Re: 1.4.11 if a button has a background less than 3:1 and no border does it pass

Hi David,

To set the context, this was part of a conversation just prior to 2.1 publication, see this thread:
https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/2018AprJun/0542.html

Also, with that and subsequent discussions we had a large update to non-text contrast:
https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/2018AprJun/0542.html

The TL;DR was:
There are instances where having a background or subtle border is not an issue, and requiring it would be likely to cause designers to remove them, rather than up the contrast.

HTH,

-Alastair

Apologies for typos, sent from a mobile.
________________________________
From: David MacDonald <david100@sympatico.ca>
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 5:38:35 PM
To: WCAG; Alastair Campbell; Andrew Kirkpatrick
Subject: 1.4.11 if a button has a background less than 3:1 and no border does it pass

On the call "Example 3" on this page was presented as a pass of 1.4.11.
https://alastairc.uk/tests/wcag21-examples/ntc-focus-styles.html

 It confused me and I want to check my assumptions with others on our current interpretation of 1.4.11. I would like to get others opinion on two scenarios. Do these pass of fail?

1) a button has a background but it is less than 3:1 contrast  (no border). The button text is 4.5:1 on the button background as per 1.4.3.
2) a button has a visible border and background but both are less than 3:1 contrast against the page color. The button text is 4.5:1 on the button background as per 1.4.3

The text of the SC is this:
          Visual information required to identify user interface components and states ... [has 3:1 contrast]

Is the text "Example 3" enough to know that this is a user interface component without perceiving the grey background.
If Example #3 had a border less than 3:1 would it pass 1.4.11

My feeling is that the words "Example 3" is not enough to know that this is an interactive control.  If an author is creating a background for a button to indicate it is a button, doesn't that background need to meet 3:1?

And if an author puts a border around a button, doesn't that border need to meet 3:1?

Whatever our consensus on what is necessary to know a button is an interactive control, I'd like to make it explicit in the understanding for 1.4.11.

My interpretation is that if there is no background and border, then low vision people have no disadvantage but if there is a visible border or background then the SC kicks in and there needs to be sufficient contrast in the button or border. What do others think?


Cheers,
David MacDonald



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