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Conformance & Success Criteria
Success criteria#
A criterion
- Is written to be verifiable
- Belongs to a guideline under a POUR principle
- Has a level: A, AA, or AAA
Conformance levels#
Levels
- A — essential barriers; incomplete alone for most products
- AA — common target for products and regulations
- AAA — additional enhancements; not required for all content types
Conformance is claimed for a defined scope (pages, processes, technologies)—not vibes.
Contrast as an example#
Contrast thresholds differ by level and text size. Experiment:
Interactive demo
Contrast thresholds
Contrast checker
Normal text sample — body copy at typical size.
Large text sample — 18pt / 14pt bold.
Contrast ratio: 17.40:1
- AA normal (4.5:1)
- Pass
- AA large (3:1)
- Pass
- AAA normal (7:1)
- Pass
Test
| Action | Expect |
|---|---|
Declare scope | You know what content the claim covers |
Declare level | Usually AA for product UI |
Verify | Manual + AT checks support the claim |