ploughshares/accessibility-improvements-...

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# Accessibility Improvements Update
## Color Contrast Enhancements
We've made several improvements to address readability concerns with the blue background:
1. **Lightened the primary blue color**:
- Changed from `#1b365d` (original Ploughshares blue) to `#2d5b96` (lighter shade)
- Kept the original as `--ploughshares-dark-blue` for elements that need darker contrast
- Added a new `--ploughshares-light-blue: #6b93c3` for even lighter contrast needs
2. **Improved color variable usage**:
- Updated all references to use the new color variables consistently
- Ensured hover states use appropriate darker variants for visual feedback
3. **Enhanced text contrast**:
- Verified all text/background combinations meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards (4.5:1 minimum)
- Added explicit `color: white` declarations to all button styles to ensure proper contrast
## Interactive Contrast Checker Tool
Added a new interactive contrast checker tool to help test and verify color combinations:
1. **Features**:
- Real-time contrast ratio calculation
- WCAG AA and AAA compliance indicators
- Color pickers for foreground and background colors
- Sample text preview with selected colors
- Toggle button in bottom-right corner of every page
2. **Implementation**:
- Created `contrast-checker.js` with self-contained functionality
- Added to base template so it's available on all pages
- Follows WCAG formula for calculating luminance and contrast ratios
3. **Usage**:
- Click the "Contrast Checker" button in the bottom right of any page
- Select foreground and background colors using the color pickers
- View the calculated contrast ratio and compliance status
- Test different color combinations for accessibility
## Navigation Improvements
1. **Added Accessibility Page Link**:
- Added a direct link to the accessibility testing page in the main navigation
- Includes appropriate icon and ARIA attributes
2. **Testing Tools**:
- Created `run_lighthouse_test.sh` with instructions for running Lighthouse tests
- Updated the accessibility testing page with examples of the new color scheme
## How to Test the Changes
1. **Visit the application** at http://localhost:5005
2. **Use the contrast checker tool** by clicking the button in the bottom right corner
3. **Navigate to the Accessibility page** through the main navigation
4. **Check the color samples** on the accessibility testing page
5. **Run Lighthouse tests** using the provided script: `./run_lighthouse_test.sh`
These improvements ensure better readability throughout the application while maintaining the Project Ploughshares brand identity.