How does dark mode affect digital accessibility compliance?

Dark mode can significantly impact digital accessibility compliance depending on how contrast ratios are managed. While dark backgrounds can reduce eye strain for some users, they can make reading difficult for people with astigmatism if the text contrast is too low. To meet WCAG standards, your dark theme must maintain a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for body text. Simply inverting your light theme colors often results in vibrating, highly saturated colors that fail these accessibility requirements. A compliant dark theme requires desaturating your brand colors to ensure they remain legible against dark backgrounds. This means your design system must include a dedicated set of dark-theme tokens that are thoroughly tested. Failing to do so can lead to compliance risks under European accessibility laws. Therefore, accessibility must be a primary consideration during the design phase.