Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

5 PASS 3 REVIEW 5 FIX

Link & Button Quality

Action

2 issue(s) across 258 links and 11 buttons

FIX

2 issue(s) across 258 links and 11 buttons

1 link(s) with no accessible text

Links without text are announced as raw URLs by screen readers.

Got: https://www.theatlantic.com/subscribe/magazinemodule1/

5 image-only link(s) without alt text

Image-only links need alt text on the image (or aria-label on the link) so screen readers can announce them.

Got: a[href="/archive/"]; a[href="/audio"]; a[href="/free-daily-crossword-puzzle/"]; a[href="/archive/"]; a[href="https://accounts.theatlantic.com/accounts/subscription/"]

12 link(s) open in new tab without warning

Add '(opens in new tab)' to link text or aria-label.

Got: https://www.facebook.com/TheAtlantic; https://www.instagram.com/theatlantic; https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAtlantic; https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic; https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-atlantic; https://flipboard.com/@theatlantic; https://www.facebook.com/TheAtlantic; https://www.instagram.com/theatlantic; https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAtlantic; https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic (+2 more)

1 button(s) with no accessible text

Icon-only buttons need an aria-label so screen readers can announce them.

Got: button.SearchInput_searchButton__u0CP0 (#209 on page)

240 link(s) with descriptive text

258 links

1 empty

0 generic text

12 new tab

1 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
/archive/	Explore The Atlantic Archive	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
/audio	Audio	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
/free-daily-crossword-puzzle/	Crossword Puzzle	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
/archive/	Magazine Archive	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://accounts.theatlantic.com/account…	Your Subscription	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.theatlantic.com/subscribe/ma…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.facebook.com/TheAtlantic	facebook	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.instagram.com/theatlantic	instagram	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAtlantic	youtube	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic	twitter	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-atl…	linkedin	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://flipboard.com/@theatlantic	flipboard	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.facebook.com/TheAtlantic	facebook	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.instagram.com/theatlantic	instagram	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAtlantic	youtube	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic	twitter	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-atl…	linkedin	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://flipboard.com/@theatlantic	flipboard	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label

250 links and buttons have descriptive text

Links without text are announced as raw URLs by screen readers.

https://www.theatlantic.com/subscribe/magazinemodule1/

Why this matters

Links with no accessible text (empty <a></a>, image-only no alt, icon-only no aria-label) are unidentifiable to screen readers.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4

Image-only links need alt text on the image (or aria-label on the link) so screen readers can announce them.

a[href="/archive/"]; a[href="/audio"]; a[href="/free-daily-crossword-puzzle/"]; a[href="/archive/"]; a[href="https://accounts.theatlantic.com/accounts/subscription/"]

Why this matters

Image-only links with no alt are unidentifiable to screen-reader users — link's destination is invisible.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4

Add '(opens in new tab)' to link text or aria-label.

https://www.facebook.com/TheAtlantic; https://www.instagram.com/theatlantic; https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAtlantic; https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic; https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-atlantic; https://flipboard.com/@theatlantic; https://www.facebook.com/TheAtlantic; https://www.instagram.com/theatlantic; https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAtlantic; https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic (+2 more)

Why this matters

Links with target="_blank" without rel="noopener" leak the originating page's window context — security and UX issue.

Learn more ▾

Without rel="noopener", the new tab can navigate the original tab via window.opener (tab-nabbing attack). Modern browsers default to noopener for target=_blank but only since recent versions. Always set rel="noopener noreferrer" explicitly.

Source: MDN target / OWASP

Icon-only buttons need an aria-label so screen readers can announce them.

button.SearchInput_searchButton__u0CP0 (#209 on page)

Why this matters

Buttons with no accessible text (icon-only, no aria-label) can't be activated by voice control or understood by screen readers.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.2

Web Manifest

Action

Not found

FIX

Not found

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.

Dark Mode Support

Action

No dark mode signals

FIX

No dark mode signals

No dark mode signals detected

Consider adding CSS with @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) and <meta name='color-scheme' content='light dark'>.

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.

Print Stylesheet

Action

No print styles

FIX

No print styles

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 ✗

404 Error Page

Action

HTTP 404, custom page

REVIEW

HTTP 404, custom page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Custom styled 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title The Atlantic ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗

Favicon & Branding

6 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

6 icon(s) detected

favicon.ico present at site root

HTML icon links detected

Apple touch icon present

Multiple icon sizes detected

✓ favicon.ico Present

✓ PNG Icons Present

✓ Apple Touch Present

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✗ Manifest Icons Missing

✓ Multiple Sizes Present

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 1 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

19 pass 1 fail WCAG AA 9 pass AA only

title World Edition - The Atlantic

3.00:1

#000000

#595959

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h2 Site Navigation	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Sections	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 The Print Edition	3.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#595959	Pass
h2 Popular Links	3.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#595959	Pass
h2 Site Information	3.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#595959	Pass
h3 AI Watchdog	3.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#595959	Pass
h3 About	3.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#595959	Pass
h3 Contact	3.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#595959	Pass
h3 Podcasts	3.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#595959	Pass
h3 Subscription	3.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#595959	Pass
h3 Follow	3.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#595959	Pass
title World Edition - The …	3.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#595959	Fail
a Skip to content	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Popular	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Latest	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Newsletters	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Ideas	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Politics	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Economy	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Global	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass

