Accessibility

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

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

3 PASS 4 REVIEW 6 FIX

Form Accessibility

Action

5 of 9 controls have issues

FIX

5 of 9 controls have issues

2 control(s) without accessible label

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

Got: <input type="submit" name="logout">; <textarea name="g-recaptcha-response" id="g-recaptcha-response-100000">

3 control(s) rely on placeholder only

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

Got: <input type="text" name="q">; <input type="text" name="q">; <input type="text" name="q">

4 control(s) properly labeled

9 controls

4 labeled

3 placeholder only

2 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#topic-breaking	checkbox	Subscribe	none
#topic-alert	checkbox	Subscribe	none
#topic-natl-news	checkbox	Subscribe	none
#topic-cardinals	checkbox	Subscribe	none
q	text	(Search St. Louis Post-Dispatch)	placeholder only
q	text	(Search St. Louis Post-Dispatch)	placeholder only
q	text	(Search St. Louis Post-Dispatch)	placeholder only
logout	submit	(none)	none
#g-recaptcha-response-100000	textarea	(none)	none

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

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.

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

404 Error Page

Action

Soft 404 detected

FIX

Soft 404 detected

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-lygohs

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.

Web Manifest

Action

Invalid JSON

FIX

Invalid JSON

Manifest contains invalid JSON

Manifest at https://stltoday.com/manifest.json contains invalid JSON. Browsers cannot parse it.

Got: https://stltoday.com/manifest.json

Manifest contains invalid JSON.

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 ✗

Heading Hierarchy

94 headings

REVIEW

94 headings

No H1 heading found

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

H3 Lots drawn, St. Charles declares winner in tied council race
H3 St. Louis OKs permit for $3B Armory data center, with list of conditions
H3 Judge says St. Louis mayor appoints new sheriff. But it’s not yet clear she can.
H3 ‘Big Ron,’ food trucker who fed tornado victims, killed in Ferguson drive-by
H3 Income tax repeal heads to Missouri voters following House vote
H3 Father charged in death of 3-year-old boy who fell from Central West End high-rise
H3 State hoped to net tons of carp at Creve Coeur Lake but came up fishless
H3 Recommended For You
H4 Former St. Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner is now a nursing fellow in California
H4 State hoped to net tons of carp at Creve Coeur Lake but came up fishless
H4 St. Charles church wants to bulldoze historic buildings. Board blocks demolitions.
H3 The Latest
H4 St. Louis County Council OKs money sought by Sam Page for Revenue Department
H4 1 man dead, 1 injured in shooting in Spanish Lake area
H4 Boy, 10, dies after hit by pickup on Gravois in South County
H4 Detectives use DNA, cell data and video to ID suspect in Steak 'n Shake drive-thru killing
H4 St. Charles church wants to bulldoze historic buildings. Board blocks demolitions.
H4 Another ex-superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools sues the district over firing
H4 Judge says Missouri House lacked authority to dock Wiley Price’s pay after 2021 censure
H4 State treasurer posted MOScholars student data on its website for nearly a year
H3 Editor's Pick
H3 Under pressure from Cardinals, alderman delays plan to help food trucks in St. Louis
H3 Sports
H4 Plan set for slumping Scott; added dimensions to Jordan Walker's play: Cardinals Extra
H4 Inside Pitch: Cardinals’ Masyn Winn enjoyed a Houston homecoming as club continued its fast start
H4 St. Louis City SC considers next step for Eduard Lowen after he makes his season debut
H4 The history Cardinals starter Dustin May looks to repeat in Miami: First Pitch
H3 Latest Video
H4 Inside Pitch: Cardinals’ Masyn Winn enjoyed a Houston homecoming as club continued its fast start
H4 Ten Hochman: Nit-picking or cause for concern? Jordan Walker’s 10 Ks in 21 ABs.
H4 Blues season that began with hope delivered on little of it: Net Front Presence
H3 Community News
H3 Arbor Day art contest in Creve Coeur, Missouri
H3 Heart to Heart 5K/10K run/walk in Creve Coeur, Missouri
H3 KHS students earn perfect ACT scores nationwide
H3 Kirkwood schools earn exemplary library program honor
H3 Life & Entertainment
H4 Check out photos from the Great Taste!
H4 Neman: Don't tell me how many calories. I don't wanna know
H4 Iron & Wine to blend old favorites, new gems at Pageant show
H4 See who was at the Great Taste!
H3 Partner
H4 Women in Construction: Why Retention, Not Recruitment, Is the Real Problem
H4 Why Adults-Only Resorts in Jamaica Are Redefining the Caribbean Escape
H4 Rethinking Growth in the Hospitality Industry with Yasam Ayavefe
H4 Joan VonDras, 2nd District congressional candidate, bringing constituents’ voices back to Washington, D.C.
H3 Opinion
H4 Editorial: The Iron Throne of … er, Clayton
H4 Jackson: When adult children take charge, elder friendships can vanish
H4 Letter: Pope's war comments don't justify administration's blasphemy
H4 Letter: Support increased US funding to fight malaria and tuberculosis
H3 Winning STL
H4 Winning STL: Lawrence Group chief says we need 'unique spaces' to change region's image
H4 Winning STL: Companion Baking founder lives by grandfather’s words to 'shut up and listen to customers.'
H4 Winning STL: SSM health chief recalls his Iraq deployment and the world after Saddam Hussein's fall
H4 Winning STL: The pandemic left key lessons on transparency and misinformation, SSM Health officer says
H3 Business
H4 St. Charles church wants to bulldoze historic buildings. Board blocks demolitions.
H4 Parkgoers fell on Six Flags waterslide ride, injured spine, got concussion, suit says
H4 Q&A: Excel Bottling Co. president on coloring soda with beets, family business, what's next
H4 Business Bulletin: First Mid wins; Revity celebrates; Johnson Bender joins; Grand Central peaks
H3 Nation & World
H4 Southern Poverty Law Center charged with defrauding donors with payments to informants
H4 Apple's new CEO is a product perfectionist taking on the AI age
H4 Florida lawmaker resigns from Congress amid ethics charges
H4 Trump extends ceasefire with Iran
H3 Interact With Us
H4 Win a Cardinals prize pack!
H4 Enter to win $500 in gift cards to restaurants featured in the 2026 edition of the STL 100!
H4 Enter daily for your chance to throw out a ceremonial first pitch on September 20!
H4 Follow along all season long!
H3 Events
H4 Update settings to continue…
H3 Listen Now Podcasts
H4 New Best Podcast in Baseball: Should Cardinals' fast start accelerate their rebuild plans?
H4 New Best Podcast In Baseball: Cardinals TV broadcaster relishes stories to tell in her new role
H4 Dissecting the Blues' run into and out of the postseason picture
H4 Happy New Year! BPIB's preview of 2026 Cardinals comes out of left field
H3 Shopping
H4 How to Buy WLFI Token: Full Beginner Guide
H4 Solana Wallet for Beginners (2025): Setup, Safety, Staking & Swaps
H4 Web3 Wallet for Beginners: How to Set Up, Stay Safe, and Pick the Right App
H4 Which Crypto May Boom in 2025? A Look at What’s Trending
H3 Local Businesses
H4 Burmester Auction Service
H4 Ranken Tech Legal Ads
H4 Aaa Appliance
H4 Sites & Partners
H4 Services
H5 Topics
H4 Breaking News
H4 Trending
H4 National News
H4 News

