Accessibility

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

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

15 PASS 3 REVIEW 6 FIX

404 Error Page

Action

HTTP 404, bare page

FIX

HTTP 404, bare page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Bare server default 404 page

The 404 page has no custom styling. Users hitting a broken link see a generic error with no way to navigate back. Add a custom 404 page with your site navigation and a search bar.

404 Page Quality Default 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Custom Styling ✗Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗

Favicon & Branding

Action

1 icon(s) detected

FIX

1 icon(s) detected

No favicon.ico at site root

Some older browsers, bookmark tools, and RSS readers look for /favicon.ico. Add one as a fallback.

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 Missing

✓ PNG Icons Present

✗ Apple Touch Missing

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✗ Manifest Icons Missing

✗ Multiple Sizes Missing

Web Manifest

Action

Not found

FIX

Not found

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.

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

No navigation patterns

FIX

No navigation patterns

1 navigation landmark(s) detected

No breadcrumbs, search, or skip link detected

These navigation aids help users orient themselves and find content efficiently, especially on large sites.

Breadcrumbs

Skip Link

Labeled Navigation 1 <nav> element(s)

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.

Landmark Structure

3 landmarks

REVIEW

3 landmarks

<main> landmark present

1 <nav> landmark(s) 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

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

Mobile-Readable Font Sizes

98% of visible text renders at >= 12 CSS px (1 below threshold)

REVIEW

98% of visible text renders at >= 12 CSS px (1 below threshold)

1 text node(s) render below 12 CSS pixels on mobile

Mobile browsers default the root font-size to 16 px; text below ~ 12 px (75% of root) is hard to read without zooming. WCAG 1.4.4 (Resize Text) requires the page to support 200% zoom without loss of functionality -- which most layouts handle, but small base text still costs readability and conversion. Audit which selectors set sizes below 12 px (often footers, fine print, table cells) and bump them to 14-16 px or use rem units that scale with user preferences. Examples: <span> 10.0px ("Research Information System for Educatio...").

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 5 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

15 pass 5 fail WCAG AA 2 pass AA only

h3 Ask a Question

2.22:1

#000000

#0C4F46

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · mid-page

h3 Make a Plan

1.97:1

#000000

#0B4642

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

a Student Zone

3.57:1

#000000

#1C715C

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Teacher Corner

3.78:1

#000000

#207561

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Resources

4.46:1

#000000

#29816F

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 Research doesn't hav…	4.89:1	3.0:1	#000000	#308872	Pass
h2 The Research Basics	4.31:1	3.0:1	#000000	#297E6F	Pass
h2 Why learn research e…	15.87:1	3.0:1	#000000	#DFE0DF	Pass
h3 Find a Topic	3.17:1	3.0:1	#000000	#1C6859	Pass
h3 Ask a Question	2.22:1	3.0:1	#000000	#0C4F46	Fail
h3 Make a Plan	1.97:1	3.0:1	#000000	#0B4642	Fail
h3 Gather Info	15.87:1	3.0:1	#000000	#DFE0DF	Pass
h3 Share Results	15.87:1	3.0:1	#000000	#DFE0DF	Pass
h3 Curiosity Driven	15.87:1	3.0:1	#000000	#DFE0DF	Pass
h3 Creative Thinking	15.87:1	3.0:1	#000000	#DFE0DF	Pass
h3 Clear Communication	15.87:1	3.0:1	#000000	#DFE0DF	Pass
h3 Ready to explore?	15.87:1	3.0:1	#000000	#DFE0DF	Pass
h3 Inspire the next gen…	15.87:1	3.0:1	#000000	#DFE0DF	Pass
h3 RISE	15.87:1	3.0:1	#000000	#DFE0DF	Pass
title RISE	15.87:1	4.5:1	#000000	#DFE0DF	Pass
span RISE	15.87:1	4.5:1	#000000	#DFE0DF	Pass
span Research Information…	9.42:1	4.5:1	#000000	#91B5AD	Pass
a Student Zone	3.57:1	4.5:1	#000000	#1C715C	Fail
a Teacher Corner	3.78:1	4.5:1	#000000	#207561	Fail
a Resources	4.46:1	4.5:1	#000000	#29816F	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+

Heading Hierarchy

17 headings

PASS

17 headings

Single H1 present

H1 Research doesn't have to be scary.
H2 The Research Basics
H3 Find a Topic
H3 Ask a Question
H3 Make a Plan
H3 Gather Info
H3 Share Results
H2 Why learn research early?
H3 Curiosity Driven
H3 Creative Thinking
H3 Clear Communication
H3 Ready to explore?
H3 Inspire the next generation.
H3 RISE
H4 Students
H4 Teachers
H4 Contact

A+

Heading Text Quality

1 heading-text-quality issue(s) detected

PASS

1 heading-text-quality issue(s) detected

1 heading(s) are all-uppercase (excluding short acronyms)

Headings rendered in all-uppercase are a styling choice that should be done via CSS (`text-transform: uppercase`), not by typing the text in caps. Capitalized text is read letter-by-letter by some screen readers (e.g., "H-E-L-L-O W-O-R-L-D" instead of "hello world"). It's also a soft signal of CMS-migration artifacts where the original lowercase intent was lost.

