font color menu open.

To View and Listen to a Video Tutorial:

Select the link below to watch and listen to the tutorial:

How-to Video for Using Accessible Text Color (00:01:00)

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