Accessibility

F

Heading Hierarchy

Action

24 headings, 4 skip(s)

FIX

24 headings, 4 skip(s)

Multiple H1 headings (2 found)

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

Heading level skipped: H1 → H4 (missing H2)

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

Heading level skipped: H2 → H4 (missing H3)

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

Heading level skipped: H3 → H6 (missing H4)

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

Heading level skipped: H3 → H6 (missing H4)

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

H1 Queen's University Belfast
H4 Read our latest Research Case Studies skipped
H4 Virtual Tour
H4 Fully Funded PhD Opportunities
H5 Popular links:
H2 Our leading research
H4 New all-island radiotherapy trial aims to reduce prostate cancer treatment side effects skipped
H4 First UK study to map higher radon levels with increased lung cancer risk
H4 Queen’s hosts Conference on Trauma Focused CPTSD
H4 Queen’s researchers lead the development of mental health guidelines for community sport
H4 UK University collaboration to cure childhood gut disease with stem cell therapy
H4 Time is still crucial for energy - but the issue has moved from daylight savings to smart grids
H3 Latest University News
H6 Queen’s academics appointed to the Council of State by President of Ireland skipped
H6 NI at ‘tipping point’ for AI adoption as new AI Learning Lab launches amid widening UK skills gap
H3 Latest Events
H6 Queen's Big Band - Spring Concert skipped
H6 New Postdoc Induction
H3 Sustainability at Queen's
H3 Belfast Region City Deal
H2 Queen’s multi-billion-pound impact on UK economy
H2 Life at Queen's
H2 Awards and accreditations
H1 Queen's University Belfast - Logo duplicate H1

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

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

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

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

D

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 ✗

F

Navigation UX

Action

No navigation patterns

FIX

No navigation patterns

1 navigation landmark(s) detected

No breadcrumbs, search, or skip link detected

These navigation aids help users orient themselves and find content efficiently, especially on large sites.

Breadcrumbs

Search

Skip Link

Labeled Navigation 1 <nav> element(s)

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

Landmark Structure

Action

5 landmarks

REVIEW

5 landmarks

No <main> landmark found

Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.

1 <nav> landmark(s) found

Skip navigation link is missing (WCAG 2.4.1)

Add a skip link as the first focusable element so keyboard users can bypass repeated navigation.

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.

Why this matters

Without a <main> landmark, screen-reader users can't skip past the navigation to the page content — every page starts with re-reading the menu.

Learn more ▾

The <main> element marks the page's primary content area. Assistive tech offers a 'jump to main' shortcut — but only if <main> exists. Without it, every page navigation forces re-reading the header. Wrap your primary content in a single <main>.

Source: WAI-ARIA / WCAG 2.4.1

Add a skip link as the first focusable element so keyboard users can bypass repeated navigation.

Why this matters

Without a skip-nav link, keyboard users tab through every nav item before reaching content — every page, every visit.

Learn more ▾

WCAG 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks) requires a mechanism to skip past repeated content. The standard implementation is a 'Skip to main content' link that's the first focusable element, visually hidden until focused. Three lines of HTML + four of CSS.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.1

C

Link & Button Quality

Action

4 issue(s) across 267 links and 6 buttons

REVIEW

4 issue(s) across 267 links and 6 buttons

3 link(s) with no accessible text

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

Got: a (#361 on page); a (#400 on page); a (#457 on page)

1 link(s) with generic text

Generic link text like 'click here' doesn't describe the destination.

Got: https://www.qub.ac.uk/about/impact-on-society/ ("Read more")

263 link(s) with descriptive text

267 links

3 empty

1 generic text

0 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.qub.ac.uk/about/impact-on-so…	Read more	generic text	Replace with descriptive text
Before: Read more Suggested: Impact On Society

269 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

a (#361 on page); a (#400 on page); a (#457 on page)

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

Generic link text like 'click here' doesn't describe the destination.

https://www.qub.ac.uk/about/impact-on-society/ ("Read more")

Why this matters

Generic anchor text ('click here', 'read more', 'learn more') tells screen readers and search engines nothing about the destination.

Learn more ▾

Out-of-context lists of links read by AT (one navigation pattern) become useless when every link says 'click here'. Use the destination's title or topic as anchor text. Doubles as SEO win — Google passes anchor-text relevance to the destination.

Source: WCAG 2.4.4 / Google Search Central

C

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 404 Page Not Found | Queen's University Belfast ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗

B

Favicon & Branding

5 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

5 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 Present

✓ Multiple Sizes Present

B

Dark Mode Support

Dark mode detected

REVIEW

Dark mode detected

Dark-specific theme-color detected

A theme-color with media='(prefers-color-scheme: dark)' adapts the browser toolbar for dark mode.

prefers-color-scheme CSS detected in inline styles

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles

External CSS files may contain prefers-color-scheme rules not visible to this scan.

