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Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
68
GRADE
D
FIX
3
REVIEW
5
PASS
5
INFO
0
Checks
13
5 PASS 5 REVIEW 3 FIX
D
Dark Mode Support
Action
Theme color only
FIX
Theme color only
Info::
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
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 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.

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::
Skip navigation link detected
Info::
1 navigation landmark(s) detected
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation 1 <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.
C
Heading Hierarchy
Action
15 headings, 1 skip(s)
REVIEW
15 headings, 1 skip(s)
Critical::
No H1 heading found
Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H4 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
  • H2 The Genesis Mission
  • H3 Our People are Our Greatest Strength
  • H3 Research with Impact
  • H3 Innovation
  • H3 Energy
  • H3 Competitiveness
  • H3 Security
  • H2 Recent News
  • H2 Join the Team.Change the World.
  • H2 Our Voices
  • H2 Partner with Us
  • H4 Connect With Us skipped
  • H4 News
  • H4 Research
  • H4 Resources

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

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

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 flickr 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 Present
Multiple Sizes Present
C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 20 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

0 pass 20 fail WCAG AA
h2 The Genesis Mission
1.96:1
#000000
on
#00454D
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Recent News
1.96:1
#000000
on
#00454D
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Join the Team.
1.96:1
#000000
on
#00454D
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Change the World.
1.96:1
#000000
on
#00454D
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Our Voices
1.96:1
#000000
on
#00454D
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Partner with Us
1.96:1
#000000
on
#00454D
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport · over background image/gradient
title Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Big Scien…
1.26:1
#000000
on
#1A1F1D
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
a Skip to main content
1.54:1
#000000
on
#2D2E2E
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
span facebook
1.13:1
#000000
on
#111313
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
span linkedin
1.20:1
#000000
on
#171A17
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area)
span youtube
1.21:1
#000000
on
#191B19
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
span flickr
1.33:1
#000000
on
#222321
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
span Partner with ORNL
1.49:1
#000000
on
#2A2C29
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
span Visit
1.58:1
#000000
on
#2F302C
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
span Contact
1.73:1
#000000
on
#363633
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
span Menu
1.67:1
#000000
on
#313431
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
span Strategic Priorities
2.60:1
#000000
on
#50504D
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
span Future of Computing
3.07:1
#000000
on
#5D5A58
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
a Autonomous Science
3.16:1
#000000
on
#5F5C59
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
a Quantum
2.25:1
#000000
on
#3F4945
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · mid-page · over background image/gradient

2 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 The Genesis Mission1.96:13.0:1
#000000
#00454D
Fail
h2 Recent News1.96:13.0:1
#000000
#00454D
Fail
h2 Join the Team.1.96:13.0:1
#000000
#00454D
Fail
h2 Change the World.1.96:13.0:1
#000000
#00454D
Fail
h2 Our Voices1.96:13.0:1
#000000
#00454D
Fail
h2 Partner with Us1.96:13.0:1
#000000
#00454D
Fail
title Oak Ridge National L…1.26:14.5:1
#000000
#1A1F1D
Fail
a Skip to main content1.54:14.5:1
#000000
#2D2E2E
Fail
span facebook1.13:14.5:1
#000000
#111313
Fail
span linkedin1.20:14.5:1
#000000
#171A17
Fail
span youtube1.21:14.5:1
#000000
#191B19
Fail
span flickr1.33:14.5:1
#000000
#222321
Fail
span Partner with ORNL1.49:14.5:1
#000000
#2A2C29
Fail
span Visit1.58:14.5:1
#000000
#2F302C
Fail
span Contact1.73:14.5:1
#000000
#363633
Fail
span Menu1.67:14.5:1
#000000
#313431
Fail
span Strategic Priorities2.60:14.5:1
#000000
#50504D
Fail
span Future of Computing3.07:14.5:1
#000000
#5D5A58
Fail
a Autonomous Science3.16:14.5:1
#000000
#5F5C59
Fail
a Quantum2.25:14.5:1
#000000
#3F4945
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.

A+
Landmark Structure
6 landmarks
PASS
6 landmarks
Info::
<main> landmark present
Info::
1 <nav> landmark(s) found
Info::
Skip navigation link present
Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it
BANNER header NAV MAIN CONTENTINFO footer
A
Alt Text Quality
All 25 images OK
PASS
All 25 images OK
Info::
5 image(s) with alt text over 125 characters
Info::
20 image(s) with good alt text
25 images 20 good alt text
IssueCount
too long5 image(s)
A
Form Accessibility
1 of 1 controls have issues
PASS
1 of 1 controls have issues
Warning::
1 control(s) rely on placeholder only
Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.
Got: <input type="text" name="text" id="edit-keys">
1 controls
0 labeled
1 placeholder only
0 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
#edit-keystext(SEARCH ORNL.GOV)placeholder only

Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.

<input type="text" name="text" id="edit-keys">

Why this matters

Placeholder-only labels disappear when the user starts typing — they must remember what the field was for.

Learn more

Placeholders are NOT labels. They vanish on input, fail color contrast checks (most are gray), and don't satisfy WCAG SC 3.3.2. Always use a real <label> alongside (or aria-labelledby).

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.2 / Nielsen Norman

A+
Web Manifest
PWA-ready
PASS
PWA-ready
Info::
Meets PWA install criteria
Info::
Name present: ORNL
Info::
192x192 icon present
Info::
512x512 icon present
Info::
Display mode: standalone
PWA Install Criteria Installable
Name ORNL 192×192 icon 512×512 icon Start URL https://www.ornl.gov Display Mode standalone
Name ORNL Display Mode standalone Theme Color #ffffff Background Color #ffffff Icons 9 icon(s)
A+
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 98/100 — 1 failing, 23 passed
PASS
98

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.

Navigation

Properly ordered headings that do not skip levels convey the semantic structure of the page, making it easier to navigate and understand when using assistive technologies. Learn more about heading order.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Connect With Us footer > div.container-new > div.menu > h4

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

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
`[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
`<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
Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing.
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
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
`<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
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.
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.
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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