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

11 landmarks

PASS

11 landmarks

<main> landmark present

3 <nav> landmark(s) found

All <nav> elements are properly labeled

No banner (header) landmark

Skip navigation link present

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

Heading Hierarchy

73 headings

PASS

73 headings

Multiple H1 headings (11 found)

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

H2 Site Navigation
H2 Sections
H2 The Print Edition
H1 The Publishing Mystery That No One Wants to Talk About
H2 It’s Not Just Iran. Trump Is Flailing on Multiple Fronts.
H2 A New Kind of Hybrid Car Is About to Hit America’s Streets
H2 Trump’s Latest Meltdown
H2 Jared Kushner’s Mysterious Role in the Trump Administration
H1 I Found It: The Best Free Restaurant Bread in America duplicate H1
H1 We Shouldn’t Need Accountants duplicate H1
H1 The High-Risk, Low-Reward Blockade of Hormuz duplicate H1
H1 Is Anybody Actually Winning Trump’s Iran War? duplicate H1
H1 What Does Lena Dunham Want to Tell Us? duplicate H1
H1 The Paradox of Modern Medicine duplicate H1
H1 What Viktor Orbán’s Opponents Sacrificed to Beat Him duplicate H1
H1 A Blasphemous President duplicate H1
H1 SpaceX Is Basically a Huge Meme Stock duplicate H1
H1 The Eighth Deadly Sin duplicate H1
H2 The Guitar Sounds New Again
H2 Hegseth’s Unholy War
H2 The Strange Origin of AI’s ‘Reasoning’ Abilities
H2 The 10 Things the Bezoses Are Almost Certainly Grateful for Each Morning
H3 RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
H2 Expiration Dates Are Meaningless
H2 America’s Teenage Girls Are Not Okay
H3 ARCHIVE
H2 The Yosemite National Park
H2 Inside the Supreme Court
H3 Magazine
H3 Podcasts
H3 Trump Is Wishcasting Victory in Iran
H3 Is Anybody Actually Winning Trump’s Iran War?
H3 How Fake People Became Real Influencers
H3 Autocracy in America
H3 How to Age Up on a Warming Planet
H3 Latest
H3 Trump Doesn’t Have the Power to Enact His Latest Elections Scheme
H3 It’s Not Just Iran. Trump Is Flailing on Multiple Fronts.
H3 The Publishing Mystery That No One Wants to Talk About
H3 Is Anybody Actually Winning Trump’s Iran War?
H3 Today’s Atlantic Trivia: Tax Day
H3 Jared Kushner’s Mysterious Role in the Trump Administration
H3 A New Kind of Hybrid Car Is About to Hit America’s Streets
H3 The Paradox of Modern Medicine
H3 The High-Risk, Low-Reward Blockade of Hormuz
H3 We Shouldn’t Need Accountants
H3 What Viktor Orbán’s Opponents Sacrificed to Beat Him
H3 Trump’s Logic for Blockading the Blockaders
H3 A Blasphemous President
H3 Atlantic Trivia for April 14, 2026: Scripture and Special Ops
H3 The Guitar Sounds New Again
H3 SpaceX Is Basically a Huge Meme Stock
H3 Trump’s Latest Meltdown
H3 What Does Lena Dunham Want to Tell Us?
H3 The Strange Origin of AI’s ‘Reasoning’ Abilities
H3 The 10 Things the Bezoses Are Almost Certainly Grateful for Each Morning
H3 Popular
H3 AI Watchdog
H3 Newsletters
H3 Games
H3 Audio
H2 Popular Links
H3 About
H3 Contact
H3 Podcasts
H3 Subscription
H3 Follow
H3 About
H3 Contact
H3 Podcasts
H3 Subscription
H3 Follow
H2 Site Information

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

Alt Text Quality

All 67 images OK

PASS

All 67 images OK

7 image(s) with alt text over 125 characters

7 decorative image(s) correctly marked

53 image(s) with good alt text

67 images 53 good alt text 7 decorative

Issue	Count
too long	7 image(s)

A+

Form Accessibility

All 2 controls labeled

PASS

All 2 controls labeled

2 control(s) properly labeled

2 controls

2 labeled

0 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#search-input-:R5pn97im:	search	Search The Atlantic	for/id
#:R16inim:	email	Email Address	for/id

A+

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 97/100 — 1 failing, 29 passed

PASS

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.

Best practices

Touch targets with sufficient size and spacing help users who may have difficulty targeting small controls to activate the targets. Learn more about touch targets.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
DANIEL ENGBER `article.Lede_root__Xg_nN > div.HomepageMetadata_root__tX1_H > div.HomepageMetadata_byline__DeBnW > a.HomepageMetadata_author__cZlr8`

These items highlight common accessibility best practices.

○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

●`[role]` values are valid

●`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values

●`[aria-*]` attributes are valid and not misspelled

●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.

●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

●`<frame>` or `<iframe>` elements have a title

●`<html>` element has a `[lang]` attribute

●`<html>` element has a valid value for its `[lang]` attribute

●Links are distinguishable without relying on color.

●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

●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order

●Skip links are focusable.

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

●Identical links have the same purpose.

○`[accesskey]` values are unique

○`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names

○ARIA input fields have accessible names

○ARIA `meter` elements have accessible names

○ARIA `progressbar` elements have accessible names

○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

○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

○`<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

○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.

○Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.

○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.