Tried a high contrast mode mockup and got complaints from users with migraines

I swapped my app's color scheme to high contrast black and white last week thinking it would help visually impaired users. Turned out the harsh white on black triggered headaches in about 15% of testers within minutes. How do you balance accessibility needs for different groups when they conflict like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbara4298d ago

Did you try a dark gray background instead of pure black? I made that mistake once at a small meetup group I ran. We had the lights dimmed for a presentation but the slides were pure black background with white text. People started rubbing their eyes about ten minutes in. One guy actually left early because it was making his head throb.

ivancoleman8d ago

Well I'll be. That's a tough spot you're in. I remember reading something about this from a web accessibility consultant a while back. They said the key is to use actual contrast ratios measured in numbers, not just what looks good on screen. Pure black on pure white has a super high ratio like 21:1 and that's actually known to cause issues for some people, especially those with migraines or light sensitivity. They suggested finding a middle ground, like a dark gray on off-white or a warm tinted background. That way you still get high contrast but not so harsh. It won't please everyone but you can pick a ratio that helps the most people without making others sick.