A warehouse or project dashboard can show red, amber and green dots that look clear to its designer but carry no recoverable meaning for another reader. Commission text or another independent cue that identifies each status, and verify the meaning when colour is unavailable. This is separate from measuring contrast.
Primary evidence and claim boundaries
WCAG1.4.1 says colour must not be the only visual means of conveying specified information. Other cues can carry the distinction; contrast requirements remain separate. Primary reference · Read 18 October 2026.
Filled acceptance example
Original synthetic teaching scenario, not a client case, provider integration test or business result. The example policy needs the actual owner’s approval; scroll the table on narrow screens.
| Input and state | Declared check | Expected output and decision |
|---|---|---|
| Synthetic itemA: red dot only | Colour removed | Status meaning unavailable; reject |
| ItemB: red dot plus “Review required” | Colour removed | Text still says Review required |
| ItemC: amber dot plus triangle and legend “Pending” | Shape and legend retained | Pending remains distinguishable if legend is accessible |
| Red and green have excellent contrast | No independent meaning cue | Contrast score cannot repair missing status labels |
Practical handover procedure
- List the actual statuses and the action each requires. Choose clear same-language text or an independently interpretable symbol/legend; avoid vague labels such as “different”.
- Review the four filled rows in monochrome or with colour styling removed in an isolated design. Ask a reviewer to identify status and next action without referring to hue.
- Check screen-reader naming, legend proximity, high-contrast mode and actual text contrast separately. Include chart and table exports if they carry the same statuses.
Interpret the outcome
B retains a meaningful operational instruction; A does not. C is conditional on a discoverable legend rather than automatically passing because it has a triangle. This makes the output a practical semantic test, not a palette preference or a simulated medical colour-vision diagnosis.
Acceptance decision
A reader must identify the intended status and action without colour alone, with separate checks for text and non-text contrast where applicable.
Limits and unverified work
Synthetic dashboard rows, no real order or customer data. This does not certify all WCAG criteria, diagnose vision or modify the frozen site palette.
Download the filled bilingual acceptance record — Contains the inputs, steps, expectations and limits. This is a teaching record, not an executable production integration.