I suggest you to read some research on UX so you can understand that a big part of UX is in fact, not subjective.
Like poor contrast cause reading fatigue on all humans, but at varying level.
And that researchers determined a contrast ratio at which a certain percentage of the population can read without problems.
And yes that's a recommendation because they can't force you to do it, so they recommand you to do it.
So, they’re recommendations, not facts.
A fact is not a recommendation.
You can cling to this until the cows come home, but anything visual is dependent on the viewer. It’s not a fact. It’s subjective.