A quick reference guide for designers and marketers — covering the acronyms, the standards, and why it matters for every brand.
Approximately 300 million people worldwide live with some form of colour vision deficiency. A further 246 million people have moderate to severe visual impairment. When text doesn't have sufficient contrast against its background, it becomes difficult or impossible to read for a significant portion of your audience.
Beyond visual impairment, contrast affects everyone in challenging conditions — bright sunlight, small screens, ageing eyes, or cheap displays. Good contrast is not a niche concern. It is a fundamental of readable design.
Accessibility compliance is no longer optional for most organisations. The European Accessibility Act became enforceable on 28 June 2025, requiring all digital products and services sold into the EU to meet WCAG 2.1 AA as a legal minimum. Non-compliance can result in fines of up to €500,000 per infringement in some member states.
Similar legislation exists across North America, Australia, and the UK. Brands working with public sector clients, regulated industries, or any EU market need to be able to demonstrate compliance.
Every term you'll encounter when working with colour accessibility standards.
How to read the contrast scores in the matrix and when each level is appropriate.
| Score | Ratio | What it means | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | ≥ 7:1 | Enhanced — exceeds the legal minimum. The gold standard for readability. | Body copy, legal text, small print, any text where legibility is critical. |
| AA | ≥ 4.5:1 | Minimum standard — meets the legal requirement under WCAG 2.2 and the EAA. | Standard body text, UI labels, navigation, buttons. Acceptable for all normal text use. |
| AA* | ≥ 3:1 | Large text only — passes WCAG for text at 18pt or larger (or 14pt bold and above). | Display headlines, large subheadings, pull quotes. Not suitable for body copy or text below 18pt. |
| Fail | < 3:1 | Does not meet any WCAG threshold. May be unreadable for users with visual impairments. | Do not use for any text. Can be used for decorative, non-text elements only. |
| Lc00 | 0–100+ | APCA score — preview of the WCAG 3.0 contrast system. More perceptually accurate than ratios. | Use as a forward-looking reference alongside WCAG 2.2. Lc 60+ is recommended for body text. |
Important note on APCA: APCA scores are provided as a preview of the upcoming WCAG 3.0 standard. They are not yet a legal requirement and should not replace WCAG 2.2 compliance. Use them as a forward-looking indicator of perceptual readability alongside your WCAG ratio scores.
Key legislation affecting digital accessibility across major markets. All reference WCAG 2.1 AA as their minimum standard.
Accessibility doesn't require abandoning a brand palette — it requires understanding how to use it. Most brand colours can be used accessibly in at least some combinations. The key is knowing which pairings work and documenting them clearly in your brand guidelines.
The matrix generator produces a complete reference showing every possible combination in your palette scored against WCAG 2.2. Use it to define your approved and prohibited colour pairings, then include the chart in your brand guidelines so anyone applying the brand can make compliant decisions without needing to check manually.
Brand guidelines typically cover colour usage — which colours can be used together, which combinations are off-limits. Adding an accessibility matrix to your guidelines makes those decisions explicit and defensible.
As accessibility legislation expands, brands that can demonstrate a structured approach to compliance are better protected against claims and better positioned with public sector, regulated, and EU-market clients who increasingly require evidence of accessibility compliance as part of procurement.