I don't like too much contrast, but I also don't like not enough. It's a balance. I use $1 in my editor and like it a lot - dark grey background (maybe slightly brown? I can't tell) and bright colors. I have toned down the white just a tiny bit so that it's not quite as bright, color code is #efefef instead of #ffffff.

That doesn't make any sense; a light colored background with dark colored text exposes you to even more brightness... The reason why visually impaired people tend to have a problem with bright backgrounds is because light causes glare either when you have opacities in your eyes or your optic nerves are damaged. I've experienced the latter, and as I mentioned in another thread it feels like the signal comes too strong and is getting clamped at a certain level so everything looks washed out.