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Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
68
GRADE
D
FIX
4
REVIEW
4
PASS
5
INFO
0
Checks
13
5 PASS 4 REVIEW 4 FIX
D
Alt Text Quality
Action
5 of 20 images have issues
FIX
5 of 20 images have issues
Critical::
5 image(s) missing alt attribute
Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.
Critical::
1 image-in-link without alt text
An image inside a link with no alt creates an empty link.
Info::
15 image(s) with good alt text
20 images 15 good alt text 5 missing
IssueCount
missing5 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

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.

Learn more

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

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: #ffffff
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.

D
Print Stylesheet
Action
No print styles
FIX
No print styles
Info::
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
F
Navigation UX
Action
1 navigation pattern(s)
FIX
1 navigation pattern(s)
Info::
Skip navigation link detected
Info::
9 navigation landmark(s) detected
Info::
Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation 9 <nav> element(s)
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
3 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Strong navigation UX with multiple discovery paths.
B
Form Accessibility
2 of 10 controls have issues
REVIEW
2 of 10 controls have issues
Warning::
2 control(s) rely on placeholder only
Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.
Got: <input type="text" id="header-search">; <input type="text" id="header-search">
Info::
8 control(s) properly labeled
10 controls
8 labeled
2 placeholder only
0 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
#first-name--1408838924textFirst Namefor/id
#last-name--1408838924textLast Namefor/id
#email--1408838924emailEmail Addressfor/id
#zip--1408838924textZip Codefor/id
#first-name--174635191textFirst Namefor/id
#last-name--174635191textLast Namefor/id
#email--174635191emailEmail Addressfor/id
#zip--174635191textZip Codefor/id
#header-searchtext(Search)placeholder only
#header-searchtext(Search)placeholder only

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

<input type="text" id="header-search">; <input type="text" id="header-search">

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

B
404 Error Page
HTTP 404, custom page
REVIEW
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
404 Page Quality Custom 404 Page
Status Code HTTP 404 Page Title Content Not Found | Brennan Center for Justice Custom Styling Navigation Homepage Link Search Form
B
Favicon & Branding
8 icon(s) detected
REVIEW
8 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)
A
Landmark Structure
15 landmarks
PASS
15 landmarks
Info::
<main> landmark present
Info::
9 <nav> landmark(s) found
Warning::
4 of 9 <nav> elements are unlabeled
Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.
Info::
Skip navigation link present
Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it
BANNER header NAV "block-bcj-main-menu-offcanvas-menu" 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
Heading Hierarchy
33 headings
PASS
33 headings
Warning::
Multiple H1 headings (4 found)
A page should have only one H1. Multiple H1s dilute the document outline.
  • H4 Suggested Results
  • H2 Main navigation offcanvas
  • H3 Informed citizens are our democracy’s best defense.
  • H4 Suggested Results
  • H2 Main navigation
  • H1 We stand forthe rule of law.
  • H1 We stand for the rule of law. duplicate H1
  • H1 We stand for the freedom to vote. duplicate H1
  • H1 We stand for democracy. duplicate H1
  • H2 Americans Want a Solution to Corruption
  • H3 Survey Finds Election Officials Remain Concerned About Safety, Lack of Government Support
  • H3 A New Way to Learn About the Supreme Court
  • H3 Analyzing the President’s Executive Order on Mail Voting
  • H2 We have solutions for democracy’s most pressing problems.
  • H3 Voting & Elections
  • H3 Money in Politics
  • H3 Government Power
  • H2 The Brennan Center for Justice strengthens American democracy through research, advocacy, and public education.
  • H3 The Trump Administration’s Campaign to Undermine the Next Election
  • H3 Nine Solutions for Political Corruption
  • H3 Prison Reform in the United States
  • H3 ICE Wants to Go After Dissenters as well as Immigrants
  • H2 Informed citizens are democracy’s best defense.
  • H3 Fight fear with facts, straight from the experts
  • H4 Countering Trump’s Strategies to Undermine Elections
  • H4 Prison Reform
  • H4 How We Can Fix America’s Corruption Problem
  • H4 Sustain the Fight
  • H2 The Benchmark
  • H2 Join us in building an America that is democratic, just, and free.
  • H2 Main navigation
  • H2 Footer
  • H2 Institutional Menu Footer

A page should have only one H1. Multiple H1s dilute the document outline.

Why this matters

Multiple H1s blur the page's primary topic — screen-reader users and Google both prefer one H1.

Learn more

HTML5's outline algorithm technically allows multiple H1s within sectioning content, but no browser implements it. In practice: one H1 per page. Use H2-H6 for subsections.

Source: WCAG 2.4.6 / Google Search Central

A+
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
20 text elements analyzed, 0 fail WCAG AA
PASS

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

20 pass
Show all checked elements (20)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h1 We stand for19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h1 We stand for19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h1 We stand for19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h1 We stand for19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h2 Main navigation offc…19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h2 Main navigation19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h2 We have solutions fo…19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h2 The Benchmark19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h2 Join us in building …19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h2 Main navigation19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h2 Footer19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h2 Institutional Menu F…19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h3 Informed citizens ar…19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
h3 Fight fear with fact…19.31:13.0:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
title Brennan Center for J…19.31:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
a Skip Navigation19.31:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
span Home19.97:14.5:1
#000000
#FAF9F8
Pass
button Menu19.31:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
label Search19.31:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
Pass
span Search19.31:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F5F3
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+
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 95/100 — 1 failing, 28 passed
PASS
95

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

Informative elements should aim for short, descriptive alternate text. Decorative elements can be ignored with an empty alt attribute. Learn more about the `alt` attribute.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div.featured-topic > div.featured-topic__image > a.featured-topic__image-link > img div.featured-topic > div.featured-topic__image > a.featured-topic__image-link > img

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
`[role]` values are valid
`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values
`[aria-*]` attributes are valid and not misspelled
Buttons have an accessible name
Form elements have associated labels
`[user-scalable="no"]` is not used in the `<meta name="viewport">` element and the `[maximum-scale]` attribute is not less than 5.
`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names
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
`<frame>` or `<iframe>` elements have a title
`<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
Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.
`[accesskey]` values are unique
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
`<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
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.

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