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 5 REVIEW 5 FIX

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-3lzo6g

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://uvm.edu/manifest.json contains invalid JSON. Browsers cannot parse it.

Got: https://uvm.edu/manifest.json

Manifest contains invalid JSON.

Dark Mode Support

Action

Theme color only

FIX

Theme color only

Theme-color present but no dark variant

A theme-color is set but no dark-specific variant was found. The browser toolbar may not adapt for dark mode users.

Got: #1b6048

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 ModePartial Dark Mode

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

13 headings

REVIEW

13 headings

No H1 heading found

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

H2 Main navigation
H2 Quick links
H2 Join the Catamount Community
H2 FIND YOUR PATH
H2 Start Exploring
H2 Quick Guide
H2 UVM News
H2 UVM Facts
H2 What's happening
H2 Location
H2 Footer
H2 Explore
H2 Connect

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

Form Accessibility

2 of 3 controls have issues

REVIEW

2 of 3 controls have issues

1 control(s) without accessible label

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

Got: <input type="button">

1 control(s) rely on placeholder only

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

Got: <input type="text" name="search" id="searchPeople">

1 control(s) properly labeled

3 controls

1 labeled

1 placeholder only

1 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#gsc-i-id1	text	search	aria-label
#searchPeople	text	(Search People at UVM)	placeholder only
input	button	(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

Link & Button Quality

132 links, 18 buttons — all OK

REVIEW

132 links, 18 buttons — all OK

9 image-only link(s) without alt text

Image-only links need alt text on the image (or aria-label on the link) so screen readers can announce them.

Got: a[href="https://admissions.uvm.edu/register/inquire_uvm"]; a[href="https://www.uvm.edu/admissions/undergraduate/visit-options"]; a[href="https://www.uvm.edu/admissions"]; a[href="/uvmnews/news/less-carbon-more-compost-uvm-checks-off-sustainability-goals"]; a[href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRu-U0oFeg8/"]; a[href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DScrgcwDHSr/"]; a[href="https://www.instagram.com/universityofvermont/p/DPm4Ax5CRG8/"]; a[href="https://google.com/maps/place/Burlington,+VT+05405/@44.4735865,-73.1993649,15z"]; a[href="https://www.uvm.edu/"]

123 link(s) with descriptive text

132 links

0 empty

0 generic text

0 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://admissions.uvm.edu/register/inqu…	Inquire	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.uvm.edu/admissions/undergrad…	Visit	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.uvm.edu/admissions	Apply	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
/uvmnews/news/less-carbon-more-compost-u…	Less Carbon, More Compost: UVM…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.instagram.com/p/DRu-U0oFeg8/	Layers. Because Catamounts don…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.instagram.com/p/DScrgcwDHSr/	The signs are clear. You’re …	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.instagram.com/universityofve…	Catamounts are out there leadi…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://google.com/maps/place/Burlington…	Burlington, VT 05405	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.uvm.edu/	University of Vermont home	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image

141 links and buttons have descriptive text

Image-only links need alt text on the image (or aria-label on the link) so screen readers can announce them.

a[href="https://admissions.uvm.edu/register/inquire_uvm"]; a[href="https://www.uvm.edu/admissions/undergraduate/visit-options"]; a[href="https://www.uvm.edu/admissions"]; a[href="/uvmnews/news/less-carbon-more-compost-uvm-checks-off-sustainability-goals"]; a[href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRu-U0oFeg8/"]; a[href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DScrgcwDHSr/"]; a[href="https://www.instagram.com/universityofvermont/p/DPm4Ax5CRG8/"]; a[href="https://google.com/maps/place/Burlington,+VT+05405/@44.4735865,-73.1993649,15z"]; a[href="https://www.uvm.edu/"]

Why this matters

Image-only links with no alt are unidentifiable to screen-reader users — link's destination is invisible.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4

Favicon & Branding

Action

11 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

11 icon(s) detected

No favicon.ico at site root

Some older browsers, bookmark tools, and RSS readers look for /favicon.ico. Add one as a fallback.

