RE: [EXTERNAL] Color contrast question - button background

Aleta –

There is a proposed guideline that there be a 3:1 color contrast ratio for buttons or other non-text elements that will be part of the upcoming WCAG 2.1 guidelines. It is not yet a requirement, but it very possibly could be in the near future.

Here’s a link to the proposed guideline:
https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#non-text-contrast


There is no requirement for a 4.5:1 contrast between a button and its background that I know of.

Claudio Luis Vera
Senior Digital Accessibility Analyst

From: Aleta Moses [mailto:aletamoses@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2018 9:23 AM
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Color contrast question - button background



Hi there,

I have a question about button color contrast.

I am familiar with success criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum): The visual presentation of text<http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#textdef> and images of text<http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#images-of-textdef> with a contrast ratio<http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#contrast-ratiodef> of at least 4.5:1, for normal text.

However I have been told by colleagues recently that there is also a requirement for button color contrast  with the background that it is placed on.

If there is insufficient color contrast using 4.5:1 between a button and its background , would this be considered an accessibility failure? Or is text and background colour sufficient?

If there is a requirement, is there any instruction that would apply it to some buttons and not others, or should it be applied to all on a site?

Any advice or guidance would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Aleta
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