
SC 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) is just for Level AA while SC 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced) is for Level AAA. Difference between SC 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) and SC 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced) Let’s go over how you can avoid this starting with the difference between these two success criteria. Unfortunately, WebAIM million found low contrast text on 83.9% of the million website homepages that were tested, so low contrast text is a common issue on websites. We’ll cover Success Criterion (SC) 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) and SC 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced) together because they both cover the contrast of text with its background color. Success Criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) and Success Criterion 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced)

We’ll explain each one with exactly what you would need to do and examples. With that in mind, let’s review the four different WCAG 2.0 success criteria that reference a contrast ratio requirement. Knowing these contrast requirements empowers designers to create more user-friendly designs and set the team up for success with reusable elements that are accessible. When designing, I keep higher contrast in mind, and then I double-check it with WebAIM’s color contrast checker.Ĭreating a style guide or design system that aligns with contrast guidelines also means everyone knows accessible color choices for elements like headings, links, and buttons.” “Designing with color contrast in mind can make your design more user-friendly. These guidelines don’t have to be limiting. You can also check out W3C’s short description of how Lee, an online shopper with color blindness, is affected by color issues, or watch W3C’s perspective video to learn more about how good contrast helps contrast-sensitive users: The different contrast requirements explained with examplesĭesigners and developers have the power to affect millions of people if we just know contrast accessibility guidelines. Or, if we flip that and say the design choice is informed by contrast accessibility guidelines, millions of people can read the text and see visuals clearly. This means millions of people can face a barrier by a seemingly simple design choice.

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness estimates 295 million people with moderate to severe vision impairment (or low vision).The National Eye Institute estimates that 1 in 12 men have some type of color blindness, which means there are at least 300 million people on earth who are color blind.Good contrast makes it easier for everyone to read the text and distinguish graphical elements.īut, what might just be difficult to read for a visual user could be unreadable to a user with contrast sensitivity due to low vision or color blindness.Ĭheck out these numbers to understand how many people are affected by contrast sensitivity and could face a barrier in accessing content if contrast accessibility guidelines aren’t met: Just from the examples above, it’s clear that contrast matters for everyone. Back to top Who is affected by low contrast issues?
