[ PLEASE READ BEFORE COMMENTING ] I strongly recommend you all real through this essay; I'll be referencing several points in it: https://en.scratch-wiki.info/wiki/User:Jvvg/Essays/Accessibility_preempts_aesthetics We've all seen stores and businesses that have things like wheelchair ramps and buttons to electronically open doors. Everywhere you go, you'll find parking places for people with disabilities. Sidewalks have the yellow bumps near streets to provide traction for people in wheelchairs. We as a society have to provide these things so people with disabilities will have equal access to the world around them. This is enforced by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which protects people with disabilities from discrimination. ( https://www.ada.gov/ ) Accessibility online is no different. The ADA requires websites to follow Web Accessibility Guidelines ( https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/ ). An important aspect to Web Accessibility is color contrast. "People with limited vision or color blindness cannot read text if there is not enough contrast between the text and background (for example, light gray text on a light-colored background)." ( https://www.ada.gov/ ) This is why Scratch chose this purple color. It provides better contrast against the white text, and their research showed that it was the best option. Okay, but what if Scratch **didn't** do this? What if they didn't change the colors to provide better Web Accessibility? What about other sites, what if you're making a personal site or a blog that isn't ADA compliant? Unfortunately, the ADA hasn't made it perfectly clear how and what sites need to comply. However, individuals do have the right to sue if they find that a site is not accessible. Realistically this is on a case-by-case basis, and it really depends on what the site is. Your personal website or blog? I wouldn't worry about someone suing you, but taking the time to make it more accessible would be the right thing to do! Scratch, on the other hand, is a very large site. In addition, it is an educational site that is used greatly in schools. All these aspects lead to a greater likelihood that someone could sue Scratch for not being accessible, and there's a pretty good chance that the individual would win. Considering that Scratch is a non-profit, a case like that could be detrimental to this site and the Scratch Foundation. You may dislike the change, you might not like purple, but I at least need you to understand **why** Scratch did this. It is out of respect and kindness for people with disabilities, but it is also to prevent them from running into legal issues. And many users have suggested they should make it optional what the colors are, and they **are** open to that idea! However, getting this update out was obviously a greater priority to them than creating an entirely new feature. Remember that the Scratch Team is a small team, and it is the same for the Developers. As said it, "they have to prioritize, and they have made the reasonable choice to prioritize accessibility over new features. The Scratch Team has a social responsibility to promote equity in computing and programming, and ensuring that everyone can access and use Scratch is key to that." ( https://en.scratch-wiki.info/wiki/User:Jvvg/Essays/Development_is_hard ) Even if you don't like the purple, I hope this project can help you understand **why** this change was necessary. If you're more curious about Web Accessibility, I'd encourage you to do your own research! Thanks for reading!
