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 3 REVIEW 7 FIX

Alt Text Quality

Action

10 of 36 images have issues

FIX

10 of 36 images have issues

10 image(s) missing alt attribute

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

2 image-in-link without alt text

An image inside a link with no alt creates an empty link.

7 image(s) with alt text over 125 characters

2 decorative image(s) correctly marked

17 image(s) with good alt text

36 images 17 good alt text 2 decorative 10 missing

Issue	Count
missing	10 image(s)
too long	7 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.

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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

An image inside a link with no alt creates an empty link.

Why this matters

Image-only links with no alt create empty links — screen-reader users hear 'link' with no destination context.

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An <a><img></a> with no img alt is the worst-case for accessibility: AT announces the link but can't describe where it goes. Either add alt to the image OR add aria-label to the link.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4

Link & Button Quality

Action

8 issue(s) across 308 links and 21 buttons

FIX

8 issue(s) across 308 links and 21 buttons

8 link(s) with no accessible text

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

Got: https://x.com/ourworldindata; https://www.instagram.com/ourworldindata/; https://www.threads.net/@ourworldindata; https://facebook.com/ourworldindata; https://www.linkedin.com/company/ourworldindata; https://bsky.app/profile/ourworldindata.org; https://github.com/owid; /subscribe

2 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://ourworldindata.org/how-many-species-are-there"]; a[href="https://ourworldindata.org/how-many-species-are-there"]

1 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: https://ourworldindata.org/faqs

297 link(s) with descriptive text

308 links

8 empty

0 generic text

1 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://ourworldindata.org/how-many-spec…	From our classicsHow many spec…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://ourworldindata.org/how-many-spec…	From our classicsHow many spec…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://x.com/ourworldindata	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.instagram.com/ourworldindata…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.threads.net/@ourworldindata	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://facebook.com/ourworldindata	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ourworl…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://bsky.app/profile/ourworldindata.…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://github.com/owid	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
/subscribe	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://ourworldindata.org/faqs	FAQs	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text

318 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

https://x.com/ourworldindata; https://www.instagram.com/ourworldindata/; https://www.threads.net/@ourworldindata; https://facebook.com/ourworldindata; https://www.linkedin.com/company/ourworldindata; https://bsky.app/profile/ourworldindata.org; https://github.com/owid; /subscribe

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

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

a[href="https://ourworldindata.org/how-many-species-are-there"]; a[href="https://ourworldindata.org/how-many-species-are-there"]

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

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

https://ourworldindata.org/faqs

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

2 icon(s) detected

FIX

2 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

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

No navigation patterns

FIX

No navigation patterns

1 navigation landmark(s) detected

Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)

No breadcrumbs, search, or skip link detected

These navigation aids help users orient themselves and find content efficiently, especially on large sites.

Breadcrumbs

Skip Link

Labeled Navigation 1 <nav> element(s)

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.

Landmark Structure

Action

13 landmarks

REVIEW

13 landmarks

No <main> landmark found

Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.

1 <nav> landmark(s) found

Skip navigation link is missing (WCAG 2.4.1)

Add a skip link as the first focusable element so keyboard users can bypass repeated navigation.

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

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.

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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

Add a skip link as the first focusable element so keyboard users can bypass repeated navigation.

Why this matters

Without a skip-nav link, keyboard users tab through every nav item before reaching content — every page, every visit.

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WCAG 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks) requires a mechanism to skip past repeated content. The standard implementation is a 'Skip to main content' link that's the first focusable element, visually hidden until focused. Three lines of HTML + four of CSS.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.1

Heading Hierarchy

Action

58 headings, 1 skip(s)

REVIEW

58 headings, 1 skip(s)

No H1 heading found

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

Heading level skipped: H2 → H4 (missing H3)

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.

H2 Research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems.
H3 Most people care about farm animals — our food system doesn't reflect that
H3 We’re looking for a writer
H3 How many species are there?
H3 What do people die from in different countries?
H3 Most people care about farm animals — our food system doesn't reflect that
H3 How many species are there?
H3 We’re looking for a writer
H3 What do people die from in different countries?
H4 Updates and announcements
H3 NVIDIA's data center & AI revenue has grown nearly 15-fold since early 2023
H3 Billions of people depend on synthetic fertilizers. Track how they're produced, traded, and used.
H3 How much do governments spend, and what do they spend it on?
H4 Subscribe to our newsletters
H2 Data Insights
H3 Indoor air pollution causes almost three million premature deaths every year
H3 Death rates for cervical cancer in the United Kingdom have fallen by 80% since 1950
H3 France’s nuclear fleet gives it one of the world’s lowest-carbon electricity grids
H3 Hunger levels have increased across Africa over the last decade
H3 Many countries are “leapfrogging” landlines and going straight to mobile phones
H3 The global suicide rate has fallen since the 1990s, but the death toll is still high
H3 Brazil, India, Vietnam, and Russia hold large reserves of rare earth, but mine very little of them
H2 Explore our data
H3 Child mortality rate Long-run estimates combining data from UN & Gapminder
H4 What share of children die before their fifth birthday?
H3 Share of population living in extreme poverty World Bank
H4 What share of the population lives in extreme poverty?
H3 Life expectancy Long-run estimates collated from multiple sources by Our World in Data
H4 How has people’s life expectancy changed over time?
H3 CO₂ emissions per capita Long-run estimates from the Global Carbon Budget
H4 How have CO₂ emissions per capita changed?
H3 GDP per capita Long-run estimates from the Maddison Project Database
H4 How do average incomes compare between countries around the world?
H3 Share of people who are undernourished UN FAO
H4 What share of the population is suffering from hunger?
H3 Literacy rate Long-run estimates collated from multiple sources by Our World in Data
H4 When has literacy become a widespread skill?
H3 Share of the population with access to electricity World Bank
H4 Where do people lack access to even the most basic electricity supply?
H2 Data explorers
H2 All our topics
H2 Population and Demographic Change
H2 Health
H2 Energy and Environment
H2 Food and Agriculture
H2 Poverty and Economic Development
H2 Education and Knowledge
H2 Innovation and Technological Change
H2 Living Conditions, Community and Wellbeing
H2 Human Rights and Democracy
H2 Violence and War
H4 Our World in Data is free and accessible for everyone. skipped
H5 Explore
H5 Resources
H5 About
H5 RSS Feeds
H5 Follow us
H2 Cookies help us build a better website

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

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

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 81/100 — 7 failing, 21 passed

REVIEW

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.