Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

4 PASS 5 REVIEW 4 FIX

Link & Button Quality

Action

16 issue(s) across 83 links and 2 buttons

FIX

16 issue(s) across 83 links and 2 buttons

15 link(s) with no accessible text

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

Got: https://www.copernicus.org/; https://www.copernicus.org/; https://orcid.org/oauth/authorize?response_type=code&client_id=0000-0002-7175…; https://www.deutschlandstipendium.de/; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; https://www.suedniedersachsenstiftung.de/projekte/topas/; https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_press/2026-02-17_ben-poulter-awarded-cope…; https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_press/2026-02-17_ben-poulter-awarded-cope…; https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_press/2026-02-17_ben-poulter-awarded-cope…; https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_press/2026-02-17_ben-poulter-awarded-cope… (+5 more)

3 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: https://www.linkedin.com/company/copernicus-gmbh/; https://www.xing.com/companies/copernicusgmbh; https://www.youtube.com/user/CopernicusVideos

1 button(s) with no accessible text

Icon-only buttons need an aria-label so screen readers can announce them.

Got: button.btn (#213 on page)

65 link(s) with descriptive text

83 links

15 empty

0 generic text

3 new tab

1 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://www.copernicus.org/	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.copernicus.org/	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.linkedin.com/company/coperni…	LinkedIn	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.xing.com/companies/copernicu…	Xing	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.youtube.com/user/CopernicusV…	Youtube	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://orcid.org/oauth/authorize?respon…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.deutschlandstipendium.de/	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.suedniedersachsenstiftung.de…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_pres…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_pres…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_pres…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_pres…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_pres…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_pres…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_pres…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_pres…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label

66 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

https://www.copernicus.org/; https://www.copernicus.org/; https://orcid.org/oauth/authorize?response_type=code&client_id=0000-0002-7175…; https://www.deutschlandstipendium.de/; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; https://www.suedniedersachsenstiftung.de/projekte/topas/; https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_press/2026-02-17_ben-poulter-awarded-cope…; https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_press/2026-02-17_ben-poulter-awarded-cope…; https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_press/2026-02-17_ben-poulter-awarded-cope…; https://www.copernicus.org/news_and_press/2026-02-17_ben-poulter-awarded-cope… (+5 more)

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

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/copernicus-gmbh/; https://www.xing.com/companies/copernicusgmbh; https://www.youtube.com/user/CopernicusVideos

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

Icon-only buttons need an aria-label so screen readers can announce them.

button.btn (#213 on page)

Why this matters

Buttons with no accessible text (icon-only, no aria-label) can't be activated by voice control or understood by screen readers.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.2

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

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: #000000

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.

Landmark Structure

3 landmarks

REVIEW

3 landmarks

<main> landmark present

No <nav> landmark 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

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

Alt Text Quality

2 of 18 images have issues

REVIEW

2 of 18 images have issues

2 image(s) missing alt attribute

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

16 decorative image(s) correctly marked

18 images 16 decorative 2 missing

Issue	Count
missing	2 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

404 Error Page

HTTP 404, custom page

REVIEW

HTTP 404, custom page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Custom styled 404 page

Navigation links present on 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title Copernicus.org - 404 ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗

Favicon & Branding

Action

17 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

17 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

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Action

Score 75/100 — 3 failing, 11 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.

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
News archive `div#news_container > div.grid-container > div.j-news-archive-link > a.btn`

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

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.row > div.col-12 > div.mb-3 > img `div.row > div.col-12 > div.mb-3 > img`
div.row > div.col-12 > div.mb-3 > img `div.row > div.col-12 > div.mb-3 > img`

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#mobile-moadboard > div.row > div.col-6 > a.moadboard `div#mobile-moadboard > div.row > div.col-6 > a.moadboard`
div#news_container > div.grid-container > div.hide-on-desktop > a.no-border `div#news_container > div.grid-container > div.hide-on-desktop > a.no-border`
div.grid-container > div.hide-on-desktop > p.citation > a `div.grid-container > div.hide-on-desktop > p.citation > a`
div#news_container > div.grid-container > div.hide-on-desktop > a.no-border `div#news_container > div.grid-container > div.hide-on-desktop > a.no-border`
div.grid-container > div.hide-on-desktop > p.citation > a `div.grid-container > div.hide-on-desktop > p.citation > 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.

○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-hidden="true"]` is not present on the document `<body>`

●`[user-scalable="no"]` is not used in the `<meta name="viewport">` element and the `[maximum-scale]` attribute is not less than 5.

●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

●`<html>` element has an `[xml:lang]` attribute with the same base language as the `[lang]` attribute.

●Document has a main landmark.

○`[accesskey]` values are unique

○`[aria-*]` attributes match their roles

○`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names

○ARIA attributes are used as specified for the element's role

○Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

○Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` have accessible names.

○`[aria-hidden="true"]` elements do not contain focusable descendents

○ARIA input fields have accessible names

○ARIA `meter` elements have accessible names

○ARIA `progressbar` elements have accessible names

○Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes

○`[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

○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

○`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values

○`[aria-*]` attributes are valid and not misspelled

○Buttons have an accessible name

○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

○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.

○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.

○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.

A+

Heading Hierarchy

2 headings

PASS

2 headings

Single H1 present

H1 Welcome to Copernicus.org
H2 News

A+

Form Accessibility

All 2 controls labeled

PASS

All 2 controls labeled

2 control(s) properly labeled

2 controls

2 labeled

0 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#user	text	User ID	for/id
#passwd	password	Password	for/id

A+

Print Stylesheet

Print styles detected

PASS

Print styles detected

External print stylesheet detected

Got: https://www.copernicus.org/ci_refresh_print_css.css

Print Stylesheet ✓ Print Optimized

Print stylesheet https://www.copernicus.org/ci_refresh_print_css.css ✓Inline @media print Not detected ✗

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)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 Welcome to Copernicu…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 News	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
title Copernicus.org - Abo…	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a About us	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Meetings	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Publications	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Customers	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Online system	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Facts & figures	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a News & press	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Career	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Responsibilities	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Contact us	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Imprint	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Data protection	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a About us	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Meetings	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Publications	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Customers	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Online system	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	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.

All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.