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Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
57
GRADE
D
FIX
6
REVIEW
4
PASS
3
INFO
0
Checks
13
3 PASS 4 REVIEW 6 FIX
F
Alt Text Quality
Action
6 of 7 images have issues
FIX
6 of 7 images have issues
Critical::
6 image(s) missing alt attribute
Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.
Critical::
3 image-in-link without alt text
An image inside a link with no alt creates an empty link.
Info::
1 image(s) with good alt text
7 images 1 good alt text 6 missing
IssueCount
missing6 image(s)

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

Why this matters

Each image without alt text is a WCAG 1.1.1 failure — invisible to screen-reader users, lost from Google Image Search.

Learn more ▾

WCAG 2.1 Level A requires text alternatives for non-decorative images. Empty alt='' is fine for decorative; meaningful images need descriptive text. Common fixes: CMS audit + bulk add, build-time linter (alt-text-required ESLint rule), CI gate on Lighthouse a11y score.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.1.1 / WebAIM Million Report

An image inside a link with no alt creates an empty link.

Why this matters

Image-only links with no alt create empty links — screen-reader users hear 'link' with no destination context.

Learn more ▾

An <a><img></a> with no img alt is the worst-case for accessibility: AT announces the link but can't describe where it goes. Either add alt to the image OR add aria-label to the link.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4

D
Form Accessibility
Action
4 of 4 controls have issues
FIX
4 of 4 controls have issues
Critical::
2 control(s) without accessible label
Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.
Got: <input type="submit">; <input type="submit">
Warning::
2 control(s) rely on placeholder only
Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.
Got: <input type="search" name="q">; <input type="search" name="q">
4 controls
0 labeled
2 placeholder only
2 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
qsearch(Search)placeholder only
qsearch(Search)placeholder only
inputsubmit(none)none
inputsubmit(none)none

Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.

<input type="submit">; <input type="submit">

Why this matters

Form controls without labels — assistive tech announces 'edit text' with no context; users can't complete forms.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.2

Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.

<input type="search" name="q">; <input type="search" name="q">

Why this matters

Placeholder-only labels disappear when the user starts typing — they must remember what the field was for.

Learn more ▾

Placeholders are NOT labels. They vanish on input, fail color contrast checks (most are gray), and don't satisfy WCAG SC 3.3.2. Always use a real <label> alongside (or aria-labelledby).

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.2 / Nielsen Norman

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.

F
Navigation UX
Action
No navigation patterns
FIX
No navigation patterns
Info::
2 navigation landmark(s) detected
Info::
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 2 <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.
B
Landmark Structure
5 landmarks
REVIEW
5 landmarks
Info::
<main> landmark present
Info::
2 <nav> landmark(s) found
Warning::
2 of 2 <nav> elements are unlabeled
Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.
Warning::
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
BANNER header NAV MAIN CONTENTINFO footer

Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.

Why this matters

Some <nav> elements lack aria-label — screen-reader users hear 'navigation' multiple times with no way to distinguish them.

Learn more ▾

When a page has multiple <nav> regions (primary, footer, breadcrumb), each needs aria-label or aria-labelledby. AT users navigate by landmark; identical 'navigation' announcements force them to enter each one to discover purpose.

Source: WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices

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
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 5 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

15 pass 5 fail WCAG AA 1 pass AA only
button Accept
1.67:1
#000000
on
#611630
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
a Journals
1.43:1
#000000
on
#34232F
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold · over background image/gradient
a EconLit
4.27:1
#000000
on
#98635A
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold · over background image/gradient
a Committees
3.04:1
#000000
on
#924046
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
a Ethics/Ombuds
3.04:1
#000000
on
#924046
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · mid-page

