Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

4 PASS 5 REVIEW 4 FIX

Web Manifest

Action

Not found

FIX

Not found

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.

Dark Mode Support

Action

No dark mode signals

FIX

No dark mode signals

No dark mode signals detected

Consider adding CSS with @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) and <meta name='color-scheme' content='light dark'>.

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.

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 ✗

Navigation UX

Action

2 navigation pattern(s)

FIX

2 navigation pattern(s)

Search functionality detected

Got: role-search

Skip navigation link detected

3 navigation landmark(s) detected

Breadcrumbs

Search role='search' landmark

Skip Link Skip link detected

Labeled Navigation 3 <nav> element(s)

Hamburger Menu

Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)

3 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Strong navigation UX with multiple discovery paths.

Heading Hierarchy

54 headings

REVIEW

54 headings

No H1 heading found

Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.

H2 Search Stanford:
H2 Main Content
H2 A Mission Defined by Possibility
H2 Campus News
H3 Sundar Pichai will be Stanford’s 2026 Commencement speaker
H3 Why women get Alzheimer’s more often than men
H3 What it takes to keep astronauts safe in deep space
H3 Microchip implant helps blind patients read again
H3 9 things you (probably) didn’t know were invented at Stanford
H3 Why research matters
H2 Academics
H3 Undergraduate Education
H3 Graduate Education
H3 Lifelong Learning
H3 Seven schools in which to pursue your passions
H2 Profile of Renee Zhao
H3 Renee Zhao
H2 Research
H2 Profile of Khoi Young, ’25
H3 Khoi Young, ’25
H2 Campus Life
H3 Student Life
H3 Constructive Dialogue
H3 Recreation & Wellness
H2 Profile of Helena Zhang, ’22
H3 Helena Zhang, ’22
H2 The Arts
H3 Interdisciplinary Scholarship
H3 Museums and Public Art
H3 Live Performance
H2 Upcoming Events
H2 Volunteering at Stanford Educational Farm
H2 Branner Library Monthly Book & Map Exhibit - The Atlantic
H2 Stanford Energy Seminar | Cities on the Frontlines of Energy Transition: Power, Pitfalls & Promise | Libby Schaaf, Former Mayor of Oakland
H2 Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions for Pandemics: Benefits and Harms, Looking Backward and Looking Forward
H2 Health Care
H3 Stanford Medicine
H3 Stanford Health Care
H3 Stanford Children’s Health
H2 Athletics
H3 Home of Champions
H3 Olympic Excellence
H3 Multidimensional Impact
H2 Admission
H3 Explore the possibilities of a Stanford education as you map out your college journey.
H3 Stanford meets the full financial need of every admitted undergrad who qualifies for assistance.
H3 Schools
H3 Academics
H3 Research
H3 Health Care
H3 Online Learning
H3 About Stanford
H3 Admission
H3 Resources

Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.

Why this matters

No H1 means screen-reader users can't identify the page's primary topic, and Google's content-extraction degrades.

Learn more ▾

The H1 is the document title for assistive tech and a strong signal to search engines about page topic. Pages without one force screen readers to fall back to the <title> attribute or page chrome. Add a single H1 that names the page's primary subject.

Source: WCAG 2.4.6 / Google Search Central

Link & Button Quality

Action

9 issue(s) across 118 links and 3 buttons

REVIEW

9 issue(s) across 118 links and 3 buttons

6 link(s) with no accessible text

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

Got: https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/04/sundar-pichai-commencement-speaker; https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/04/why-alzheimers-more-common-women-rates-by-sex; https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/03/artemis-ii-material-technology-spacesuits-food; https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/03/microchip-implant-eye-prosthesis-macular-degeneration; https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/03/stanford-inventions-innovations-computer-mouse-heart-transplant-digital-synthesizer; https://news.stanford.edu/features/research-at-stanford

3 link(s) with generic text

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

Got: https://news.stanford.edu/features/research-at-stanford ("Read more"); https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/05/meet-khoi-young-graduate-profile ("Read more"); https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2022/06/meet-helena-zhang ("Learn more")

109 link(s) with descriptive text

118 links

6 empty

3 generic text

0 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/0…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/0…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/0…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/0…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/0…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://news.stanford.edu/features/resea…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://news.stanford.edu/features/resea…	Read more	generic text	Replace with descriptive text
Before: Read more Suggested: Research At Stanford
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/0…	Read more	generic text	Replace with descriptive text
Before: Read more Suggested: Meet Khoi Young Graduate Profile
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2022/0…	Learn more	generic text	Replace with descriptive text
Before: Learn more Suggested: Meet Helena Zhang

112 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/04/sundar-pichai-commencement-speaker; https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/04/why-alzheimers-more-common-women-rates-by-sex; https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/03/artemis-ii-material-technology-spacesuits-food; https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/03/microchip-implant-eye-prosthesis-macular-degeneration; https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/03/stanford-inventions-innovations-computer-mouse-heart-transplant-digital-synthesizer; https://news.stanford.edu/features/research-at-stanford

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://news.stanford.edu/features/research-at-stanford ("Read more"); https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/05/meet-khoi-young-graduate-profile ("Read more"); https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2022/06/meet-helena-zhang ("Learn 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

404 Error Page

HTTP 404, custom page

REVIEW

HTTP 404, custom page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Custom styled 404 page

Navigation links present on 404 page

Homepage link present on 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title Page not found – Stanford University ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✗

Favicon & Branding

16 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

16 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 Missing

✓ Multiple Sizes Present

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 20 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

0 pass 20 fail WCAG AA

h2 Search Stanford:

2.23:1

#000000

#623D2F

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · mid-page · over background image/gradient

h2 Main Content

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 A Mission Defined by Possibility

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Campus News

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Academics

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Profile of Renee Zhao

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Research

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Profile of Khoi Young, ’25

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Campus Life

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Profile of Helena Zhang, ’22

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 The Arts

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Upcoming Events

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Health Care

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Athletics

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Admission

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h3 Undergraduate Education

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Graduate Education

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Lifelong Learning

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Seven schools in which to pursue your pa…

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Renee Zhao

2.89:1

#000000

#B1040E

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

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)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h2 Search Stanford:	2.23:1	3.0:1	#000000	#623D2F	Fail
h2 Main Content	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 A Mission Defined by…	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 Campus News	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 Academics	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 Profile of Renee Zha…	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 Research	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 Profile of Khoi Youn…	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 Campus Life	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 Profile of Helena Zh…	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 The Arts	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 Upcoming Events	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 Health Care	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 Athletics	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h2 Admission	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h3 Undergraduate Educat…	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h3 Graduate Education	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h3 Lifelong Learning	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h3 Seven schools in whi…	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	Fail
h3 Renee Zhao	2.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#B1040E	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

17 landmarks

PASS

17 landmarks

<main> landmark present

3 <nav> landmark(s) found

All <nav> elements are properly labeled

Skip navigation link present

Search landmark present

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

A+

Alt Text Quality

All 34 images OK

PASS

All 34 images OK

33 decorative image(s) correctly marked

1 image(s) with good alt text

34 images 1 good alt text 33 decorative

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
#search-field	text	Search term	for/id
#search-web	radio	Web	for/id
#search-people	radio	People	for/id

A+

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 100/100 — 0 failing, 27 passed

PASS

100

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.

○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

●`[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 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

●Skip links are focusable.

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

●Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements

●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 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

○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.

○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.

○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.

All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.