The thing about pure black isn't that it's unnatural, but that when paired with white its contrast can actually be uncomfortable and less accessible than a slightly toned down color combination (especially on full brightness).
Can you find a citation for that statement? WCAG 2.1[0] mentions minimum contrast, but not maximum. The success criterion page itself is written in #000 on #fff. :)
https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/contrast-minimum...
However, I agree with the generell sentiment that in modern web design, contrast is often too low.
A lot of high contrast combinations are less accessible and even if it doesn't make the text illegible, too much contrast is going to be a strain on the eyes for most people.
Generally, WCAG AA or AAA is enough for most people and you hit that already with #555 on a white background. Something like #1a1a1a is close to the darkest I'd use in most cases.
Why wouldn't people who need less contrast simply reduce the contrast on their monitors, though?
It seems to me as though designing for those who need low contrast excludes those who need high contrast, but not the other way around.
From your link:
> The solution for contrast sensitivity
> If you feel that your child may be suffering from this issue, the first thing to do is test some tinted acetate sheets placed over the page of text.
As far as I can tell based on what I've read, there can be a conflict between users with accessibility needs, where you may want as high contrast as possible, and typical users, where excess contrast may impair readability in some cases. The WCAG minimums are within the realm of reasonable for both sets of users though, so there isn't really an excuse not to meet those minimums.
Then turn down the brightness. Pure black/white should never be uncomfortable, if it is then your monitor needs adjusted. In fact I suspect a lot of this stupid low-contrast trend comes from designers who don't know that and are trying to compensate for it in software.
Monitors come with the brightness set ridiculously high so they'll look good in a showroom (and possibly to make the backlight wear out faster, but that's another rant...), but it's definitely not where normal use should be, unless you're in direct sunlight.
On all my computers? And my phone? And my tablet? And my...
You could say the same about sites where the body text is set unreadably small. "Just zoom in!" It does not persist across devices, sessions, users etc the way a well-designed site would.
I don't know what ultra HDR monitor you're using or what light sensitivity issue you may have, but I don't want to have to install addons in my browser because you can't find the brightness slider.
For those with fuzzy vision (obviously an extremely common situation), contrast is reduced naturally when the black and white bleed into each other. Reducing contrast harms those users, belying your "actually less accessible" assertion.
