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Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
53
GRADE
F
FIX
6
REVIEW
4
PASS
3
INFO
0
Checks
13
3 PASS 4 REVIEW 6 FIX
D
Landmark Structure
Action
3 landmarks
FIX
3 landmarks
Critical::
No <main> landmark found
Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.
Info::
3 <nav> landmark(s) found
Warning::
3 of 3 <nav> elements are unlabeled
Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.
Info::
No banner (header) landmark
Info::
No contentinfo (footer) landmark
Warning::
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
BANNER (missing!) NAV MAIN (missing!) CONTENTINFO (missing!)

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

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

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

D
Alt Text Quality
Action
3 of 58 images have issues
FIX
3 of 58 images have issues
Critical::
3 image(s) missing alt attribute
Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.
Critical::
2 image-in-link without alt text
An image inside a link with no alt creates an empty link.
Info::
44 decorative image(s) correctly marked
Info::
11 image(s) with good alt text
58 images 11 good alt text 44 decorative 3 missing
IssueCount
missing3 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

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.

F
Navigation UX
Action
No navigation patterns
FIX
No navigation patterns
Info::
3 navigation landmark(s) detected
Info::
No breadcrumbs, search, or skip link detected
These navigation aids help users orient themselves and find content efficiently, especially on large sites.
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link
Labeled Navigation 3 <nav> element(s)
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
Heading Hierarchy
Action
28 headings, 2 skip(s)
REVIEW
28 headings, 2 skip(s)
Warning::
Multiple H1 headings (20 found)
A page should have only one H1. Multiple H1s dilute the document outline.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H1 → H5 (missing H2)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H1 → H4 (missing H2)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
  • H1 Premium Partners
  • H1 Afreximbank duplicate H1
  • H1 African Development Bank duplicate H1
  • H1 Carnegie: Peacebuilding Coverage duplicate H1
  • H1 OCPGroup duplicate H1
  • H1 Corporate Council on Africa duplicate H1
  • H1 AllAfrica Women's Agenda duplicate H1
  • H1 PMI Science duplicate H1
  • H1 Top Headlines duplicate H1
  • H1 Premium Partners duplicate H1
  • H1 Afreximbank duplicate H1
  • H1 African Development Bank duplicate H1
  • H1 Carnegie: Peacebuilding Coverage duplicate H1
  • H1 OCPGroup duplicate H1
  • H1 Corporate Council on Africa duplicate H1
  • H1 AllAfrica Women's Agenda duplicate H1
  • H1 PMI Science duplicate H1
  • H5 Original content by the AllAfrica news team and guest columns from world leaders skipped
  • H1 Notices and Announcements duplicate H1
  • H2 Africa CDC
  • H2 Latest Video
  • H2 Latest Audio
  • H1 Top Headlines duplicate H1
  • H1 Follow AllAfrica duplicate H1
  • H4 Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters skipped
  • H4 Success!
  • H4 Error!
  • H4 Error!

A page should have only one H1. Multiple H1s dilute the document outline.

Why this matters

Multiple H1s blur the page's primary topic — screen-reader users and Google both prefer one H1.

Learn more ▾

HTML5's outline algorithm technically allows multiple H1s within sectioning content, but no browser implements it. In practice: one H1 per page. Use H2-H6 for subsections.

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

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 File Not Found - allAfrica.com ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✗
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
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Action
Score 71/100 — 7 failing, 14 passed
REVIEW
71

