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Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
55
GRADE
D
FIX
5
REVIEW
6
PASS
2
INFO
0
Checks
13
2 PASS 6 REVIEW 5 FIX
F
404 Error Page
Action
Soft 404 detected
FIX
Soft 404 detected
Critical::
Soft 404: server returns HTTP 200 for non-existent pages
The server returns HTTP 200 for a path that does not exist. Search engines will index these pages, diluting your real content. Configure your server to return a proper 404 status code for missing pages.
Got: Status: 200 for /beavercheck-404-test-1x5a1f
404 Page Quality ✗ Soft 404 (HTTP 200)
Status Code: HTTP 200

The server returned HTTP 200 for a non-existent path. Search engines will index this page as real content. Configure your server to return HTTP 404 for missing pages.

F
Web Manifest
Action
Invalid JSON
FIX
Invalid JSON
Warning::
Manifest contains invalid JSON
Manifest at https://desmoinesregister.com/manifest.json contains invalid JSON. Browsers cannot parse it.
Got: https://desmoinesregister.com/manifest.json

Manifest contains invalid JSON.

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
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
1 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Limited navigation support. Consider adding breadcrumbs, search, and skip link.
C
Landmark Structure
Action
2 landmarks
REVIEW
2 landmarks
Critical::
No <main> landmark found
Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.
Warning::
No <nav> landmark found
Info::
Skip navigation link present
Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it
BANNER header MAIN (missing!) CONTENTINFO footer

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

B
Heading Hierarchy
2 headings
REVIEW
2 headings
Critical::
No H1 heading found
Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.
  • H2 About Your Privacy
  • H3 If you click "Accept All", we and our partners may process personal data for the following purposes:

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
Favicon & Branding
Action
4 icon(s) detected
REVIEW
4 icon(s) detected
Info::
favicon.ico present at site root
Info::
HTML icon links detected
Info::
Apple touch icon present
✓ favicon.ico Present
✓ PNG Icons Present
✓ Apple Touch Present
✗ SVG Favicon Missing
✗ Manifest Icons Missing
✗ Multiple Sizes Missing
C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 3 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

17 pass 3 fail WCAG AA 2 pass AA only
a News
4.03:1
#000000
on
#716B6D
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area) · over background image/gradient
a Politics
3.80:1
#000000
on
#706761
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold · over background image/gradient
a Sports
3.40:1
#000000
on
#6A6231
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 About Your Privacy21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h3 If you click "Accept…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
title Home21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Skip to main content20.12:14.5:1
#000000
#FAFAFA
Pass
a Home19.43:14.5:1
#000000
#F6F6F6
Pass
a News4.03:14.5:1
#000000
#716B6D
Fail
a Politics3.80:14.5:1
#000000
#706761
Fail
a Sports3.40:14.5:1
#000000
#6A6231
Fail
a Things To Do4.78:14.5:1
#000000
#86756E
Pass
a Business4.97:14.5:1
#000000
#837978
Pass
a Metro News11.63:14.5:1
#000000
#C2C0C4
Pass
a Opinion19.60:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F7F7
Pass
a Obituaries19.60:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F7F7
Pass
a About Us19.60:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F7F7
Pass
a eNewspaper19.60:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F7F7
Pass
a Advertise with Us19.60:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F7F7
Pass
a Archives19.60:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F7F7
Pass
a Crosswords19.60:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F7F7
Pass
a Comics19.60:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F7F7
Pass
a Newsletters19.60:14.5:1
#000000
#F7F7F7
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.

B
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 85/100 — 6 failing, 22 passed
REVIEW
85

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
Share your feedback div.content-well > div#post-content > cta-generic-text.feedback > span.emphasis

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

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
Most Recent Videos div#container > a.has-padding > h5.label-news

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

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
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > img
a.container-link > div.container > img a.container-link > div.container > 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#footer > div#footerContainer > div#footerButtons > a#Facebook div#footer > div#footerContainer > div#footerButtons > a#Facebook
div#footer > div#footerContainer > div#footerButtons > a#Twitter div#footer > div#footerContainer > div#footerButtons > a#Twitter
div#footer > div#footerContainer > div#footerButtons > a#Pinterest div#footer > div#footerContainer > div#footerButtons > a#Pinterest

Including a skip link can help users skip to the main content to save time. Learn more about skip links.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Skip to main content body.partner-placements-inactive > a#skipToMain

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.

Visible text labels that do not match the accessible name can result in a confusing experience for screen reader users. Learn more about accessible names.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
For more information about how we use your data visit our Privacy Policy. div#onetrust-group-container > div#onetrust-policy > div#onetrust-policy-text > a.ot-cookie-policy-link
○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
●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
●Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` have accessible names.
●Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes
●Document has a `<title>` element
●`<html>` element has a `[lang]` attribute
●`<html>` element has a valid value for its `[lang]` attribute
●Links are distinguishable without relying on color.
●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.
●Document has a main landmark.
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
○`[accesskey]` values are unique
○`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements 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 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
○`<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
○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
○`<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.
○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+
Alt Text Quality
All 21 images OK
PASS
All 21 images OK
Info::
1 decorative image(s) correctly marked
Info::
20 image(s) with good alt text
21 images 20 good alt text 1 decorative
All images have appropriate alt text.
A+
Form Accessibility
No form controls
PASS
No form controls
Info::
No form controls on this page
No form controls found.
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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