United States Department of Veterans Affairs
VHA Office of Health Information

Training for Testing Software for 508 Compliance

Page 4 of 5

Testing for §1194.21 (i): Color Coding

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Testing without AT

Here are some steps to test color use without assistive technology:

If the system has a setting for black and white contrast:

  1. Use the setting for black and white contrast.
  2. Perform functions of the application such as opening and closing files, selecting and editing text, printing and finding items in the Help files.
    • Determine whether all controls can still be identified.
    • Determine whether all error messages can still be identified.
    • Determine whether words or symbols are used to identify important cues such as required fields or emphasized information.

If the system does not have black and white settings:

  1. Print the screens to a black and white printer.
  2. Make the same determinations as above.

Pass/Fail

Use these criteria to make your evaluation of the related checkpoints:

PASS

Pass if all these criteria are met:

  • Instructions for all controls can be identified by a method other than color.
  • All error messages can be identified by a method other than color.
  • Emphasis can be indicated by a method other than color.
  • The selected state of an element can be indicated by a method other than color.

FAIL

Fail if any one of the above conditions is not met.

Select Next to complete this module.

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