When AAA Color Contrast Ratios Are Too Strict

When AAA Color Contrast Ratios Are Too Strict

When it comes to selecting color schemes, web development professionals are invariably directed to comply with WCAG 2.0 standards promulgated by WebAim and W3C; however, some color ratio deviation may apply in some cases. In the case of gold color schemes, for example, you can start with #FFA100 as a background color and flat black in the foreground, which would be rated AAA with both large and normal text. With regard to graphical objects and user interface elements that are typically designed with lighter colors, #FFA100 would still be rated AA.
Projects that call for text portions composed with smaller serif fonts, the AAA benchmark is harder to reach, especially if the client does not want to deviate from specific font families. In the United States, academic institutions are known to demand AAA compliance across all their web properties, but patient developers can take time to explain how WCAG 2.0 really works. It should be noted that the conformance level of WCAG 2.0 starts at level A, which means that a small section of the page can deviate from the AAA level and still be compliant.
The highest WCAG 2.0 level that web developers can hope to achieve, AAA, is not necessary for conformance. A color scheme that scores AA on WebAim is sufficient in terms of accessibility. When clients insist upon AAA, a good idea is to inform them that this may actually place constraints upon creativity; moreover, it is important to remember that WCAG 2.0 recommends providing optional layouts such as black and white pages that provide very high contrast levels.
Another WCAG 2.0 compliance idea would be to designate a certain section of the page for visitors interested in accessibility options, and this section may display a AAA contrast ratio. A good strategy would be to call attention to these sections so that visitors can navigate straight to them if they want a black and white display. To a great extent, this is what various web browsers have been trying to accomplish with their new "dark mode" extensions, which do not automatically present AAA contrast ratios. For more information click here https://www.reddit.com/r/web_design/comments/ay1i55/can_you_hit_aaa_contrast_ratio_and_still_produce/.

Contrast Ratios AAA