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
h2 JOE Network21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Best Practices for E…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 News21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Journal Articles21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Resources for Econom…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Membership21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Follow us:21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
title American Economic As…18.90:14.5:1
#000000
#F3F3F1
Pass
p By clicking the "Acc…18.90:14.5:1
#000000
#F3F3F1
Pass
a Privacy Policy18.90:14.5:1
#000000
#F3F3F1
Pass
button Accept1.67:14.5:1
#000000
#611630
Fail
span Menu8.29:14.5:1
#000000
#B99BA4
Pass
a Journals1.43:14.5:1
#000000
#34232F
Fail
a Annual Meeting8.69:14.5:1
#000000
#BFA27F
Pass
a Careers9.67:14.5:1
#000000
#C7AC85
Pass
a More +10.34:14.5:1
#000000
#CDB28B
Pass
a Resources6.54:14.5:1
#000000
#A68B6E
Pass
a EconLit4.27:14.5:1
#000000
#98635A
Fail
a Committees3.04:14.5:1
#000000
#924046
Fail
a Ethics/Ombuds3.04:14.5:1
#000000
#924046
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.

B
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 84/100 — 3 failing, 18 passed
REVIEW
84

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.

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
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FEATURED CHART section.news-item-group > article.news-item > section.news-text > span.news-type
April 15, 2026 section.news-item-group > article.news-item > section.news-text > div.date
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS PODCAST section.news-item-group > article.news-item > section.news-text > span.news-type
April 9, 2026 section.news-item-group > article.news-item > section.news-text > div.date
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FEATURED CHART section.homepage-news > section.news-item-group > article.news-item > span.news-type
April 2, 2026 section.homepage-news > section.news-item-group > article.news-item > div.date
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS ARTICLE section.homepage-news > section.news-item-group > article.news-item > span.news-type
March 27, 2026 section.homepage-news > section.news-item-group > article.news-item > div.date
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FEATURED CHART section.homepage-news > section.news-item-group > article.news-item > span.news-type
March 19, 2026 section.homepage-news > section.news-item-group > article.news-item > div.date
Sule Alan, Elif Kubilay div.featured-group > article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.author
American Economic Review article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.journal > a
Vol. 115, No. 2, February 2025 article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.volume > a
Russell Weinstein div.featured-group > article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.author
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.journal > a
Vol. 17, No. 1, February 2025 article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.volume > a
Dominic A. Smith, Sergio Ocampo div.secondary-group > article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.author
American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.journal > a
Vol. 17, No. 1, January 2025 article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.volume > a
Raphael Calel, Jonathan Colmer, Antoine Dechezleprêtre, Matthieu Glachant div.secondary-group > article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.author
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.journal > a
Vol. 17, No. 1, January 2025 article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.volume > a
Vanessa Alviarez, Keith Head, Thierry Mayer div.secondary-group > article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.author
American Economic Journal: Microeconomics article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.journal > a
Vol. 17, No. 1, February 2025 article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.volume > a

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

Names and labels

Informative elements should aim for short, descriptive alternate text. Decorative elements can be ignored with an empty alt attribute. Learn more about the `alt` attribute.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
section.featured-homepage-items-wrapper > section.lead-homepage-item-v3 > div.imagery-container > img.lead-image section.featured-homepage-items-wrapper > section.lead-homepage-item-v3 > div.imagery-container > img.lead-image
section.homepage-news > section.news-item-group > article.news-item > img.news-thumbnail section.homepage-news > section.news-item-group > article.news-item > img.news-thumbnail
section.homepage-news > section.news-item-group > article.news-item > img.news-thumbnail section.homepage-news > section.news-item-group > article.news-item > img.news-thumbnail
section.social-media > a > div.social-icons > img.social-icon section.social-media > a > div.social-icons > img.social-icon
section.social-media > a > div.social-icons > img.social-icon section.social-media > a > div.social-icons > img.social-icon
section.social-media > a > div.social-icons > img.social-icon section.social-media > a > div.social-icons > img.social-icon

These are opportunities to improve the semantics of the controls in your application. This may enhance the experience for users of assistive technology, like a screen reader.