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
English (current) nav.nav-center-logo > div.top-right-button-container > div.btn-group > a.navbar-link
En Français nav.nav-center-logo > div.top-right-button-container > div.btn-group > a.navbar-link
CARNEGIE: PEACEBUILDING COVERAGE div.content > div.infocenter-link > h1 > a
OCPGROUP div.content > div.infocenter-link > h1 > a
(Capital FM) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(263Chat) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Premium Times) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Nyasa Times) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(263Chat) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(RFI) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Capital FM) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Survival International) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Shabelle) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(allAfrica) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(New Zimbabwe) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Premium Times) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Africa Check) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Africa Check) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Independent (Kampala)) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(This Day) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(This Day) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Capital FM) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(GroundUp) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Vanguard) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(UCT) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(New Dawn) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(allAfrica) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(New Zimbabwe) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Daba Finance) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Capital FM) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Capital FM) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Premium Times) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(African Union) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(African Union) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Premium Times) ul.stories > li > a > span.source
(Independent (Kampala)) ul.stories > li > a > span.source

Low-contrast text is difficult or impossible for many users to read. Link text that is discernible improves the experience for users with low vision. Learn how to make links distinguishable.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
latest video news reports div#row-206 > div.column > p > a
latest audio news and features div#row-206 > div.column > p > a
90 news organizations div.col-tn-12 > div.notes > p.note > a
500 other institutions and individuals div.col-tn-12 > div.notes > p.note > a
produced or commissioned by AllAfrica div.col-tn-12 > div.notes > p.note > a
Contact us div.col-tn-12 > div.notes > p.note > a

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
Original content by the AllAfrica news team and guest columns from world leaders div.row > div.col-tn-12 > div.clearfix > h5

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
div.col-tn-12 > div.ad-container > a > img.img-responsive div.col-tn-12 > div.ad-container > a > img.img-responsive

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.row > div.col-tn-12 > div.ad-container > a div.row > div.col-tn-12 > div.ad-container > a

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.

Best practices

Touch targets with sufficient size and spacing help users who may have difficulty targeting small controls to activate the targets. Learn more about touch targets.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Zimbabwe at 46 - Between Promise and Reality div.content > ul.stories > li > a
All of Africa Today - April 17, 2026 div.content > ul.stories > li > a
EFF Leader Julius Malema Sentenced To Five Years In Prison div.content > ul.stories > li > a
All of Africa Today - April 16, 2026 div.content > ul.stories > li > a

One main landmark helps screen reader users navigate a web page. Learn more about landmarks.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
html html

These items highlight common accessibility best practices.

○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>`
●`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values
●`[aria-*]` attributes are valid and not misspelled
●`[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
●Document has a `<title>` element
●`<html>` element has a `[lang]` attribute
●`<html>` element has a valid value for its `[lang]` attribute
●Lists contain only `<li>` elements and script supporting elements (`<script>` and `<template>`).
●List items (`<li>`) are contained within `<ul>`, `<ol>` or `<menu>` parent elements
●Identical links have the same purpose.
○`[accesskey]` values are unique
○`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names
○Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
○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
○`[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
○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
○Form elements have associated labels
○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.
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="email" name="email">
1 controls
0 labeled
1 placeholder only
0 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
emailemail(someone@example.com)placeholder only

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

<input type="email" name="email">

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+
Print Stylesheet
Print styles detected
PASS
Print styles detected
Info::
External print stylesheet detected
Got: https://cdn.allafrica.com/static/css/print.min.css?v=2025082501
Print Stylesheet ✓ Print Optimized
Print stylesheet https://cdn.allafrica.com/static/css/print.min.css?v=2025082501 ✓Inline @media print Not detected ✗
A+
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
20 text elements analyzed, 0 fail WCAG AA
PASS

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

20 pass
Show all checked elements (20)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h1 Premium Partners21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h1 Premium Partners21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h1 Notices and Announce…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h1 Follow AllAfrica21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
title Home - allAfrica.com19.09:14.5:1
#000000
#F4F4F4
Pass
a AllAfrica18.93:14.5:1
#000000
#F3F3F3
Pass
a English21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span (current)21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a En Français21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span Toggle navigation21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span My Account21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span Toggle navigation21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a AllAfrica21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span My Account21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a English21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span (current)21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a En Français21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span Zimbabwe Ruling Part…21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span Nigerian Govt Charge…21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span Malawi Runs Dry as F…21.00:14.5:1
#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.

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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