RE: Table contrast ratio

Owen,

Sorry, I don’t see why everyone is making this so complicated.

Make the table borders so they can be seen by people with low vision, period.

It was just common sense and a regular design practice but in order to “be accessible” we feel we need to have a specific guideline. Well, with 2.1 we have it now. 

Success Criterion 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast
The visual presentation of the following have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against adjacent color(s):
User Interface Components
Visual information required to identify user interface components and states, except for inactive components or where the appearance of the component is determined by the user agent and not modified by the author;
Graphical Objects
Parts of graphics required to understand the content, except when a particular presentation of graphics is essential to the information being conveyed.
The graphics do not need to be 3.1 if making them 3.1 will affect them and it is essential that THEY, THAT IS THE GRAPHICS THEMSELVES,  not meet that value.

I don’t think you can say that not making them 3.1 is essential to them alone.

Also,  you can convince me that making them 3.1 will affect the ability to understand the data that is in the table.

Alan Smith

From: Owen Sage
Sent: Thursday, May 2, 2019 10:45 AM
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: Table contrast ratio

Hello,

I have been working making some table designs accessible, as part of a wider UI kit.

My question is I have been looking at the WCAG guidelines for contrast ratio and how that might apply to the borders sitting between each row.

The nearest section in the WCAG guidelines I have found is for non-text contrast and interestingly talks about two things. If something is 'required to understand the content' then it looks like it needs to be 3:1. 'except when a particular presentation is essential'

The main issue I’ve found is 3:1 feels like it introduces a lot of visual noise and could makes it hard for the user to scan and absorb. As the tables I’m designing with mostly contain lots of clinically important medical data where the clarity of data is key, the focus for me needs to be on the cell content. I’m thinking in this case the lines can possibly be exempt from meeting 3:1 as they be described as  'except when a particular presentation is essential'

Is there a definitive guidelines around tables gridlines/cell borders needing to be 3:1, or is it secondary to the main focus of the data. And as such doesn’t need to meet 3:1?

Thanks,

Owen Sage
UX Designer
User Experience team