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Re: rely on a browser's high contrast mode

for

From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Jul 31, 2019 2:10PM

For the purpose of achieving absolutely minimal conformance to WCAG
2.0 this is an interesting question.

I invite you to peruse the wonderfully complex document that is the
WCAG 2.0 conformance requirements
https://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/conformance.html
particularly the "conforming alternate version" and "accessibility
supported" sections.

Note 7 under "understanding conforming alternate versions" says:
"Setting user preferences within the content to produce a conforming
version is an acceptable mechanism for reaching another version as
long as the method used to set the preferences is accessibility
supported."

As long as you can open your browser menu and turn on high contrast
mode (which you can with most assistive technology browser
combinations I aware of) this sounds like making certain features
accessible in high contrast mode would pass the minimalist definition,
much to my disappointment.

Forpractical reasons you wouldn't want to rely on this:

As already mentioned, high contrast mode differs between browsers and
operating systems and while it can fix one area of the page it could
render other parts amost totally impossible to read (and for the page
to pass WCAG the entire page ust be accessible in the chosen mode, not
a page that requires you to switch between multiple modes to achieve
full conformance). In other words, and in my understanding, the page
must fully pass color contrast requirements in high contrast mode,
notjust the sections of it that fail in normal mode.

Even if high contrast mode is available, would users know about it
(would you be able to tell your grandma to just turn it on), similar
arguments can be made for text resizing etc. but it is still a valid
usability argument.

That designer should just make the page color scheme accessible, it
will save major headaches, complications and sleepless nights in the
long-run. ;)



On 7/31/19, Farough, David (CFP/PSC) < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> Check out the following article from Scott O'Hara on other high contrast
> issues.
> https://www.scottohara.me/blog/2019/02/12/high-contrast-aria-and-images.html
>
> > > > >


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