Color Accessibility
Design for everyone with WCAG guidelines
Accessible design isn't just ethical — it's often legally required and good for business. About 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency. WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) provides standards for ensuring your colors work for everyone.
WCAG Contrast Requirements
| Level | Normal Text | Large Text (18pt+) | UI Components |
|---|---|---|---|
AA (Minimum) The minimum acceptable standard. Required for most legal compliance. | 4.5:1 | 3:1 | 3:1 |
AAA (Enhanced) The gold standard. Recommended for body text and critical content. | 7:1 | 4.5:1 | 4.5:1 |
Contrast Examples
🎨 Designing for Color Blindness
Don't rely on color alone
Use icons, patterns, or text labels alongside color to convey meaning.
Test with simulators
Use tools like Stark, Color Oracle, or Chrome DevTools to simulate color blindness.
Avoid red/green combinations
The most common color blindness affects red-green perception. Use blue/orange instead.
Deep Dive Articles
WCAG Contrast Requirements
The specific numbers you need to know for AA and AAA compliance.
Designing for Color Blindness
How to ensure your designs work for 8% of male users with CVD.
Accessibility Testing Tools
Browser extensions, plugins, and checkers for WCAG compliance.
🛠 Accessibility Tools
- →WebAIM Contrast Checker — Free online tool for checking ratios
- →Stark — Figma/Sketch plugin for accessibility testing
- →Chrome DevTools — Built-in color blindness simulation
- →Aura Mixer — All generated palettes meet WCAG AA standards
Generate Accessible Palettes
Skip the manual checking. Our AI ensures every palette meets WCAG AA standards automatically.