Making Your UI Design Accessible A, AA, AAA and not AAARGH!!!
WCAG accesablity guidelines and color contrast in UI design
In today’s digital world, UI design plays a crucial role in creating an intuitive and seamless user experience. But not everyone interacts with digital platforms in the same way, and we gotta think about accessibility so that everybody can access the content, regardless of their abilities. One essential aspect of accessibility is colour contrast, which can significantly impact the user experience for those with visual impairments. In this case study, we’ll explore the importance of colour contrast in UI design, and how it aligns with the WCAG accessibility guidelines.
Why Colour Contrast is Key in UI Design
Colour is a powerful tool in UI design that can create a visual hierarchy, promote brand recognition, and convey emotions. But colour can also create accessibility issues, mainly for users with visual impairments who might struggle differentiating between colours or perceiving them differently. For instance, users with colour blindness, low vision, or cataracts may struggle to read text or interpret images that don’t provide a sufficient contrast ratio.
A contrast ratio measures the difference in luminance between two colours, typically the foreground colour (text or graphics) and the background colour. The WCAG accessibility guidelines recommend a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (bold or 14pt+) so that everybody can read the content without straining their eyes. Additionally, the guidelines suggest using colour combos that aren’t exclusively based on hue, saturation, or brightness differences, as these can be unreliable for some users.
Making Sure Your UI Design Has Color Contrast
Designers can use several tools and techniques to verify color contrast in UI design and ensure that the content meets the WCAG accessibility guidelines. Here are some tips:
- Use online contrast checker tools to test the contrast ratio between two colors, such as WebAIM’s Contrast Checker or ColorSafe.
- Avoid using color combos that are known to cause accessibility issues, such as red-green or blue-yellow.
- Use high-contrast color schemes, such as black and white, or dark gray and light gray, to create a clear visual distinction between foreground and background elements.
- Use bold or italic text, underlines, or borders to emphasize important information, instead of relying solely on color.
- Provide alternative text descriptions for images or graphics, which can be read aloud by screen readers or displayed in place of images.
- Test the design with real users with visual impairments, and gather feedback to improve the accessibility of the content.
Calculating a Contrast Ratio
Contrast ratios can range from 1 to 21 (commonly written 1:1 to 21:1).
(L1 + 0.05) / (L2 + 0.05), whereby:
- L1 is the relative luminance of the lighter of the colors, and
- L2 is the relative luminance of the darker of the colors.
The WCAG Accessibility Guidelines
The WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a set of guidelines created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that outlines how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. The guidelines cover a wide range of accessibility issues, including color contrast, text size, keyboard navigation, and more.
The WCAG accessibility guidelines are organized into three levels of conformance: A, AA, and AAA. Level A is the minimum level of conformance, while level AAA is the highest level of conformance. The guidelines for color contrast fall under level AA conformance, which means that they are essential for ensuring accessibility, but some exceptions are allowed.
The Role of Designers in Ensuring Accessibility
Designers play a critical role in ensuring that digital content is accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities. By considering accessibility guidelines such as the WCAG, designers can create designs that are inclusive and accessible to everyone. However, designers must also be aware of the limitations of accessibility guidelines and the unique needs of individual users.
One way to achieve accessibility is by involving real users with disabilities in the design process. By gathering feedback from users, designers can identify accessibility issues and make improvements to the design. Additionally, designers can leverage online accessibility tools, such as screen readers and keyboard navigators, to test and improve the accessibility of their designs.
Also, Here’s my favourite plugin to check the contrast and accesiblity. It’s called “Use contrast”. It shows how accesible and readable a certain font color is on it’s background based on WCAG accesbility ratios.
So yeah, color contrast is a critical aspect of UI design that designers must consider to ensure accessibility for all users, especially those with visual impairments. By following the WCAG accessibility guidelines, designers can create designs that are inclusive and accessible to everyone. Additionally, designers can leverage online tools, testing with real users, and gathering feedback to improve the accessibility of their content, creating a seamless and enjoyable user experience for all.