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

1 issue(s) across 348 links and 18 buttons

REVIEW

1 issue(s) across 348 links and 18 buttons

1 link(s) with no accessible text

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

Got: {{url}}

28 link(s) open in new tab without warning

Add '(opens in new tab)' to link text or aria-label.

Got: /privacy; /facebook; /twitter; https://bsky.app/profile/stltoday.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/st.-louis-post-dispatch/; /youtube; https://www.tiktok.com/@stlouispostdispatch; https://www.pinterest.com/stltoday/; https://www.instagram.com/stltoday/; https://www.stltoday.com/contests/html_a23fb45b-2ddc-48f6-9f56-fdf7e544d6f3.h… (+18 more)

319 link(s) with descriptive text

348 links

1 empty

0 generic text

28 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
/privacy	Privacy Policy	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/facebook	Facebook	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/twitter	Twitter	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://bsky.app/profile/stltoday.com	Bluesky	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.linkedin.com/company/st.-lou…	LinkedIn	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/youtube	YouTube	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.tiktok.com/@stlouispostdispa…	TikTok	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.pinterest.com/stltoday/	Pinterest	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.instagram.com/stltoday/	Instagram	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.stltoday.com/contests/html_a…	Win a Cardinals prize pack!	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.stltoday.com/contests/html_a…	Win a Cardinals prize pack!	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.stltoday.com/contests/html_4…	Enter to win $500 in gift card…	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.stltoday.com/contests/html_4…	Enter to win $500 in gift card…	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.stltoday.com/contests/html_2…	Enter daily for your chance to…	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.stltoday.com/contests/html_2…	Enter daily for your chance to…	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professi…	Follow along all season long!	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professi…	Follow along all season long!	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/facebook	Facebook	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/twitter	Twitter	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://bsky.app/profile/stltoday.com	Bluesky	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/linkedin	LinkedIn	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/youtube	YouTube	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.tiktok.com/@stlouispostdispa…	TikTok	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/pinterest	Pinterest	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/instagram	Instagram	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://lee.net/advertise/tos/	Advertising Terms of Use	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://bloxcms.com	BLOX Content Management System	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://bloxdigital.com/	bloxdigital.com	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
{{url}}	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label

337 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

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

Add '(opens in new tab)' to link text or aria-label.

