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How to fix: Colour contrast - inline (WCAG 1.4.3 AA)
Why this matters
Low-contrast text is unreadable for users with reduced vision (~8% of men have some colour-vision deficiency). WCAG 1.4.3 Level AA requires 4.5:1 ratio for normal text, 3:1 for large text. This check evaluates inline styles only — full CSS rendering requires axe DevTools.
Background
Low-contrast text is unreadable for users with reduced vision. WCAG 1.4.3 Level AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text. Inline-style check only — full CSS audit needs axe DevTools.
References
WCAG 2.1 SC 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) AA · SC 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced) AAA
How to fix
Code snippet for each stack we cover. Pick the one matching your server / framework.
nginx
No server config — CSS / design.
apache
Same.
cloudflare
Same.
wordpress
Use the WebAIM Contrast Checker (https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/) on your colour palette before applying to the theme.
flask
Same — design / CSS task.
express
Same.
rails
Same.
Verify it's working
Test your text + background combinations at webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker — should pass AA at 4.5:1.
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