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https://walesonline.co.uk

Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
68
GRADE
D
FIX
3
REVIEW
5
PASS
5
INFO
0
Checks
13
5 PASS 5 REVIEW 3 FIX
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::
2 navigation landmark(s) detected
Info::
Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation 2 <nav> element(s)
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
3 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Strong navigation UX with multiple discovery paths.
C
Heading Hierarchy
Action
75 headings, 1 skip(s)
REVIEW
75 headings, 1 skip(s)
Info::
Single H1 present
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H1 → H3 (missing H2)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
Warning::
4 empty heading(s)
Empty headings appear in the document outline but provide no information.
  • H1 (empty)
  • H3 Man accused of grooming child has been working for Welsh travel company skipped
  • H3 Motorcyclist seriously injured in Barry crash which left road closed for hours
  • H3 Area of Wales where house prices are rocketing three times higher than the rest of the country
  • H3 Welsh Varsity 2026 live updates as thousands of students descend on Cardiff
  • H3 Wales international's brutal season ended by surgery and Welsh captain ruled out
  • H2 NEWS
  • H3 Six extraordinary findings from the latest Welsh poll
  • H3 Major railway disruption after fire breaks out
  • H3 Price slashed on 'lightweight' Shark cordless vacuum that makes cleaning so easy
  • H3 Pub that closed weeks ago could be turned into flats
  • H3 Man arrested after town centre foot chase
  • H3 Man poured petrol through letterbox and set fire to the wrong house
  • H3 Dead bird of prey found tied to tree in Powys
  • H3 'I couldn't walk straight and lost my sense of smell', then Tony was told devastating reason
  • H3 Tiny Welsh restaurant saved from closure by Michelin chef compared to 'Cristiano Ronaldo'
  • H3 Wales breaking news plus weather and traffic updates (Wednesday, April 22)
  • H3 Judge tells men they're 'causing misery to communities'
  • H3 PE teacher resigned during investigation into school rugby trip
  • H3 Dog dies after suspected snake bite near Welsh beach
  • H3 (empty)
  • H2 RUGBY
  • H3 Y11's deal to buy Cardiff officially off as west Wales clubs to sign agreement
  • H3 Swansea council leader claims Ospreys are safe until the 2030s despite WRU announcement
  • H3 Young England international decides to play for Wales this summer
  • H3 Welsh club announce big overseas signing and seismic day arrives for WRU
  • H3 Emerging Welsh talent compared to British Lion as career enters crucial stage
  • H3 Welsh rugby match abandoned after ref incident and Scarlets to be 'different team'
  • H3 WRU reveals truth about finances, the missing £6m and ambitious Zip World plans
  • H3 Scarlets boss calls out 'unacceptable' Wales star in stark public message
  • H3 Abi Tierney vows to carry on and says position is not untenable as she explains Cardiff call
  • H2 WHAT'S ON AND TRAVEL
  • H3 Renovation house that has a huge £795,000 price tag but for a reason
  • H3 Hidden gem Welsh seaside village with 'best beach bar in the world'
  • H3 Don't 'miss a trick' by visiting Yr Wyddfa and not these beautiful Welsh spots
  • H3 Catch a vintage steam train with Paddington Bear that'll travel through stunning Welsh countryside
  • H3 ‘Fabulous’ pier is the longest in the country and hidden in picture-perfect Welsh seaside town
  • H3 'Peaceful' shepherd's hut with sauna and hot tub perfect for a glamping getaway
  • H3 New four-star hotel with rooftop bar to be built in Cardiff city centre
  • H3 Britain's first vending machine for chips launched in Wales
  • H3 Win a family ticket to Monster Jam truck Mayhem in Cardiff
  • H3 (empty)
  • H2 POLITICS AND BUSINESS
  • H3 Welsh party leaders clash on live TV as presenter shouts 'stop'
  • H2 The Senedd Election leaders debates are exposing fractures but few winners
  • H3 Farmer describes 'profound emotional toll' as firm tries to put electricity cables on on her land
  • H3 YouGov poll shows parties neck and neck as Wales' election nears
  • H3 One of Wales' leading tech firms being liquidated
  • H3 Reform candidate accused of 'dinosaur' comments on mums staying at home with the kids
  • H2 'The Valleys face the anniversary from hell: A century of relative economic decline'
  • H2 SPORT
  • H3 Cardiff City v Port Vale LIVE: Kick-off time, TV channel, stream info and team news
  • H3 Jimmy Bullard to be stripped of I'm a Celeb money as Adam Thomas feud rocks ITV show
  • H3 Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney offer Coventry free trip to Las Vegas BEFORE Wrexham clash
  • H3 Cristiano Ronaldo uses health gadget 'every day' as PSG follow for Champions League
  • H3 (empty)
  • H2 PREMIUM
  • H3 'Psycho' burglar smashes into home with an axe
  • H3 Mum taken to court after boy misses 142 school days in a row
  • H3 Desolate, huge old theme park lies dormant in Wales as mystery shrouds future
  • H3 Five dreadful hours devastated Monmouth and people wonder if things will ever be normal again
  • H2 UK NEWS
  • H3 Ryanair announces huge change to airport check-in
  • H3 UK tourists visiting Spain warned of major disruption
  • H3 Thousands to be given experimental bird flu vaccine as 'it could spread'
  • H3 Rachel Reeves says 'not our war' as UK inflation rises - bills and prices up
  • H2 RECENT ARTICLES
  • H3 'Broken' Adam Thomas in therapy after I'm a Celeb feud with David Haye
  • H3 School braces for disruption during key exam period as staff prepare to strike
  • H3 Graham Norton admits new ITV show can be 'really harsh' as he teases 'dark' moments
  • H3 Lewis Moody makes announcement amid heartbreaking MND battle
  • H3 Adam Thomas praises just five of his I'm A Celebrity co-stars after Jimmy Bullard row
  • H3 Wedding makeup artist names £16 'miracle' bridal serum for spot breakouts
  • H3 Wartime sci-fi drama that 'surprises at every turn' to air on BBC
  • H3 Call the Midwife star leads the cast in new 'painfully relatable' BBC drama

