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Reconciling WCAG 2.4.7 & 1.4.11

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From: Peter Quale
Date: Sep 4, 2018 2:33PM

Hello,

I'm hoping to get some opinions on focus indicators and contrast.

Historically, we've always recommended following the 2.4.7 guideline of
maintaining a visible focus indicator with "visible" as being a subjective
measurement. We'll often require sites to add a custom focus indicator if
the default focus indicator provided by any popular browser fails to remain
visible. For example a light-blue back ground with Chrome's light blue
focus indicator is not visible.

Now, with guideline 1.4.11 requiring a 3:1 contrast for focus indicators,
we finally don't have to fight anyone on the question of "how visible is
visible" since the guideline states" the visual focus indicator for a
component must have sufficient (3:1) contrast against the adjacent
background when the component is focused". But the guideline goes on to say
"except where the appearance of the component is determined by the user
agent and not modified by the author." I read this to say the guideline
only applies to sites that add any focus styles. If the site just doesn't
do anything to the outline or the focus, they can avoid 1.4.11 altogether.

Anyway, I'd rather not tell anyone "just don't touch your focus
indicators", but if there is a loophole, I need to find a reasonable
message to share with the designers before they start setting up committee
meetings to discuss the new colors needed to meet a 3:1 contrast. The two
guidelines seem to contradict on some level, but perhaps I'm missing some
logic here.

Thanks all!

-Peter

--
*Peter Quale*
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