Color Contrast in Scratch

Modified on Thu, 16 Apr at 6:14 PM

We’re excited to share some upcoming changes to the colors on the Scratch site. Check out the video above or read below to learn more about what this means.

The biggest change you'll notice is that the nav bar at the top of your screen will change color, from blue to purple. You may also notice some smaller updates (like the alerts color for your messages), but the Scratch site will still feel and work the same.

The other exciting change will appear in the Project Editor. Scratchers will now have the option to use High Contrast blocks, which will be easier for some people to read. You'll be able to change this color mode inside of the Editor. You can always change the color mode back or decide not to try High Contrast blocks at all! You may even see some new color mode options in the future.

When will this happen?

We will be sharing these updates to the website on June 28th!

Why are we making this change?

We made these changes so our site can be more accessible and used by everyone – including people with disabilities. We want to make sure everything on the site is easy to read so more people can express themselves on Scratch.

All of the changes we are making meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which you can learn more about in the links below:

Kiddle: Accessibility Facts for Kids

W3 WCAG Guidelines and Standards

Wikipedia Article About WCAG

It's important that Scratch is inclusive for all Scratchers! We love that our community is made of Scratchers with differing abilities, backgrounds, and cultures, and this is just one step toward making sure everyone feels welcome on Scratch.

Special thanks to Scratchers who gave us feedback about the High Contrast blocks on Scratch Lab. Your suggestions helped us make the design even better.

We hope you have fun exploring the new High Contrast blocks, and stay tuned for future announcements!

Scratch On!

ceebee, on behalf of the Scratch Team