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https://physiology.org

Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
58
GRADE
D
FIX
5
REVIEW
6
PASS
2
INFO
0
Checks
13
2 PASS 6 REVIEW 5 FIX
D
Web Manifest
Action
Not found
FIX
Not found
Info::
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.

D
Dark Mode Support
Action
No dark mode signals
FIX
No dark mode signals
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 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.

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::
Back-to-top link detected
Info::
2 navigation landmark(s) detected
Info::
No breadcrumbs, search, or skip link detected
These navigation aids help users orient themselves and find content efficiently, especially on large sites.
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link
Labeled Navigation 2 <nav> element(s)
Back to Top
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.
B
Landmark Structure
5 landmarks
REVIEW
5 landmarks
Info::
<main> landmark present
Info::
2 <nav> landmark(s) found
Warning::
2 of 2 <nav> elements are unlabeled
Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.
Warning::
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
BANNER header NAV 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

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.

Learn more ▾

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

B
Heading Hierarchy
19 headings
REVIEW
19 headings
Critical::
No H1 heading found
Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.
  • H4 Physiology drives discoveriesthat transform health and save lives.
  • H4 Leading scientists are putting a spotlight on a critically important area of research: women’s health.
  • H4 Helping patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries regain movements they lost.
  • H4 Discovering new hormones to treat Type 1 diabetes, preeclampsia and chronic pain.
  • H3 Physiology: The Science Life Depends On
  • H3 Women’s Health Research Initiative
  • H3 The Physiologist Magazine
  • H4 The latest edition is out now.
  • H3 American Physiology Summit
  • H4 Register as an APS Member to Save
  • H3 Center for Physiology Education
  • H4 Promoting Excellence in Teaching Physiology
  • H2 A Community of Discovery
  • H2 The Latest News
  • H2 Explore the APS Family of Journals
  • H3 Contact
  • H3 News
  • H3 Policies
  • H3 Our Sites

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
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 404 | American Physiological Society ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✗
C
Favicon & Branding
Action
13 icon(s) detected
REVIEW
13 icon(s) detected
Warning::
No favicon.ico at site root
Some older browsers, bookmark tools, and RSS readers look for /favicon.ico. Add one as a fallback.
Info::
HTML icon links detected
Info::
Apple touch icon present
Info::
Multiple icon sizes detected
✗ favicon.ico Missing
✓ PNG Icons Present
✓ Apple Touch Present
✗ SVG Favicon Missing
✗ Manifest Icons Missing
✓ Multiple Sizes Present
C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 5 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

15 pass 5 fail WCAG AA 1 pass AA only
title American Physiological Society | Advanci…
1.00:1
#000000
on
#000000
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
button Menu
1.00:1
#000000
on
#000000
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
span Welcome,
1.00:1
#000000
on
#000000
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
a Logout
1.00:1
#000000
on
#000000
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
a Join
2.91:1
#000000
on
#615457
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
Show all checked elements (20)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h2 A Community of Disco…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 The Latest News21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Explore the APS Fami…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Physiology: The Scie…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Women’s Health Res…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 The Physiologist Mag…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 American Physiology …21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Center for Physiolog…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Contact21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 News21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Policies21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 Our Sites21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
title American Physiologic…1.00:14.5:1
#000000
#000000
Fail
button Menu1.00:14.5:1
#000000
#000000
Fail
span Welcome,1.00:14.5:1
#000000
#000000
Fail
a Logout1.00:14.5:1
#000000
#000000
Fail
button Login8.42:14.5:1
#000000
#95A7AE
Pass
a Donate10.52:14.5:1
#000000
#AFB9C0
Pass
a Job Board4.65:14.5:1
#000000
#777679
Pass
a Join2.91:14.5:1
#000000
#615457
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.

B
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 80/100 — 5 failing, 21 passed
REVIEW
80

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.

ARIA

Focusable descendents within an `[aria-hidden="true"]` element prevent those interactive elements from being available to users of assistive technologies like screen readers. Learn how `aria-hidden` affects focusable elements.

Why this matters

Informational: a Permissions-Policy directive showing feature -> allowed origins.

Source: MDN Permissions-Policy

Failing Elements
Function div.slick-track > div.slick-slide > div > li.slick-slide

These are opportunities to improve the usage of ARIA in your application which may enhance the experience for users of assistive technology, like a screen reader.

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#ContentPlaceholder_C009_Col00 > section.slider > ul.slick-list > button.slick-prev div#ContentPlaceholder_C009_Col00 > section.slider > ul.slick-list > button.slick-prev
div#ContentPlaceholder_C009_Col00 > section.slider > ul.slick-list > button.slick-next div#ContentPlaceholder_C009_Col00 > section.slider > ul.slick-list > button.slick-next

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
li > ul.has-callout > li.header-nav__callout > a.header-nav__callout-link li > ul.has-callout > li.header-nav__callout > a.header-nav__callout-link
li > ul.has-callout > li.header-nav__callout > a.header-nav__callout-link li > ul.has-callout > li.header-nav__callout > a.header-nav__callout-link
div.sfContentBlock > ul > li > a div.sfContentBlock > ul > li > a

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.

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
Women’s Health and Cellular Biology Leaders to Speak at American Physiology Sum… ul.item-list > li.item-list__item > div > a.item-list__title
10 APS Journals Open Access in 2026 Through Subscribe to Open ul.item-list > li.item-list__item > div > a.item-list__title
APS Members Elect New Leaders for 2026–2027 ul.item-list > li.item-list__item > div > a.item-list__title
Gut Microbiome May Be the Link to Gluten Sensitivity Without Celiac Disease ul.item-list > li.item-list__item > div > a.item-list__title
APS Names Erika Shugart Chief Executive Officer ul.item-list > li.item-list__item > div > a.item-list__title
Marathon Running Temporarily Stresses Kidneys, Digestive System ul.item-list > li.item-list__item > div > a.item-list__title

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

Tables and lists

Screen readers have a specific way of announcing lists. Ensuring proper list structure aids screen reader output. Learn more about proper list structure.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div.journal-background > div#ContentPlaceholder_C009_Col00 > section.slider > ul.slick-list div.journal-background > div#ContentPlaceholder_C009_Col00 > section.slider > ul.slick-list

These are opportunities to improve the experience of reading tabular or list data using 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
●Image elements have `[alt]` attributes
●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.
●ARIA attributes are used as specified for the element's role
●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 are distinguishable without relying on color.
●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
●Identical links have the same purpose.
○`[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
○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
○The document does not use `<meta http-equiv="refresh">`
○`<object>` elements have alternate text
○Select elements have associated label elements.
○Skip links are focusable.
○No element has a `[tabindex]` value greater than 0
○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.
○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.
A+
Alt Text Quality
All 56 images OK
PASS
All 56 images OK
Info::
15 decorative image(s) correctly marked
Info::
41 image(s) with good alt text
56 images 41 good alt text 15 decorative
All images have appropriate alt text.
A+
Form Accessibility
All 1 controls labeled
PASS
All 1 controls labeled
Info::
1 control(s) properly labeled
1 controls
1 labeled
0 placeholder only
0 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
#header-search__inputtextSearch for:for/id
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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