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
American Economic Review article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.journal > a
Vol. 115, No. 2, February 2025 article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.volume > a
Vol. 17, No. 1, February 2025 article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.volume > a
Vol. 17, No. 1, January 2025 article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.volume > a
Vol. 17, No. 1, January 2025 article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.volume > a
Vol. 17, No. 1, February 2025 article.journal-article > ul.attribution > li.volume > a
Terms of Use section.legal > ul > li.footer-terms > a

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-hidden="true"]` is not present on the document `<body>`
●`[role]`s have all required `[aria-*]` attributes
●`[role]` values are valid
●Buttons have an accessible name
●Input buttons have discernible text.
●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.
●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
●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order
●Document has a main landmark.
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
●Identical links have the same purpose.
○`[accesskey]` values are unique
○`[aria-*]` attributes match their roles
○`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
○ARIA input fields have accessible names
○ARIA `meter` elements have accessible names
○ARIA `progressbar` elements have accessible names
○Elements use only permitted 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
○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
○`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values
○`[aria-*]` attributes are valid and not misspelled
○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 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.
○Skip links are focusable.
○No element has a `[tabindex]` value greater than 0
○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.
A+
Heading Hierarchy
30 headings
PASS
30 headings
Info::
Single H1 present
Warning::
1 empty heading(s)
Empty headings appear in the document outline but provide no information.
  • H5 This website uses cookies.
  • H1 (empty)
  • H2 2026 American Economic Association Spring Awards
  • H2 JOE Network
  • H2 Best Practices for Economists
  • H2 News
  • H3 Starting later, finishing stronger
  • H3 Delivering clean water
  • H3 Shareholder overlap and drug market competition
  • H3 How a win–lose mindset affects political and policy preferences
  • H3 Gender and income
  • H2 Journal Articles
  • H3 Empowering Adolescents to Transform Schools: Lessons from a Behavioral Targeting
  • H3 The Great Recession and the Widening Income Gap between Alumni of Elite and Less Selective Universities
  • H3 The Evolution of US Retail Concentration
  • H3 Do Carbon Offsets Offset Carbon?
  • H3 Global Giants and Local Stars: How Changes in Brand Ownership Affect Competition
  • H3 The Economic Importance of Financial Literacy: Theory and Evidence
  • H3 Measuring Geopolitical Risk
  • H3 The Price of War
  • H3 The Economic Impacts of Artificial Intelligence: A Multidisciplinary, Multi-book Review
  • H3 How Do Central Banks Control Inflation? A Guide for the Perplexed
  • H3 Why Is Fertility So Low in High-Income Countries?
  • H3 Price Setting and Volatility: Evidence from Oil Price Volatility Shocks
  • H3 University as a Melting Pot: Long-term Effects of Internationalization
  • H3 Fiscal Transfers to Local Governments and the Distribution of Economic Activity
  • H3 The Private Provision of Public Services: Evidence from Random Assignment in Medicaid
  • H2 Resources for Economists
  • H2 Membership
  • H3 Follow us:

Empty headings appear in the document outline but provide no information.

Why this matters

Empty <hN> tags break the document outline — screen-reader users navigating by heading hit dead silence.

Source: WCAG 2.4.6

A
404 Error Page
HTTP 404, custom page
PASS
HTTP 404, custom page
Info::
Correct 404 status code returned
Got: HTTP 404
Info::
Custom styled 404 page
Info::
Navigation links present on 404 page
Info::
Homepage link present on 404 page
Info::
Search form present on 404 page
404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page
Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title Not Found (#404) ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✓
A+
Print Stylesheet
Print styles detected
PASS
Print styles detected
Info::
External print stylesheet detected
Got: /assets/afc4f66/stylesheets/print.css
Print Stylesheet ✓ Print Optimized
Print stylesheet /assets/afc4f66/stylesheets/print.css ✓Inline @media print Not detected ✗
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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