/privacy; /facebook; /twitter; https://bsky.app/profile/stltoday.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/st.-louis-post-dispatch/; /youtube; https://www.tiktok.com/@stlouispostdispatch; https://www.pinterest.com/stltoday/; https://www.instagram.com/stltoday/; https://www.stltoday.com/contests/html_a23fb45b-2ddc-48f6-9f56-fdf7e544d6f3.h… (+18 more)

Why this matters

Links with target="_blank" without rel="noopener" leak the originating page's window context — security and UX issue.

Learn more ▾

Without rel="noopener", the new tab can navigate the original tab via window.opener (tab-nabbing attack). Modern browsers default to noopener for target=_blank but only since recent versions. Always set rel="noopener noreferrer" explicitly.

Source: MDN target / OWASP

Favicon & Branding

Action

3 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

3 icon(s) detected

favicon.ico present at site root

HTML icon links detected

Apple touch icon present

✓ favicon.ico Present

✓ PNG Icons Present

✓ Apple Touch Present

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✗ Manifest Icons Missing

✗ Multiple Sizes Missing

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 1 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

19 pass 1 fail WCAG AA 1 pass AA only

title St. Louis Post-Dispatch | Breaking News …

1.09:1

#000000

#090E15

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h3 Recommended	18.26:1	3.0:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
h3 The	18.26:1	3.0:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
h3 Editor's Pick	18.26:1	3.0:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
h3 Partner	18.26:1	3.0:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
h3 Nation & World	18.26:1	3.0:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
h3 Interact	18.26:1	3.0:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
title St. Louis Post-Dispa…	1.09:1	4.5:1	#000000	#090E15	Fail
span Opens in a new windo…	6.99:1	4.5:1	#000000	#939598	Pass
span Opens an external we…	18.26:1	4.5:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
span Opens an external we…	18.26:1	4.5:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
span We and our 79 IAB TC…	18.26:1	4.5:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
span Personal data may be…	18.26:1	4.5:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
span Our third party IAB …	18.26:1	4.5:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
span You may change your …	18.26:1	4.5:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
span You may close this b…	18.26:1	4.5:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
a Privacy Policy	18.26:1	4.5:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
a Third Parties	18.26:1	4.5:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
button Manage Preferences	18.26:1	4.5:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
button Accept All	18.26:1	4.5:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	Pass
button Reject Non-Essential	18.26:1	4.5:1	#000000	#EFEFEF	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

5 landmarks

PASS

5 landmarks

<main> landmark present

1 <nav> landmark(s) found

No banner (header) landmark

Skip navigation link present

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

Alt Text Quality

1 of 77 images have issues

PASS

1 of 77 images have issues

1 image(s) missing alt attribute

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

76 image(s) with good alt text

77 images 76 good alt text 1 missing

Issue	Count
missing	1 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

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 93/100 — 3 failing, 24 passed

PASS

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
Conversations with St. Louis leaders. Presented by Purina `section#block-1478010 > div.clearfix > div.block-note > p`

Low-contrast text is difficult or impossible for many users to read. Link text that is discernible improves the experience for users with low vision. Learn how to make links distinguishable.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
cookie preferences `div.evvnt-widget-container > div#lee-consent-banner-events > div.panel-body > a`

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

Visible text labels that do not match the accessible name can result in a confusing experience for screen reader users. Learn more about accessible names.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
PROVIDED `div.media-preview-113d62ad-a2ba-51cb-8e81-f3ab6a35d3b3 > figure.photo > div.image > a.tnt-asset-link`
PROVIDED `div.media-preview-6eb405e2-dde4-5d08-9ea5-b63cd3f94e36 > figure.photo > div.image > a.tnt-asset-link`
PROVIDED `div.media-preview-bb00ab0d-41d9-5540-82f8-10b30263d734 > figure.photo > div.image > a.tnt-asset-link`
CONTRIBUTOR `div.media-preview-a8767724-1289-567a-9407-54bd0bc90040 > figure.photo > div.image > a.tnt-asset-link`

○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

●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

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

○`[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.