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Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
62
GRADE
D
FIX
5
REVIEW
3
PASS
5
INFO
0
Checks
13
5 PASS 3 REVIEW 5 FIX
F
Favicon & Branding
Action
1 icon(s) detected
FIX
1 icon(s) detected
Info::
favicon.ico present at site root
Info::
No apple-touch-icon detected
iOS devices use this when users add your site to their home screen. Add <link rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='180x180' href='/apple-touch-icon.png'>.
favicon.ico Present
PNG Icons Missing
Apple Touch Missing
SVG Favicon Missing
Manifest Icons Missing
Multiple Sizes Missing
D
Web Manifest
Action
Not found
FIX
Not found
Info::
No web manifest found
No manifest at standard paths (/manifest.json, /site.webmanifest). A manifest is optional but enables PWA features like home screen installation and standalone display.

No web manifest found.

D
Dark Mode Support
Action
No dark mode signals
FIX
No dark mode signals
Info::
No dark mode signals detected
Consider adding CSS with @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) and <meta name='color-scheme' content='light dark'>.
Info::
Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles
External CSS files may contain prefers-color-scheme rules not visible to this scan.
Dark ModeNo Dark Mode Detected
color-scheme meta Not set Dark theme-color Not set CSS indicators Not detected

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles.

D
Print Stylesheet
Action
No print styles
FIX
No print styles
Info::
No print-specific styles detected
When users print this page, they get the screen layout including navigation and non-essential elements. Add @media print rules to hide navigation and optimize layout for paper.
Print Stylesheet No Print Styles
Print stylesheet Not found Inline @media print Not detected
F
Navigation UX
Action
1 navigation pattern(s)
FIX
1 navigation pattern(s)
Info::
Skip navigation link detected
Info::
1 navigation landmark(s) detected
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation 1 <nav> element(s)
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
2 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Limited navigation support. Consider adding breadcrumbs, search, and skip link.
B
Heading Hierarchy
36 headings, 1 skip(s)
REVIEW
36 headings, 1 skip(s)
Warning::
Multiple H1 headings (8 found)
A page should have only one H1. Multiple H1s dilute the document outline.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H1 → H3 (missing H2)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
  • H1 Carousel of recent news articles
  • H1 Shakespeare's 'missing' London house mapped with new discovery duplicate H1
  • H1 Postgraduate taught online events duplicate H1
  • H1 Shakespeare's 'missing' London house mapped with new discovery duplicate H1
  • H1 Postgraduate taught online events duplicate H1
  • H1 Shakespeare's 'missing' London house mapped with new discovery duplicate H1
  • H1 Postgraduate taught online events duplicate H1
  • H1 Study at King's College London duplicate H1
  • H3 Undergraduate skipped
  • H3 Postgraduate Taught
  • H3 Postgraduate Research
  • H3 International
  • H2 Make the most of your time at King’s
  • H2 Research
  • H3 Invest in research and education excellence for a changing world
  • H3 Partner with King’s
  • H3 Research impact
  • H3 King’s Doctoral College
  • H2 Discover
  • H3 Latest news
  • H4 Genetic signature of ADHD linked to the brain's timing…
  • H4 Calorie labels helpful for people with binge eating…
  • H4 King's leads global push to standardise robotics for stroke…
  • H3 Upcoming events
  • H4 The central role of epistemic justice in education to enable sustainable development
  • H4 Trust and Knowledge in the Age of GenAI: A Conversation with Jimmy Wales
  • H4 Book Launch: A Research Agenda for Law, Finance and the Environment
  • H3 Visit King’s
  • H3 King’s & London
  • H3 King’s Culture
  • H4 Connect with King’s College London
  • H5 Study at King’s
  • H5 Information for
  • H5 Facilities
  • H5 Discover King’s
  • H5 Contact us

A page should have only one H1. Multiple H1s dilute the document outline.

Why this matters

Multiple H1s blur the page's primary topic — screen-reader users and Google both prefer one H1.

Learn more

HTML5's outline algorithm technically allows multiple H1s within sectioning content, but no browser implements it. In practice: one H1 per page. Use H2-H6 for subsections.

Source: WCAG 2.4.6 / Google Search Central

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.

Why this matters

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline — screen-reader users lose track of section nesting.

Learn more

Screen reader users navigate by jumping between headings (H1 → H2 → H3). Skipping (H1 → H3) breaks the sense of hierarchy. Use sequential levels even if you don't like the default styling — restyle with CSS instead. WCAG 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) treats this as an A failure.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 / W3C WAI

C
404 Error Page
Action
HTTP 404, custom page
REVIEW
HTTP 404, custom page
Info::
Correct 404 status code returned
Got: HTTP 404
Info::
Custom styled 404 page
404 Page Quality Custom 404 Page
Status Code HTTP 404 Page Title Page Not Found - 404 Custom Styling Navigation Homepage Link Search Form
C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 3 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

Analyzes text contrast against the actual rendered page, including background images, gradients, and overlays that CSS-based tools cannot detect.

17 pass 3 fail WCAG AA
title King's College London
3.42:1
#000000
on
#5A6369
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
a Skip to main content
4.15:1
#000000
on
#706F65
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area) · over background image/gradient
a Study
3.49:1
#000000
on
#65635A
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold · over background image/gradient

2 contrast failures on background images/gradients

These failures are invisible to CSS-based accessibility tools like Lighthouse. The text may be fine on a solid background, but fails when rendered over an image or gradient.

