Accessibility

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

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

1 PASS 4 REVIEW 8 FIX

Landmark Structure

Action

1 landmarks

FIX

1 landmarks

No <main> landmark found

Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.

No <nav> landmark found

No banner (header) landmark

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

Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.

Why this matters

Without a <main> landmark, screen-reader users can't skip past the navigation to the page content — every page starts with re-reading the menu.

Learn more ▾

The <main> element marks the page's primary content area. Assistive tech offers a 'jump to main' shortcut — but only if <main> exists. Without it, every page navigation forces re-reading the header. Wrap your primary content in a single <main>.

Source: WAI-ARIA / WCAG 2.4.1

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

Heading Hierarchy

Action

25 headings, 4 skip(s)

FIX

25 headings, 4 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.

Heading level skipped: H3 → H5 (missing H4)

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

Heading level skipped: H2 → H5 (missing H3)

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

Heading level skipped: H2 → H6 (missing H3)

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

H1 The New Indian Express
H2 Top Stories
H5 Seizures in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal cross Rs 1,000 crore ahead of polls, says ECI skipped
H6 Calcutta HC stays ECI move to arrest ‘troublemakers’ ahead of Bengal polls
H6 LIVE | Assembly elections: Tamil Nadu, Bengal phase-1 vote in high-stakes contest
H6 White House weighs NATO allies’ Iran stance with ‘naughty and nice’ list
H3 US-Iran talks could be held in next three days: Donald Trump
H5 Day after BJP complaint, ECI issues notice to Kharge over 'terrorist' remark on PM Modi skipped
H2 Nation
H5 EC's notice to Mallikarjun Kharge assault on constitution, says Congress skipped
H6 JD(U) excludes Nitish Kumar’s son from new national team amid organisational reshuffle
H6 Women’s reservation bill: Congress says 1 million women will write to PM Modi
H6 SC road safety panel warns of jail for political hoardings hiding traffic signs in Uttarakhand
H6 India-Germany defence ties step up; co-production roadmap set as P-75I submarine deal on cusp
H6 Pahalgam terror attack anniversary: Countries across the globe back India's 'fight against terrorism'
H6 NCP SP MLA Rohit Pawar gets clean chit in Rs 25,000 crore bank fraud case
H2 Elections 2026
H6 West Bengal’s Opposition space remains fragmented, sharpens TMC-BJP binary skipped
H6 ‘Freebies don’t translate to real development’: NTK chief Seeman
H6 First order will be ‘Illatharasi’ scheme: CM Stalin
H6 FIRs filed over distribution of 'Rs 8K coupons’ by DMK, ECI tells Madras HC
H6 INTERVIEW| Vijay’s political entry orchestrated by BJP, says VCK leader Sinthanai Selvan
H6 Pandemic to polemic: Kerala politics evolves under CM Pinarayi Vijayan
H6 From flashpoint to silence, a fading rhetoric as Kodanad heist case stalls ahead of TN polls
H6 BJP redraws Assam campaign plank from infiltration to youth welfare as April 9 polls near

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

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 ▾

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 / W3C WAI

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 ▾

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 / W3C WAI

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 ▾

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 / W3C WAI

Alt Text Quality

Action

5 of 26 images have issues

FIX

5 of 26 images have issues

5 image(s) missing alt attribute

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

2 image-in-link without alt text

An image inside a link with no alt creates an empty link.

6 image(s) with alt text over 125 characters

15 image(s) with good alt text

26 images 15 good alt text 5 missing

Issue	Count
missing	5 image(s)
too long	6 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

Link & Button Quality

Action

18 issue(s) across 103 links and 9 buttons

FIX

18 issue(s) across 103 links and 9 buttons

10 link(s) with no accessible text

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

Got: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thenewindianexpress.android; https://apps.apple.com/in/app/the-new-indian-express/id1588944498; https://www.facebook.com/thenewindianxpress; https://twitter.com/NewIndianXpress; https://instagram.com/newindianexpress/; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQtVJ-76KjPds9evTODkq-A?sub_confirmation=1; https://t.me/thenewindianexpress; https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMKKdpQEw4-Ea?hl=en-IN&gl=IN&ceid…; https://www.newindianexpress.com/podcast?utm_source=HomePage&utm_medium=BoxWi…; https://adclick.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/click?xai=AKAOjsvJaRJWR5cBZVicTDNrEwKo9…