Got: 1 all-caps heading(s)

A+

Alt Text Quality

All 5 images OK

PASS

All 5 images OK

5 image(s) with good alt text

5 images 5 good alt text

All images have appropriate alt text.

Form Accessibility

1 of 1 controls have issues

PASS

1 of 1 controls have issues

1 control(s) rely on placeholder only

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

Got: <input type="text">

1 controls

0 labeled

1 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
input	text	(Search resources)	placeholder only

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

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+

Link & Button Quality

16 links, 1 buttons — all OK

PASS

16 links, 1 buttons — all OK

16 link(s) with descriptive text

16 links

0 empty

0 generic text

0 new tab

0 empty buttons

All links and buttons have descriptive accessible text.

17 links and buttons have descriptive text

A+

Form Input Types

1 input(s) using type=text where a specific type would help

PASS

1 input(s) using type=text where a specific type would help

Input "Search resources" should use type="search" (currently type="text")

Field name "Search resources" suggests type="search". Wrong type loses mobile keyboard hints, browser autofill, and free format validation. Change to <input type="search">.

A+

Form Input Quality

1 form control(s) checked, no input-semantic issues

PASS

1 form control(s) checked, no input-semantic issues

All form input semantics look correct

A+

Mobile Keyboard & Autofill

No autofill-eligible form controls

PASS

No autofill-eligible form controls

No autofill-eligible form controls (no name/email/tel/address fields)

A+

Document Language

Lang attribute set to "en"

PASS

Lang attribute set to "en"

<html lang="en"> is set and valid

Got: en

A+

Tabindex Anti-Patterns

No explicit tabindex attributes found

PASS

No explicit tabindex attributes found

A+

Iframe Accessibility

No iframes on this page

PASS

No iframes on this page

A+

Tap Target Adequacy

All tap targets meet WCAG 2.5.5/2.5.8 sizing

PASS

All tap targets meet WCAG 2.5.5/2.5.8 sizing

All tap targets meet WCAG 2.5.5 (44x44px) sizing

A+

PWA Depth

No PWA depth issues detected

PASS

No PWA depth issues detected

A+

Mobile UX Depth

1 mobile-depth signal(s) detected

PASS

1 mobile-depth signal(s) detected

No `<meta name="theme-color">` -- browser chrome falls back to default

Without `theme-color`, Android Chrome's status bar and iOS Safari's toolbar fall back to a generic gray. Adding a single hex color in `<meta name="theme-color" content="#0066cc">` tints them to your brand color across all mobile browsers.

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 93/100 — 1 failing, 13 passed

PASS

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
RISE `div.flex > a.flex-shrink-0 > div.flex > span.font-black`
RISE: Research Information System for Education `section.relative > div.relative > div.max-w-3xl > div.inline-block`
I'm a Student `div.relative > div.max-w-3xl > div.flex > a.px-8`
View detailed guide `section.py-20 > div.max-w-7xl > div.text-center > a.text-[#f8651b]`
Ready to explore? `div.grid > div.bg-white > div.p-8 > h3.text-2xl`
Enter Student Zone `div.grid > div.bg-white > div.p-8 > a.inline-flex`
hello@rise.edu `div.max-w-7xl > div.grid > div > a.text-[#f8651b]`
© 2026 RISE (Research Information System for Education). Free for educational u… `footer.bg-[#6b0000] > div.max-w-7xl > div.border-t > p`
Made with `div.max-w-7xl > div.border-t > div.flex > span`
for education `div.max-w-7xl > div.border-t > div.flex > span`

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

○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-hidden="true"]` is not present on the document `<body>`

●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.

●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.

●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order

●Document has a main landmark.

○`[accesskey]` values are unique

○`[aria-*]` attributes match their roles

○`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names

○ARIA attributes are used as specified for the element's role

○Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

○Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` 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 use only permitted ARIA attributes

○`[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

○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

○`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values

○`[aria-*]` attributes are valid and not misspelled

○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

○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.

○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.

○Identical links have the same purpose.

○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.