1.4.3: Does a system color setting allow focused option elements to pass contrast, when they are not under web developer control?

[mitchellevan]

Related WCAG issues or discussions: #2909, #3013, #3039

I've started this new discussion to concentrate on this specific combination of conditions:

• A component contains text which does not achieve the contrast ratio specified in WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum)
• The color of the component is not under web developer control
• The color of the component is under user control, in such a way that the user changing a color can cause the text to achieve the expected contrast ratio

Under this combination of conditions, can we regard the component as not failing WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum)?

How readily available must the user setting be?

Here's the specific real-world example. Currently in Firefox on Windows, the text color and background color of a focused <option> element are determined by operating system colors. It is technically possible for a user to adjust their Windows classic "hilight" color, thus avoiding the issue, but in Windows 10-11 it is very difficult to do so, as I described in the Bugzilla comment: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1426013#c10

In that same comment, I have proposed that if Firefox changes from the Windows classic "hilight" color to the modern Windows "accent" color, it will allow web pages to pass 1.4.3, even though the default accent color still does provide sufficient contrast. Is my proposal in Bugzilla comments correct?

[mitchellevan]

Related WCAG issues or discussions: #2909, #3013, #3039