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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
5
REVIEW
6
PASS
2
INFO
0
Checks
13
2 PASS 6 REVIEW 5 FIX
F
404 Error Page
Action
Soft 404 detected
FIX
Soft 404 detected
Critical::
Soft 404: server returns HTTP 200 for non-existent pages
The server returns HTTP 200 for a path that does not exist. Search engines will index these pages, diluting your real content. Configure your server to return a proper 404 status code for missing pages.
Got: Status: 200 for /beavercheck-404-test-khedvc
404 Page Quality ✗ Soft 404 (HTTP 200)
Status Code: HTTP 200

The server returned HTTP 200 for a non-existent path. Search engines will index this page as real content. Configure your server to return HTTP 404 for missing pages.

F
Web Manifest
Action
Invalid JSON
FIX
Invalid JSON
Warning::
Manifest contains invalid JSON
Manifest at https://govinfo.gov/manifest.json contains invalid JSON. Browsers cannot parse it.
Got: https://govinfo.gov/manifest.json

Manifest contains invalid JSON.

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::
1 navigation landmark(s) detected
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation 1 <nav> element(s)
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
2 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Limited navigation support. Consider adding breadcrumbs, search, and skip link.
B
Landmark Structure
11 landmarks
REVIEW
11 landmarks
Critical::
No <main> landmark found
Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.
Info::
1 <nav> landmark(s) found
Info::
Skip navigation link present
Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it
BANNER header NAV MAIN (missing!) ASIDE CONTENTINFO footer

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

C
Heading Hierarchy
Action
28 headings, 2 skip(s)
REVIEW
28 headings, 2 skip(s)
Warning::
Multiple H1 headings (2 found)
A page should have only one H1. Multiple H1s dilute the document outline.
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::
Heading level skipped: H1 → H3 (missing H2)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
  • H1 Discover U.S. Government Information
  • H3 Date Range skipped
  • H3 Refine by Collection
  • H3 Search In
  • H4 A to Z
  • H4 Category
  • H4 Date
  • H4 Committee
  • H4 Author
  • H4 A to Z
  • H4 Category
  • H4 Date
  • H4 Committee
  • H4 Author
  • H2 Recent
  • H2 Popular
  • H2 Trending
  • H1 Features duplicate H1
  • H3 March 2026 Release Notes skipped
  • H3 National Medal of Honor Day 2026
  • H3 Women's History Month 2026
  • H3 Art in Government Publications Series, Part 1: History Through Art
  • H4 Browse
  • H4 About
  • H4 Developers
  • H4 Features
  • H4 Help
  • H4 Feedback

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

B
Favicon & Branding
11 icon(s) detected
REVIEW
11 icon(s) detected
Info::
favicon.ico present at site root
Info::
HTML icon links detected
Info::
Apple touch icon present
Info::
Multiple icon sizes detected
✓ favicon.ico Present
✓ PNG Icons Present
✓ Apple Touch Present
✗ SVG Favicon Missing
✗ Manifest Icons Missing
✓ Multiple Sizes Present
C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 6 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

14 pass 6 fail WCAG AA
div Menu
2.64:1
#000000
on
#25547C
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
a Browse
2.64:1
#000000
on
#25547C
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
a A to Z
2.64:1
#000000
on
#25547C
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
a Category
2.64:1
#000000
on
#25547C
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
a Date
2.64:1
#000000
on
#25547C
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
a Committee
2.64:1
#000000
on
#25547C
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
Show all checked elements (20)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h1 Discover U.S. Govern…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h1 Features21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Recent21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Popular21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Trending21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Date Range21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Refine by Collection21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Search In21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 March 2026 Release N…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 National Medal of Ho…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Women's History Mont…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Art in Government Pu…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
title GovInfo | U.S. Gover…21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Skip to main content10.64:14.5:1
#000000
#A8BBCB
Pass
div Menu2.64:14.5:1
#000000
#25547C
Fail
a Browse2.64:14.5:1
#000000
#25547C
Fail
a A to Z2.64:14.5:1
#000000
#25547C
Fail
a Category2.64:14.5:1
#000000
#25547C
Fail
a Date2.64:14.5:1
#000000
#25547C
Fail
a Committee2.64:14.5:1
#000000
#25547C
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 — 5 failing, 22 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.

Names and labels

When a button doesn't have an accessible name, screen readers announce it as "button", making it unusable for users who rely on screen readers. Learn how to make buttons more accessible.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div#searchWidget-tabpane-simple-search > section.search-input-pane > div.input-group > button.btn-search div#searchWidget-tabpane-simple-search > section.search-input-pane > div.input-group > button.btn-search

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
div.features__img > div.field > div.field__item > img div.features__img > div.field > div.field__item > img

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.container > div.navbar-header > div.mainMenu-toggle__container > a.mainMenu-toggle div.container > div.navbar-header > div.mainMenu-toggle__container > a.mainMenu-toggle

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.

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
A to Z a > div.media > div.media-body > h4.media-heading
March 2026 Release Notes article.featured-links > div.features__text > div.field > h3.artilce-title

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 html.js

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
●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 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
●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
●Identical links have the same purpose.
○`[accesskey]` values are unique
○`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names
○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 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.
○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
Alt Text Quality
1 of 9 images have issues
PASS
1 of 9 images have issues
Critical::
1 image(s) missing alt attribute
Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.
Info::
1 image(s) with alt text over 125 characters
Info::
7 image(s) with good alt text
9 images 7 good alt text 1 missing
IssueCount
missing1 image(s)
too long1 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

A+
Form Accessibility
All 6 controls labeled
PASS
All 6 controls labeled
Info::
6 control(s) properly labeled
6 controls
6 labeled
0 placeholder only
0 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
inputtextSearch wordaria-label
#dateRangeSelectselectSelect a Date Rangefor/id
#selectAllCollectionscheckboxSelect All Collectionsfor/id
#selectCriteria-0selectSelect criteriafor/id
inputtextSearch keywords or phrasearia-label
#publication-selectselectSelect a Collectionfor/id
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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