Color Accessibility
Note
Color accessibility options were added in the v1.8.11-beta release.
This project makes extensive use of green/red for delineation of if something is good or bad. This poses a problem for those who have a colorblindness. In order to make this system more usable, each device has configuration options for common types of colorblindness. These settings modify the appearance of the Coordinator monitor displays and the front panels of all the other computers. Configurations are done on a per-device basis.
This functionality is both intended to address colors themselves and the areas of the system that may place too much importance on color distinction for operation. I could not address all of those latter cases, but I addressed the notorious NETWORK light on the front panels that can be 4 different colors (plus an off state). Additionally, there are no longer any orange lights on the Coordinator displays.
Various UI changes occur when selecting any colorblind mode.
- Indicator colors are shifted to be more distinct, with blue replacing green as the "OK" color
- Indicators are black when off instead of gray or a dim color as seen on front panels.
- The multi-color NETWORK indicators are split up into multiple indicators. NT LINKED indicates if the link to the supervisor was successful, NT VERSION indicates if the communications protocol version of the device matches the supervisor' protocol version, and on the Reactor PLC, NT COLLISION indicates if another PLC with the same unit ID is already connected to the supervisor.
Reactor PLC Basalt theme in the Deuteranopia color mode
If you have a colorblindness and are having trouble with something specific, let me know, and we can work to make it more clear! I used an app to simulate different types of colorblindness in my testing, but maybe some things could be improved.
Three colorblind modes are made available to select that modify the color palette used for green, yellow, and red. Note: green always becomes a shade of blue. On the Coordinator displays, not all colors are shifted. Greens are still present, but are not used in indicator lights.
As shown in the screenshot, there is a note that the exact shade varies across themes. This is to ensure contrast and readability.
This mode is designed for those with no green cones or reduced sensitivity to greens; Deuternaopia and Deuteranomaly.
This mode is designed for those with no red cones or reduced sensitivity to reds; Protanopia and Protanomaly.
This mode is designed for those with no blue cones or reduced sensitivity to blues; Tritanopia and Tritanomaly.
This mode replaces green indicators with blue ones. It maintains the standard gray indicator backgrounds for the coordinator UI and the tinted off indicators on the front panels.
This mode is the same as standard, but indicator backgrounds are black (except when the background is black).
This mode replaces green indicators with blue ones. Indicator backgrounds are black, except when the background is black.
