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

3 issue(s) across 115 links and 8 buttons

FIX

3 issue(s) across 115 links and 8 buttons

1 link(s) with no accessible text

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

Got: a#main-content

8 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://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/nobel-prize-winning-discovery-changed-…"]; a[href="https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/what-earth-made"]; a[href="https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/nvidia-queen-s-strengthening-canadian-…"]; a[href="https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/inside-nato-reflections-changing-alliance"]; a[href="https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/celebrating-national-honour"]; a[href="https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/polanyi-prize-honours-ai-driven-drug-d…"]; a[href="https://www.queensu.ca/research"]; a[href="/impact"]

2 button(s) with no accessible text

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

Got: button (#91 on page); button (#264 on page)

106 link(s) with descriptive text

115 links

1 empty

0 generic text

0 new tab

2 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/n…	Research Excellence The Nobel …	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/w…	Physics What is the Earth made…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/n…	Innovation From NVIDIA to Quee…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/i…	Global Affairs Inside NATO: Re…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/c…	Research Excellence Celebratin…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/p…	Research Excellence Polanyi Pr…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.queensu.ca/research	Research intensity Championi…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
/impact	Global impact Striving to ad…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label

112 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

a#main-content

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://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/nobel-prize-winning-discovery-changed-…"]; a[href="https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/what-earth-made"]; a[href="https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/nvidia-queen-s-strengthening-canadian-…"]; a[href="https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/inside-nato-reflections-changing-alliance"]; a[href="https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/celebrating-national-honour"]; a[href="https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/polanyi-prize-honours-ai-driven-drug-d…"]; a[href="https://www.queensu.ca/research"]; a[href="/impact"]

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

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

button (#91 on page); button (#264 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

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

2 navigation pattern(s)

FIX

2 navigation pattern(s)

Skip navigation link detected

Back-to-top link detected

2 navigation landmark(s) detected

Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)

Breadcrumbs

Skip Link Skip link detected

Labeled Navigation 2 <nav> element(s)

Hamburger Menu

Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)

4 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Strong navigation UX with multiple discovery paths.

Landmark Structure

6 landmarks

REVIEW

6 landmarks

<main> landmark present

2 <nav> landmark(s) found

1 of 2 <nav> elements are unlabeled

Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.

No banner (header) landmark

No contentinfo (footer) landmark

Skip navigation link present

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

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

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

Search form present on 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title 404 Not Found | Queen's University ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✓

Favicon & Branding

7 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

7 icon(s) detected

favicon.ico present at site root

HTML icon links detected

Apple touch icon present

Multiple icon sizes detected

✓ favicon.ico Present

✓ PNG Icons Present

✓ Apple Touch Present

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✓ Manifest Icons Present

✓ Multiple Sizes Present

Web Manifest

Action

Valid manifest

REVIEW

Valid manifest

No name or short_name

Add a name field to identify the app.

192x192 icon present

512x512 icon present

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)

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 1 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

19 pass 1 fail WCAG AA

h2 Cookie Disclosure

1.37:1

#000000

#002452

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · top of page (header area)

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 Solving the world’…	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h1 greatest challenges	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h2 Cookie Disclosure	1.37:1	3.0:1	#000000	#002452	Fail
h2 Queen’s University…	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h2 A better future for …	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h2 We are a world-leadi…	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h2 Top stories	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h2 Transformative educa…	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h2 Imagine, engage, tra…	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h2 One community	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h2 One community	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h3 Top 200 in the world	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h3 Top 10 in Canada	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h3 6th globally for sus…	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h3 Leading Canadian res…	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h3 The Nobel Prize-winn…	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h3 What is the Earth ma…	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h3 From NVIDIA to Queen…	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h3 Inside NATO: Reflect…	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	Pass
h3 Celebrating a nation…	13.98:1	3.0:1	#000000	#D1D3D4	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.

Heading Hierarchy

30 headings, 1 skip(s)

PASS

30 headings, 1 skip(s)

Single H1 present

Heading level skipped: H2 → H5 (missing H3)

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

H2 Cookie Disclosure
H5 Frequently Searched skipped
H5 Faculties/Schools
H5 Programs and Departments
H4 University Wide
H4 Faculty/School Portals
H5 Frequently Searched
H5 Faculties/Schools
H5 Programs and Departments
H1 Solving the world’sgreatest challenges
H2 Queen’s University in Canada
H2 A better future for people and the planet is not only possible — it’s our mission.
H2 We are a world-leading university
H3 Top 200 in the world
H3 Top 10 in Canada
H3 6th globally for sustainable impact
H3 Leading Canadian research university
H2 Top stories
H3 The Nobel Prize-winning discovery that changed our understanding of the universe
H3 What is the Earth made of?
H3 From NVIDIA to Queen’s: Strengthening Canadian supercomputing
H3 Inside NATO: Reflections on a changing alliance
H3 Celebrating a national honour
H3 Polanyi Prize honours AI-driven drug discovery
H2 Transformative education
H2 Imagine, engage, transform
H3 Research intensity
H3 Global impact
H2 One community
H2 One community

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

A+

Alt Text Quality

All 17 images OK

PASS

All 17 images OK

12 decorative image(s) correctly marked

5 image(s) with good alt text

17 images 5 good alt text 12 decorative

All images have appropriate alt text.

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
term	search	Search pages or people	aria-label
term	search	Search pages or people	aria-label

A+

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 100/100 — 0 failing, 27 passed

PASS

100

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.

○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

●`<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

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

●Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements

●Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.

○`[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

○`<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.

○Skip links are focusable.

○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.

○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.