G100 accessibility: contrast issues with danger/error tokens and active states on elevated layers

[ashokrulz20]

Hi Carbon Design team,

We are looking for clarification on a few G100 accessibility questions related to elevated layers, as we’re seeing WCAG 1.4.3 contrast failures in several valid-looking token/state combinations.

We want to confirm whether this is an understanding gap on our side, or if there is recommended guidance we should be following for these scenarios.

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1) Danger Tertiary button on elevated layers (G100)

Danger Tertiary has no fill, so the label color sits directly on the background layer.

In our contrast checks:

• Red 50 label on Layer 02 (Gray 80) does not meet contrast requirements for normal-size text.

Questions:

• Is there a different danger text token intended for elevated layers in G100?
• Should Danger Tertiary be avoided on Layer 02/03 in favor of another variant (e.g., Secondary/Primary)?
• Is there specific layering or container guidance expected when using Danger Tertiary on elevated surfaces?

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2) Error text on Layer 03 (G100)

When error messaging uses:

• Text error (Red 40) on Layer 03 (Gray 70)

we see a color-contrast failure between the error text and the background.

Questions:

• Is there a recommended error text token for elevated layers in G100?
• Should error text on Layer 03 be placed within a specific surface or component (e.g., inline notification, container)?
• Is alternative styling expected for error messaging on higher layers?

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3) Contained List "Active" state contrast on Layer 3

On Layer 3, when a Contained List item is Active, we see:

• layer-active-03 = #8D8D8D
• label uses text-primary = #F4F4F4
  This results in ~3:1 contrast, failing WCAG 1.4.3 for normal-size text.

Questions:

1. Is Active intended only as a transient pressed state (where 4.5:1 text contrast isn’t required)?
2. Is Selected/current the recommended persistent state?
3. If so, what is the recommended token/state mapping for a persistent “current/selected” Contained List item on higher layers in G100?

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Appreciate any guidance on the intended usage patterns here — especially around elevated layers — so we can align with Carbon’s accessibility expectations.

[ashokrulz20]

Please refer below images attached.

1.Danger Tertiary button on elevated layers (G100)

2.Error text on Layer 03 (G100)

[edge500]

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