Show all checked elements (20)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h1 Carousel of recent n…18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h1 Study at King's Coll…18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h2 Make the most of you…18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h2 Research18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h2 Discover18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h3 Undergraduate18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h3 Postgraduate Taught18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h3 Postgraduate Researc…18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h3 International18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h3 Latest news18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h3 Upcoming events18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h3 Visit King’s18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h3 King’s & London18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
h3 King’s Culture18.47:13.0:1
#000000
#EDF1F2
Pass
title King's College Londo…3.42:14.5:1
#000000
#5A6369
Fail
a Skip to main content4.15:14.5:1
#000000
#706F65
Fail
span King's College Londo…7.94:14.5:1
#000000
#AB9E81
Pass
span Menu11.60:14.5:1
#000000
#C9C0AA
Pass
a Study13.34:14.5:1
#000000
#D7CDBB
Pass
a Study3.49:14.5:1
#000000
#65635A
Fail

Methodology: The top 20 text elements by font size were checked. Background color was sampled from the desktop screenshot using a 5-point pattern. WCAG 2.1 AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.

A+
Landmark Structure
5 landmarks
PASS
5 landmarks
Info::
<main> landmark present
Info::
1 <nav> landmark(s) found
Info::
Skip navigation link present
Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it
BANNER header NAV MAIN CONTENTINFO footer
A+
Alt Text Quality
All 15 images OK
PASS
All 15 images OK
Info::
15 image(s) with good alt text
15 images 15 good alt text
All images have appropriate alt text.
A+
Form Accessibility
All 2 controls labeled
PASS
All 2 controls labeled
Info::
2 control(s) properly labeled
2 controls
2 labeled
0 placeholder only
0 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
#formHeaderSearchsearchSearch King’sfor/id
#courseSearchInputsearchSearch for a coursefor/id
A
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 94/100 — 2 failing, 29 passed
PASS
94

Accessibility

These checks highlight opportunities to improve the accessibility of your web app. Automatic detection can only detect a subset of issues and does not guarantee the accessibility of your web app, so manual testing is also encouraged.

ARIA

Assistive technologies, like screen readers, can't interpret ARIA attributes with invalid names. Learn more about valid ARIA attributes.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Shakespeare flat hero ul#carousel-new__slides > li.glide__slide > div.carousel-new__img > div#shakespeares-missing-london-house-mapped-with-new-discovery-2
two students chatting at an open evening ul#carousel-new__slides > li.glide__slide > div.carousel-new__img > div#postgraduate-taught-events

These are opportunities to improve the usage of ARIA in your application which may enhance the experience for users of assistive technology, like a screen reader.

Navigation

Properly ordered headings that do not skip levels convey the semantic structure of the page, making it easier to navigate and understand when using assistive technologies. Learn more about heading order.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Undergraduate div.row > div.col-6 > article.block--study-new__course > h3

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

Interactive controls are keyboard focusable
Interactive elements indicate their purpose and state
The page has a logical tab order
Visual order on the page follows DOM order
User focus is not accidentally trapped in a region
The user's focus is directed to new content added to the page
HTML5 landmark elements are used to improve navigation
Offscreen content is hidden from assistive technology
Custom controls have associated labels
Custom controls have ARIA roles
`[aria-*]` attributes match their roles
`[aria-hidden="true"]` is not present on the document `<body>`
`[role]`s have all required `[aria-*]` attributes
Elements with an ARIA `[role]` that require children to contain a specific `[role]` have all required children.
`[role]`s are contained by their required parent element
`[role]` values are valid
`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values
Buttons have an accessible name
Image elements have `[alt]` attributes
Form elements have associated labels
`[user-scalable="no"]` is not used in the `<meta name="viewport">` element and the `[maximum-scale]` attribute is not less than 5.
`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names
ARIA attributes are used as specified for the element's role
Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` have accessible names.
`[aria-hidden="true"]` elements do not contain focusable descendents
Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes
Background and foreground colors have a sufficient contrast ratio
Document has a `<title>` element
`<html>` element has a `[lang]` attribute
`<html>` element has a valid value for its `[lang]` attribute
Links have a discernible name
Lists contain only `<li>` elements and script supporting elements (`<script>` and `<template>`).
List items (`<li>`) are contained within `<ul>`, `<ol>` or `<menu>` parent elements
No element has a `[tabindex]` value greater than 0
Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing.
Skip links are focusable.
Document has a main landmark.
Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.
`[accesskey]` values are unique
ARIA input fields have accessible names
ARIA `meter` elements have accessible names
ARIA `progressbar` elements have accessible names
Elements with the `role=text` attribute do not have focusable descendents.
ARIA toggle fields have accessible names
ARIA `tooltip` elements have accessible names
ARIA `treeitem` elements have accessible names
The page contains a heading, skip link, or landmark region
`<dl>`'s contain only properly-ordered `<dt>` and `<dd>` groups, `<script>`, `<template>` or `<div>` elements.
Definition list items are wrapped in `<dl>` elements
ARIA IDs are unique
No form fields have multiple labels
`<frame>` or `<iframe>` elements have a title
`<html>` element has an `[xml:lang]` attribute with the same base language as the `[lang]` attribute.
Input buttons have discernible text.
`<input type="image">` elements have `[alt]` text
Links are distinguishable without relying on color.
The document does not use `<meta http-equiv="refresh">`
`<object>` elements have alternate text
Select elements have associated label elements.
Cells in a `<table>` element that use the `[headers]` attribute refer to table cells within the same table.
`<th>` elements and elements with `[role="columnheader"/"rowheader"]` have data cells they describe.
`[lang]` attributes have a valid value
`<video>` elements contain a `<track>` element with `[kind="captions"]`
Tables have different content in the summary attribute and `<caption>`.
All heading elements contain content.
Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements
Image elements do not have `[alt]` attributes that are redundant text.
Identical links have the same purpose.
Tables use `<caption>` instead of cells with the `[colspan]` attribute to indicate a caption.
`<td>` elements in a large `<table>` have one or more table headers.
All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.

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