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Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
76
GRADE
C
FIX
1
REVIEW
6
PASS
6
INFO
0
Checks
13
6 PASS 6 REVIEW 1 FIX
D
Dark Mode Support
Action
Theme color only
FIX
Theme color only
Info::
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: #0056b3
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 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.

B
Heading Hierarchy
5 headings
REVIEW
5 headings
Critical::
No H1 heading found
Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.
  • H2 Featured Topics
  • H2 A to Z
  • H2 News All News
  • H2 Scientific Journals
  • H2 Science at CDC

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

B
Favicon & Branding
6 icon(s) detected
REVIEW
6 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 Present
Multiple Sizes Present
C
Web Manifest
Action
Valid manifest
REVIEW
Valid manifest
Warning::
No name or short_name
Add a name field to identify the app.
Info::
192x192 icon present
Info::
512x512 icon present
Info::
Display mode: standalone
PWA Install Criteria Not Installable
Name 192×192 icon 512×512 icon Start URL Display Mode standalone
Display Mode standalone Theme Color #ffffff Background Color #ffffff Icons 2 icon(s)
C
Navigation UX
Action
2 navigation pattern(s)
REVIEW
2 navigation pattern(s)
Info::
Search functionality detected
Got: role-search
Info::
Skip navigation link detected
Info::
5 navigation landmark(s) detected
Info::
Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)
Breadcrumbs
Search role='search' landmark
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation 5 <nav> element(s)
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
4 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Strong navigation UX with multiple discovery paths.
C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 7 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

13 pass 7 fail WCAG AA 5 pass AA only
a Español
4.13:1
#000000
on
#057895
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
p A .gov website belongs to an official go…
4.18:1
#000000
on
#057995
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
p ) or
4.12:1
#000000
on
#077894
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
p means you've safely connected to the .go…
4.28:1
#000000
on
#0B7B95
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
a Español
4.23:1
#000000
on
#0A7A95
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · mid-page
span Close
4.23:1
#000000
on
#0A7A95
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · mid-page
span Search
4.34:1
#000000
on
#0B7C97
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · mid-page
Show all checked elements (20)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h2 Featured Topics21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 A to Z21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Scientific Journals21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Science at CDC21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
title Centers for Disease …21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Skip to site content21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Skip to search21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span An official website …12.09:14.5:1
#000000
#99CDD9
Pass
a Here's how you know4.65:14.5:1
#000000
#0081A1
Pass
a Español4.13:14.5:1
#000000
#057895
Fail
b Official websites us…4.18:13.0:1
#000000
#057996
Pass
p A .gov website belon…4.18:14.5:1
#000000
#057995
Fail
b Secure .gov websites…4.34:13.0:1
#000000
#0A7C97
Pass
strong lock4.46:13.0:1
#000000
#0E7E99
Pass
p ) or4.12:14.5:1
#000000
#077894
Fail
strong https://4.22:13.0:1
#000000
#097A94
Pass
p means you've safely …4.28:14.5:1
#000000
#0B7B95
Fail
a Español4.23:14.5:1
#000000
#0A7A95
Fail
span Close4.23:14.5:1
#000000
#0A7A95
Fail
span Search4.34:14.5:1
#000000
#0B7C97
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
14 landmarks
PASS
14 landmarks
Info::
<main> landmark present
Info::
5 <nav> landmark(s) found
Warning::
5 of 5 <nav> elements are unlabeled
Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.
Info::
Skip navigation link present
Info::
Search landmark present
Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it
BANNER header NAV SEARCH 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
1 of 22 images have issues
PASS
1 of 22 images have issues
Critical::
1 image(s) missing alt attribute
Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.
Info::
3 decorative image(s) correctly marked
Info::
18 image(s) with good alt text
22 images 18 good alt text 3 decorative 1 missing
IssueCount
missing1 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 3 controls labeled
PASS
All 3 controls labeled
Info::
3 control(s) properly labeled
3 controls
3 labeled
0 placeholder only
0 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
querysearchSearcharia-label
querysearchSearcharia-label
querysearchSearcharia-label
A
404 Error Page
HTTP 404, custom page
PASS
HTTP 404, custom page
Info::
Correct 404 status code returned
Got: HTTP 404
Info::
Custom styled 404 page
Info::
Navigation links present on 404 page
Info::
Homepage link present on 404 page
Info::
Search form present on 404 page
404 Page Quality Custom 404 Page
Status Code HTTP 404 Page Title Page Not Found | CDC Custom Styling Navigation Homepage Link Search Form
A+
Print Stylesheet
Print styles detected
PASS
Print styles detected
Info::
External print stylesheet detected
Got: /TemplatePackage/5.0/css/print.min.css?_=04929
Print Stylesheet Print Optimized
Print stylesheet /TemplatePackage/5.0/css/print.min.css?_=04929 Inline @media print Not detected
A
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 91/100 — 3 failing, 23 passed
PASS
91

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

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
nav.mobile-navbar > div.mobile-navbar_top > div.d-flex > a#cdc-mobile-search-toggle nav.mobile-navbar > div.mobile-navbar_top > div.d-flex > a#cdc-mobile-search-toggle

Including a skip link can help users skip to the main content to save time. Learn more about skip links.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Skip to search body.cdc-post-type--cdc-homepage > div#skipmenu > a.skippy

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

A value greater than 0 implies an explicit navigation ordering. Although technically valid, this often creates frustrating experiences for users who rely on assistive technologies. Learn more about the `tabindex` attribute.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Skip to site content body.cdc-post-type--cdc-homepage > div#skipmenu > a.skippy
Skip to search body.cdc-post-type--cdc-homepage > div#skipmenu > a.skippy
Pause carousel div#hero-carousel > div.carousel-indicators > div.carousel-indicators-wrapper > button#animation-toggle

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

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
Lists contain only `<li>` elements and script supporting elements (`<script>` and `<template>`).
List items (`<li>`) are contained within `<ul>`, `<ol>` or `<menu>` parent elements
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
ARIA IDs are unique
`[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
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.
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.

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