2 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: https://epaper.newindianexpress.com/?utm_source=NIEmenu&utm_medium=HeaderMenu…; https://www.quintype.com/?utm_source=newindianexpress&utm_medium=footerlink&u…

8 button(s) with no accessible text

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

Got: button.right-arrow (#766 on page); button.indicator-button (#769 on page); button.indicator-button (#771 on page); button.indicator-button (#773 on page); button.indicator-button (#775 on page); button.indicator-button (#777 on page); button.indicator-button (#779 on page); button#close-dialog

91 link(s) with descriptive text

103 links

10 empty

0 generic text

2 new tab

8 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://play.google.com/store/apps/detai…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://apps.apple.com/in/app/the-new-in…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://epaper.newindianexpress.com/?utm…	E-PAPER	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.facebook.com/thenewindianxpr…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://twitter.com/NewIndianXpress	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://instagram.com/newindianexpress/	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQtVJ-7…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://t.me/thenewindianexpress	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://news.google.com/publications/CAA…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.newindianexpress.com/podcast…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.quintype.com/?utm_source=new…	Powered by Quintype	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://adclick.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/cl…	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label

92 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thenewindianexpress.android; https://apps.apple.com/in/app/the-new-indian-express/id1588944498; https://www.facebook.com/thenewindianxpress; https://twitter.com/NewIndianXpress; https://instagram.com/newindianexpress/; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQtVJ-76KjPds9evTODkq-A?sub_confirmation=1; https://t.me/thenewindianexpress; https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMKKdpQEw4-Ea?hl=en-IN&gl=IN&ceid…; https://www.newindianexpress.com/podcast?utm_source=HomePage&utm_medium=BoxWi…; https://adclick.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/click?xai=AKAOjsvJaRJWR5cBZVicTDNrEwKo9…

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://epaper.newindianexpress.com/?utm_source=NIEmenu&utm_medium=HeaderMenu…; https://www.quintype.com/?utm_source=newindianexpress&utm_medium=footerlink&u…

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.right-arrow (#766 on page); button.indicator-button (#769 on page); button.indicator-button (#771 on page); button.indicator-button (#773 on page); button.indicator-button (#775 on page); button.indicator-button (#777 on page); button.indicator-button (#779 on page); button#close-dialog

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

Favicon & Branding

Action

2 icon(s) detected

FIX

2 icon(s) detected

favicon.ico present at site root

HTML icon links detected

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 Present

✓ PNG Icons Present

✗ Apple Touch Missing

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✗ Manifest Icons Missing

✗ Multiple Sizes Missing

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: #ffffff

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.

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 ✗

404 Error Page

Action

HTTP 404, custom page

REVIEW

HTTP 404, custom page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Custom styled 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title 404 - Page not found ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗

Web Manifest

Action

Valid manifest

REVIEW

Valid manifest

Name present: The New Indian Express

No 192x192 icon

A 192px icon is required for PWA installation.

Display mode: standalone

PWA Install Criteria Not Installable

Name The New Indian Express ✓192×192 icon ✗512×512 icon ✗Start URL /?utm_source=homescreen&utm_medium=pwa&utm_campaign=pwa_campaign ✓Display Mode standalone ✓

Name The New Indian Express Display Mode standalone Theme Color #ec1b24 Background Color #eee

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

span 8:10 PM

1.00:1

#000000

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 The New Indian Expre…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Top Stories	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Nation	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Elections 2026	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 US-Iran talks could …	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
title India News,Latest Ne…	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
span Apr 22, 2026	7.37:1	4.5:1	#000000	#999999	Pass
span 8:10 PM	1.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
a Subscribe	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a E-PAPER	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a NATION	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a WORLD	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a STATES	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a ELECTIONS	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a OPINION	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a CITIES	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a BUSINESS	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a SPORT	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a GOOD NEWS	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a MOVIES	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.

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Action

Score 72/100 — 8 failing, 16 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.

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