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https://pitt.edu

Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
63
GRADE
D
FIX
5
REVIEW
3
PASS
5
INFO
0
Checks
13
5 PASS 3 REVIEW 5 FIX
F
Favicon & Branding
Action
1 icon(s) detected
FIX
1 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::
No apple-touch-icon detected
iOS devices use this when users add your site to their home screen. Add <link rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='180x180' href='/apple-touch-icon.png'>.
✗ favicon.ico Missing
✓ PNG Icons Present
✗ Apple Touch Missing
✗ SVG Favicon Missing
✗ Manifest Icons Missing
✗ Multiple Sizes Missing
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 ✗
D
Navigation UX
Action
2 navigation pattern(s)
FIX
2 navigation pattern(s)
Info::
Search functionality detected
Got: role-search
Info::
Skip navigation link detected
Info::
15 navigation landmark(s) detected
Breadcrumbs
Search role='search' landmark
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation 15 <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
Heading Hierarchy
11 headings
REVIEW
11 headings
Critical::
No H1 heading found
Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.
  • H3 Coming soon: Pitt’s first online undergraduate degree
  • H3 Pitt is a ‘New Ivy’
  • H3 Pitt is expanding its musculoskeletal care and research with a strategic investment from the Orland Bethel family
  • H3 Pitt researchers are developing a novel wheelchair system
  • H3 Coming soon: Pitt’s first online undergraduate degree
  • H3 Pitt is a ‘New Ivy’
  • H3 Pitt is expanding its musculoskeletal care and research with a strategic investment from the Orland Bethel family
  • H3 Pitt researchers are developing a novel wheelchair system
  • H3 Coming soon: Pitt’s first online undergraduate degree
  • H2 Connect
  • H2 Search...

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

C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 7 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

13 pass 7 fail WCAG AA 2 pass AA only
h2 Connect
1.97:1
#000000
on
#0A3792
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Search...
1.97:1
#000000
on
#0A3792
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
title Home | University of Pittsburgh
1.94:1
#000000
on
#003594
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
a Skip to main content
1.94:1
#000000
on
#003594
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
div Main menu
3.19:1
#000000
on
#205BB1
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area) · over background image/gradient
a Research
4.35:1
#000000
on
#7D6F68
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold · over background image/gradient
a Athletics
2.08:1
#000000
on
#434238
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold · over background image/gradient

3 contrast failures on background images/gradients

These failures are invisible to CSS-based accessibility tools like Lighthouse. The text may be fine on a solid background, but fails when rendered over an image or gradient.

Show all checked elements (20)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h2 Connect1.97:13.0:1
#000000
#0A3792
Fail
h2 Search...1.97:13.0:1
#000000
#0A3792
Fail
title Home | University of…1.94:14.5:1
#000000
#003594
Fail
a Skip to main content1.94:14.5:1
#000000
#003594
Fail
div Main menu3.19:14.5:1
#000000
#205BB1
Fail
a About8.17:14.5:1
#000000
#64A7E2
Pass
a Academics11.93:14.5:1
#000000
#9ACAE3
Pass
a Admissions8.40:14.5:1
#000000
#A3A4A3
Pass
a Research4.35:14.5:1
#000000
#7D6F68
Fail
a Life at Pitt4.69:14.5:1
#000000
#81756C
Pass
a Athletics2.08:14.5:1
#000000
#434238
Fail
span Open Navigation12.12:14.5:1
#000000
#FFB81C
Pass
span Hail12.12:14.5:1
#000000
#FFB81C
Pass
p to possible12.12:14.5:1
#000000
#FFB81C
Pass
div Play video12.12:14.5:1
#000000
#FFB81C
Pass
p With a demonstrated …12.12:14.5:1
#000000
#FFB81C
Pass
div 340k12.12:14.5:1
#000000
#FFB81C
Pass
div alumni worldwide12.12:14.5:1
#000000
#FFB81C
Pass
div Top12.12:14.5:1
#000000
#FFB81C
Pass
div of universities worl…4.74:14.5:1
#000000
#7B786B
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
Landmark Structure
20 landmarks
PASS
20 landmarks
Info::
<main> landmark present
Info::
15 <nav> landmark(s) found
Warning::
5 of 15 <nav> elements are unlabeled
Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.
Info::
Skip navigation link present
Info::
Search landmark present
Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it
BANNER header NAV SEARCH 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+
Alt Text Quality
All 62 images OK
PASS
All 62 images OK
Info::
62 image(s) with good alt text
62 images 62 good alt text
All images have appropriate alt text.
A
Form Accessibility
1 of 2 controls have issues
PASS
1 of 2 controls have issues
Critical::
1 control(s) without accessible label
Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.
Got: <input type="submit">
Info::
1 control(s) properly labeled
2 controls
1 labeled
0 placeholder only
1 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
#edit-keys--2searchSearchfor/id
inputsubmit(none)none

Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.

<input type="submit">

Why this matters

Form controls without labels — assistive tech announces 'edit text' with no context; users can't complete forms.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.2

A
404 Error Page
HTTP 404, custom page
PASS
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
Info::
Search form present on 404 page
404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page
Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title Page Not Found | University of Pittsburgh ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✓
A+
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 100/100 — 0 failing, 30 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
●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
●`[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
●Skip links are focusable.
●Document has a main landmark.
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
●`<video>` elements contain a `<track>` element with `[kind="captions"]`
●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 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.
○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
○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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