RE: Please vote on proposed WCAG 2.1 SC for Color Contrast of User Interface Components

Hi Alastair,

I do not subscribe to the logic that text is always much harder, and using that to oppose the SC is just as futile since there is no research to back it up either.  Being able to use a simple 2 or 3 color icon may be much easier and require less contrast, but as an engineer I can say interpreting complicated plots with several line and/or symbol types or busy diagrams is certainly not much easier than reading text.  Using and understanding them often requires continuously absorbing objects and relating them cognitively, just as with text.

Next point... graphics often contain a lot of text anyway (e.g. scales, labels, legends, etc.).  These aren’t covered by WCAG 2.0 because the definition for “images of text” excludes images with other significant visual content.  The same research used in the past would apply here, and we’re just correcting a deficiency of 2.0.

As a final point, let’s put aside any visual acuity or visual field deficiencies in general, and consider color blindness.  For these users, it’s not about following anything; it’s just about seeing it.  If I make a very simple icon using two conflicting hues with the same luminance, what accessible path do they take to see it?

Steve

From: Alastair Campbell [mailto:acampbell@nomensa.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2017 4:18 AM
To: Glenda Sims <glenda.sims@deque.com>; public-low-vision-a11y-tf <public-low-vision-a11y-tf@w3.org>
Subject: Re: Please vote on proposed WCAG 2.1 SC for Color Contrast of User Interface Components

Hi Glenda,

Thanks for that, I was digging around for the correct link this morning.

There is one question I’m not sure was resolved which affects the general graphics contrast one as well. I asked here a while back but then didn’t follow up:

Logically (but without research) it seems that reading text is a harder task (visually and cognitively) than perceiving whether a line or box is there.

Is there any research that indicates either:
-          it is as difficult, or
-          it isn’t as difficult by X factor of difference.

I’m guessing no one has tried to research this aspect?

That’s the hardest question on the graphics contrast from the feedback, as the original WCAG 1.0/2.0 research was all for text.

Cheers,

-Alastair


From: Glenda Sims <glenda.sims@deque.com<mailto:glenda.sims@deque.com>>
Date: Monday, 12 June 2017 at 17:26
To: LVTF - low-vision-a11y <public-low-vision-a11y-tf@w3.org<mailto:public-low-vision-a11y-tf@w3.org>>
Subject: Please vote on proposed WCAG 2.1 SC for Color Contrast of User Interface Components
Resent-From: LVTF - low-vision-a11y <public-low-vision-a11y-tf@w3.org<mailto:public-low-vision-a11y-tf@w3.org>>
Resent-Date: Monday, 12 June 2017 at 17:27

Dear LVTF,

We have a proposed SC up on the AGWG call on Tuesday.  it is:

  *   User Interface Component Contrast (Minimum)
Please enter your vote in the open survey!
https://www.w3.org/2002/09/wbs/35422/Top3_18Apr2017/<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2002%2F09%2Fwbs%2F35422%2FTop3_18Apr2017%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C9138bc31541848b3e97508d4af1a8c38%7Cfa7b1b5a7b34438794aed2c178decee1%7C0%7C0%7C636325975936572072&sdata=Ch4vkIIrLxNpMX8PZpBsf0hDUAFSaZyUwyVxaf1RP70%3D&reserved=0>

Thanks tons,
Glenda

glenda sims    |   team a11y lead   |    deque.com<http://deque.com>    |    512.963.3773

web for everyone. web on everything. -  w3 goals