Good contrast between text and background colors makes website content easier to read for everyone, especially users with low vision or color vision deficiencies.
Accessibility guidelines like WCAG standards specify minimum contrast ratios (e.g., 4.5:1 for normal text) to help designers create inclusive content.
Additionally, relying solely on color to convey information (such as using red text to indicate errors without other cues) can exclude users who cannot distinguish certain colors.
Poor contrast and color choices can make landscaping websites difficult or impossible to use for millions of people with visual impairments or color blindness.
Ensuring sufficient contrast improves overall readability and user experience for everyone.
Beyond accessibility, good contrast is also a search engine ranking factor—search engines favor websites that offer better usability and inclusivity.
Meeting contrast standards helps organizations not only comply with legal requirements but also boost their visibility and reach a wider audience.
Example
A button with light gray text on a white background might be stylish but fails accessibility standards due to low contrast. Changing the text color to dark gray or black improves visibility and meets WCAG contrast requirements. Also, instead of using just red to indicate a form error, combining red text with an icon or error message ensures all users understand the feedback.
Helpful Resources
- WebAIM Contrast Checker — Check color combinations for WCAG compliance.
- Color Oracle — Simulates various types of color blindness to test designs.
- Accessible Colors — Helps pick color palettes that meet accessibility standards.