HTML icon links detected

Apple touch icon present

Multiple icon sizes detected

✗ favicon.ico Missing

✓ PNG Icons Present

✓ Apple Touch Present

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✗ Manifest Icons Missing

✓ Multiple Sizes Present

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 12 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

8 pass 12 fail WCAG AA 3 pass AA only

h2 Main navigation

2.36:1

#000000

#723B21

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · above the fold

h2 Quick links

2.81:1

#000000

#1B6048

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · mid-page

h2 Join the Catamount Community

2.81:1

#000000

#1B6048

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 FIND YOUR PATH

2.81:1

#000000

#1B6048

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Quick Guide

2.81:1

#000000

#1B6048

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 UVM News

2.81:1

#000000

#1B6048

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Location

2.81:1

#000000

#1B6048

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Footer

2.81:1

#000000

#1B6048

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Explore

2.81:1

#000000

#1B6048

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Connect

2.81:1

#000000

#1B6048

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

title For People and Planet | The University o…

4.17:1

#000000

#5F7279

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Skip main menu

4.20:1

#000000

#6C7073

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h2 Main navigation	2.36:1	3.0:1	#000000	#723B21	Fail
h2 Quick links	2.81:1	3.0:1	#000000	#1B6048	Fail
h2 Join the Catamount C…	2.81:1	3.0:1	#000000	#1B6048	Fail
h2 FIND YOUR PATH	2.81:1	3.0:1	#000000	#1B6048	Fail
h2 Quick Guide	2.81:1	3.0:1	#000000	#1B6048	Fail
h2 UVM News	2.81:1	3.0:1	#000000	#1B6048	Fail
h2 Location	2.81:1	3.0:1	#000000	#1B6048	Fail
h2 Footer	2.81:1	3.0:1	#000000	#1B6048	Fail
h2 Explore	2.81:1	3.0:1	#000000	#1B6048	Fail
h2 Connect	2.81:1	3.0:1	#000000	#1B6048	Fail
title For People and Plane…	4.17:1	4.5:1	#000000	#5F7279	Fail
a Skip main menu	4.20:1	4.5:1	#000000	#6C7073	Fail
a Skip to main content	5.27:1	4.5:1	#000000	#807F80	Pass
span University of Vermon…	6.17:1	4.5:1	#000000	#978884	Pass
span Search	7.97:1	4.5:1	#000000	#A69E98	Pass
span Close	5.46:1	4.5:1	#000000	#987E59	Pass
span Search	8.60:1	4.5:1	#000000	#AFA49A	Pass
span All UVM	8.92:1	4.5:1	#000000	#B3A79C	Pass
span Search	9.09:1	4.5:1	#000000	#B6A994	Pass
span People	10.38:1	4.5:1	#000000	#BEB4B4	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.

Landmark Structure

8 landmarks

PASS

8 landmarks

<main> landmark present

4 <nav> landmark(s) found

1 of 4 <nav> elements are unlabeled

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

Skip navigation link present

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

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 16 images OK

PASS

All 16 images OK

10 decorative image(s) correctly marked

6 image(s) with good alt text

16 images 6 good alt text 10 decorative

All images have appropriate alt text.

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 92/100 — 2 failing, 27 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.

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.field__item > section.homepage-social > div.slider-controls > button#prevPost`
`div.field__item > section.homepage-social > div.slider-controls > button#nextPost`

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.clearfix > ul.socialmedia > li > a.icon-facebook `div.clearfix > ul.socialmedia > li > a.icon-facebook`
div.clearfix > ul.socialmedia > li > a.icon-twitter `div.clearfix > ul.socialmedia > li > a.icon-twitter`
div.clearfix > ul.socialmedia > li > a.icon-youtube `div.clearfix > ul.socialmedia > li > a.icon-youtube`
div.clearfix > ul.socialmedia > li > a.icon-instagram `div.clearfix > ul.socialmedia > li > a.icon-instagram`
div.clearfix > ul.socialmedia > li > a.icon-linkedin `div.clearfix > ul.socialmedia > li > a.icon-linkedin`

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

●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

●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

●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

●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 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.

○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.