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

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

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 WalesOnline: News, sport, weather and events from across Wales ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗
C
Favicon & Branding
Action
6 icon(s) detected
REVIEW
6 icon(s) detected
Info::
favicon.ico present at site root
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'>.
Info::
Multiple icon sizes detected
✓ favicon.ico Present
✓ PNG Icons Present
✗ Apple Touch Missing
✗ SVG Favicon Missing
✓ Manifest Icons Present
✓ Multiple Sizes Present
B
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
20 text elements analyzed, 0 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

20 pass 18 pass AA only
Show all checked elements (20)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h2 The Senedd Election …3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h2 'The Valleys face th…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Man accused of groom…20.12:13.0:1
#000000
#FAFAFA
Pass
h3 Motorcyclist serious…20.12:13.0:1
#000000
#FAFAFA
Pass
h3 Area of Wales where …3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Welsh Varsity 2026 l…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Wales international'…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Six extraordinary fi…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Major railway disrup…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Price slashed on 'li…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Pub that closed week…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Man arrested after t…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Man poured petrol th…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Dead bird of prey fo…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 'I couldn't walk str…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Tiny Welsh restauran…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Wales breaking news …3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Judge tells men they…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 PE teacher resigned …3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
Pass
h3 Dog dies after suspe…3.26:13.0:1
#000000
#595F67
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
69 landmarks
PASS
69 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.
Info::
Skip navigation link present
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

A+
Alt Text Quality
All 79 images OK
PASS
All 79 images OK
Info::
3 decorative image(s) correctly marked
Info::
76 image(s) with good alt text
79 images 76 good alt text 3 decorative
All images have appropriate alt text.
A+
Form Accessibility
No form controls
PASS
No form controls
Info::
No form controls on this page
No form controls found.
A+
Web Manifest
PWA-ready
PASS
PWA-ready
Info::
Meets PWA install criteria
Info::
Name present: Wales Online
Info::
192x192 icon present
Info::
512x512 icon present
Info::
Display mode: standalone
PWA Install Criteria ✓ Installable
Name Wales Online ✓192×192 icon ✓512×512 icon ✓Start URL /#source=pwa ✓Display Mode standalone ✓
Name Wales Online Display Mode standalone Theme Color #DB0000 Background Color #DB0000 Icons 4 icon(s)
A+
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 95/100 — 2 failing, 25 passed
PASS
95

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.

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
Man accused of grooming child has been working for Welsh travel company div > div.Heading_heading-primary__pzAWR > a.Heading_teaser-link-primary__oUN1B > h3.Heading_headline__lT6QN

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

Names and labels

Link text (and alternate text for images, when used as links) that is discernible, unique, and focusable improves the navigation experience for screen reader users. Learn how to make links accessible.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div.shopwindow > article.Teaser_teaser__XImzE > footer.Footer_additional-content__QJCbk > a div.shopwindow > article.Teaser_teaser__XImzE > footer.Footer_additional-content__QJCbk > a
div.shopwindow > article.Teaser_teaser__XImzE > footer.Footer_additional-content__QJCbk > a div.shopwindow > article.Teaser_teaser__XImzE > footer.Footer_additional-content__QJCbk > a
div.shopwindow > article.Teaser_teaser__XImzE > footer.Footer_additional-content__QJCbk > a div.shopwindow > article.Teaser_teaser__XImzE > footer.Footer_additional-content__QJCbk > a

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.

○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 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 are distinguishable without relying on color.
●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.
●Document has a main landmark.
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
●Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.
○`[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
○`<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.
○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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