Dark Mode✓ Dark Mode Supported

color-scheme meta Not set ✗Dark theme-color #d6000d ✓CSS indicators Detected ✓

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles.

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 4 pass AA only

title Queen's University Belfast: Shaping a Be…

3.87:1

#000000

on

#D6000D

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Helpful links

2.21:1

#000000

on

#454644

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area) · over background image/gradient

a Jobs

1.67:1

#000000

on

#303437

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a News

2.83:1

#000000

on

#525659

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold · over background image/gradient

a Semester dates

1.84:1

#000000

on

#383A3C

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold · over background image/gradient

a Library

4.27:1

#000000

on

#707076

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold · over background image/gradient

a Giving

1.67:1

#000000

on

#2F3437

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Ask a question

3.40:1

#000000

on

#5E6263

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold · over background image/gradient

a Staff

1.87:1

#000000

on

#353C3F

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · mid-page

5 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)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 Queen's University B…	3.87:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D6000D	Pass
h1 Queen's University B…	18.76:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F2F2F2	Pass
h2 Our leading research	18.76:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F2F2F2	Pass
h2 Queen’s multi-bill…	18.76:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F2F2F2	Pass
h2 Life at Queen's	18.76:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F2F2F2	Pass
h2 Awards and accredita…	18.76:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F2F2F2	Pass
h3 Latest University Ne…	18.76:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F2F2F2	Pass
h3 Latest Events	18.76:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F2F2F2	Pass
title Queen's University B…	3.87:1	4.5:1	#000000	#D6000D	Fail
a Helpful links	2.21:1	4.5:1	#000000	#454644	Fail
a Jobs	1.67:1	4.5:1	#000000	#303437	Fail
a News	2.83:1	4.5:1	#000000	#525659	Fail
a What's on	6.48:1	4.5:1	#000000	#8F8F8D	Pass
a Semester dates	1.84:1	4.5:1	#000000	#383A3C	Fail
a Library	4.27:1	4.5:1	#000000	#707076	Fail
a Giving	1.67:1	4.5:1	#000000	#2F3437	Fail
a Ask a question	3.40:1	4.5:1	#000000	#5E6263	Fail
a Staff Directory	6.72:1	4.5:1	#000000	#949191	Pass
a 中文网	6.85:1	4.5:1	#000000	#939396	Pass
a Staff	1.87:1	4.5:1	#000000	#353C3F	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+

Alt Text Quality

All 7 images OK

PASS

All 7 images OK

7 image(s) with good alt text

7 images 7 good alt text

All images have appropriate alt text.

A+

Form Accessibility

All 3 controls labeled

PASS

All 3 controls labeled

3 control(s) properly labeled

3 controls

3 labeled

0 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#query	text	Course Search	for/id
#desktop-search	search	Search	for/id
#mobileSearch	search	Mobile Search	for/id

A+

Web Manifest

PWA-ready

PASS

PWA-ready

Meets PWA install criteria

Name present: Queen's University Belfast

192x192 icon present

512x512 icon present

Display mode: standalone

PWA Install Criteria ✓ Installable

Name Queen's University Belfast ✓192×192 icon ✓512×512 icon ✓Start URL https://www.qub.ac.uk/ ✓Display Mode standalone ✓

Name Queen's University Belfast Display Mode standalone Theme Color #d6000d Background Color #d6000d Icons 2 icon(s)

A

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 94/100 — 3 failing, 24 passed

PASS

94

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.

Contrast

Low-contrast text is difficult or impossible for many users to read. Learn how to provide sufficient color contrast.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Events `div.grid-container > ul#news-events-tabs > li.tabs-title > a#panel2-label`

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

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
Read our latest Research Case Studies `div.xlarge-5 > a.card > div.card-section > h4`
New all-island radiotherapy trial aims to reduce prostate cancer treatment side… `div.swiper-slide > a.card > div.card-section > h4`
Queen’s academics appointed to the Council of State by President of Ireland `div.medium-6 > a.card > div.card-section > h6`

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

Best practices

One main landmark helps screen reader users navigate a web page. Learn more about landmarks.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
html.js-priorityNav `html.js-priorityNav`

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

●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

●`[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

●`[aria-hidden="true"]` elements do not contain focusable descendents

●Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes

●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.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

○`[accesskey]` values are unique

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

○Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` have accessible names.

○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.

○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.

○Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements

○Image elements do not have `[alt]` attributes that are redundant text.

○Identical links have the same purpose.

○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.