Skip to content
https://nsa.gov

Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
53
GRADE
F
FIX
6
REVIEW
2
PASS
5
INFO
0
Checks
13
5 PASS 2 REVIEW 6 FIX
F
404 Error Page
Action
HTTP 403, bare page
FIX
HTTP 403, bare page
Warning::
Unexpected status code: HTTP 403
Expected HTTP 404 but received 403. This may confuse search engine crawlers.
Got: HTTP 403
Warning::
Bare server default 404 page
The 404 page has no custom styling. Users hitting a broken link see a generic error with no way to navigate back. Add a custom 404 page with your site navigation and a search bar.
404 Page Quality Default 404 Page
Status Code HTTP 403 ✗Page Title Access Denied ✓Custom Styling ✗Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗
F
Favicon & Branding
Action
1 icon(s) detected
FIX
1 icon(s) detected
Warning::
No favicon.ico at site root
Some older browsers, bookmark tools, and RSS readers look for /favicon.ico. Add one as a fallback.
Info::
HTML icon links detected
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 Missing
✓ PNG Icons Present
✗ 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
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
1 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Limited navigation support. Consider adding breadcrumbs, search, and skip link.
C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 9 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

11 pass 9 fail WCAG AA
h2 Aligning for Success
1.00:1
#FFFFFF
on
#FFFFFF
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
u Here's how you know
1.39:1
#000000
on
#262626
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
strong Official websites use .gov
1.17:1
#000000
on
#171717
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
16px · top of page (header area) · over background image/gradient
strong .gov
1.00:1
#000000
on
#000000
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
16px · above the fold
div website belongs to an official governmen…
1.00:1
#000000
on
#000000
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
strong Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
1.00:1
#000000
on
#000000
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
16px · above the fold
strong lock (
1.00:1
#000000
on
#000000
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
16px · above the fold
strong https://
1.00:1
#000000
on
#000000
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
16px · above the fold
div means you’ve safely connected to the .…
1.00:1
#000000
on
#000000
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold

1 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 Generating foreign i…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h1 Applying cybersecuri…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h1 Securing the future.21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Aligning for Success1.00:13.0:1
#FFFFFF
#FFFFFF
Fail
h2 National Cryptologic…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Cybersecurity21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Signals Intelligence21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Research21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Academics21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Business21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
title National Security Ag…18.43:14.5:1
#000000
#F0F0F0
Pass
div An official website …7.93:14.5:1
#000000
#9F9F9F
Pass
u Here's how you know1.39:14.5:1
#000000
#262626
Fail
strong Official websites us…1.17:13.0:1
#000000
#171717
Fail
strong .gov1.00:13.0:1
#000000
#000000
Fail
div website belongs to a…1.00:14.5:1
#000000
#000000
Fail
strong Secure .gov websites…1.00:13.0:1
#000000
#000000
Fail
strong lock (1.00:13.0:1
#000000
#000000
Fail
strong https://1.00:13.0:1
#000000
#000000
Fail
div means you’ve safel…1.00:14.5:1
#000000
#000000
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
3 landmarks
PASS
3 landmarks
Info::
<main> landmark present
Warning::
No <nav> landmark found
Info::
Skip navigation link present
Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it
BANNER header MAIN CONTENTINFO footer
A
Heading Hierarchy
19 headings, 1 skip(s)
PASS
19 headings, 1 skip(s)
Info::
Single H1 present
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H5 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
  • H1 Generating foreign intelligence insights. Applying cybersecurity expertise. Securing the future.
  • H2 Our Mission
  • H3 Cybersecurity
  • H3 Signals Intelligence
  • H2 Aligning for Success
  • H3 Research
  • H3 Academics
  • H3 Business
  • H2 News & Highlights
  • H3 NSA Supports FBI in Highlighting Russian GRU Threats Against...
  • H3 NSA and ASD’s ACSC Release Joint Guidance on LEO SATCOM Syst...
  • H3 NSA Joins ASD’s ACSC and Others to Release a Cybersecurity A...
  • H3 NSA Releases Phase One and Phase Two of the Zero Trust Imple...
  • H2 National Cryptologic Museum
  • H5 NSA.GOV skipped
  • H5 CULTURE
  • H5 HELPFUL LINKS
  • H5 RESOURCES
  • H5 RELATED LINKS

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

A+
Alt Text Quality
All 7 images OK
PASS
All 7 images OK
Info::
5 decorative image(s) correctly marked
Info::
2 image(s) with good alt text
7 images 2 good alt text 5 decorative
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
mobileSearchtextSearch NSAaria-label
desktopSearchtextSearch NSAaria-label
A+
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 96/100 — 1 failing, 26 passed
PASS
96

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

When an element doesn't have an accessible name, screen readers announce it with a generic name, making it unusable for users who rely on screen readers. Learn how to make command elements more accessible.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
form#Form > div.dma-full-width > p#skip-target-holder > a#skip-target form#Form > div.dma-full-width > p#skip-target-holder > a#skip-target

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.

○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
●`[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 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 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
●Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing.
●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order
●Document has a main landmark.
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
●Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements
●Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.
○`[accesskey]` values are unique
○Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` have accessible names.
○`[aria-hidden="true"]` elements do not contain focusable descendents
○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
○`<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
○Form elements have associated labels
○The document does not use `<meta http-equiv="refresh">`
○`<object>` elements have alternate text
○Select elements have associated label elements.
○Skip links are focusable.
○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.
○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.

Send Feedback