As hlieberman points out, we're following the very much objective WCAG standards. Roots of those cut-offs are somewhat subjective I suppose. I agree with you t

As hlieberman points out, we're following the very much objective WCAG standards. Roots of those cut-offs are somewhat subjective I suppose. I agree with you that one may want to use contrast to convey importance, but we can do this while avoiding the contrast ratio being too low. Good news is that those most affected by contrast violations are likely to use a high-contrast mode for their browser. It's just unfortunate that they won't see the same designs as everyone else. Using good contrast ensures a consistent design for all.