diff --git a/bases/rsptx/interactives/ptxrs-bootstrap.less b/bases/rsptx/interactives/ptxrs-bootstrap.less
index 2763df0d3..4cdfa17d3 100644
--- a/bases/rsptx/interactives/ptxrs-bootstrap.less
+++ b/bases/rsptx/interactives/ptxrs-bootstrap.less
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
     --links: #7289da;
     --bodyFont: var(--body-text-color, #99aab5);
     --tooltip: #000000;
-    --grayToWhite: #aaa;
+    --grayToWhite: #e1e1e1;  /* AA compliant against known backgrounds */
     --navbar: #3d3d3d;
     --navbarFont: #ffffff;
     --navbarFontHover: #d6d6d6;
diff --git a/bases/rsptx/interactives/runestone/common/css/runestone-custom-sphinx-bootstrap.css b/bases/rsptx/interactives/runestone/common/css/runestone-custom-sphinx-bootstrap.css
index bfe5eae98..4ef918821 100644
--- a/bases/rsptx/interactives/runestone/common/css/runestone-custom-sphinx-bootstrap.css
+++ b/bases/rsptx/interactives/runestone/common/css/runestone-custom-sphinx-bootstrap.css
@@ -86,7 +86,13 @@ div.assignment-nav {
     border-width: 1px;
     padding-bottom: 5px;
     padding-top: 5px;
+}
 
+div.assignment-nav a {
+    /* use link color from PTX if available */
+    color: var(--link-alt-text-color, var(--links));
+    /* match PTX link styling and differentiate from standard text for AA compliance */
+    font-weight: 700;
 }
 
 /* custom modification of basic.css for color-contrast (AA compliant) */