Accessibility

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

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

7 PASS 4 REVIEW 2 FIX

404 Error Page

Action

Soft 404 detected

FIX

Soft 404 detected

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-lrbpbz

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.

Web Manifest

Action

Invalid JSON

FIX

Invalid JSON

Manifest contains invalid JSON

Manifest at https://biomedcentral.com/manifest.json contains invalid JSON. Browsers cannot parse it.

Got: https://biomedcentral.com/manifest.json

Manifest contains invalid JSON.

Favicon & Branding

6 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

6 icon(s) detected

favicon.ico present at site root

HTML icon links detected

Apple touch icon present

Multiple icon sizes detected

✓ favicon.ico Present

✓ PNG Icons Present

✓ Apple Touch Present

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✗ Manifest Icons Missing

✓ Multiple Sizes Present

Dark Mode Support

Dark mode detected

REVIEW

Dark mode detected

Dark-specific theme-color detected

A theme-color with media='(prefers-color-scheme: dark)' adapts the browser toolbar for dark mode.

prefers-color-scheme CSS detected in inline styles

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles

External CSS files may contain prefers-color-scheme rules not visible to this scan.

Dark Mode✓ Dark Mode Supported

color-scheme meta Not set ✗Dark theme-color #e6e6e6 ✓CSS indicators Detected ✓

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles.

Navigation UX

3 navigation pattern(s)

REVIEW

3 navigation pattern(s)

Breadcrumb navigation detected

Got: aria-label

Search functionality detected

Got: role-search

Skip navigation link detected

12 navigation landmark(s) detected

Breadcrumbs aria-label navigation

Search role='search' landmark

Skip Link Skip link detected

Labeled Navigation 12 <nav> element(s)

Hamburger Menu

Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)

4 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Strong navigation UX with multiple discovery paths.

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 19 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

1 pass 19 fail WCAG AA 1 pass AA only

h1 Research in progress

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

32px · bottom of viewport

h2 Search

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Navigation

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Featured journals

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Calls for papers

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Journals by subject

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Recent research

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Latest updates

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Follow BMC

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Brand navigation

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h3 Store and/or access information on a dev…

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · above the fold

h3 Personalised advertising and content, ad…

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · mid-page

h3 Home

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 About

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Journals

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Publishing with BMC

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Updates

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Discover content

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Publish with us

1.56:1

#000000

#01324B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 Research in progress	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h2 Your privacy, your c…	3.39:1	3.0:1	#000000	#486574	Pass
h2 Search	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h2 Navigation	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h2 Featured journals	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h2 Calls for papers	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h2 Journals by subject	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h2 Recent research	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h2 Latest updates	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h2 Follow BMC	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h2 Brand navigation	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h3 Store and/or access …	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h3 Personalised adverti…	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h3 Home	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h3 About	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h3 Journals	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h3 Publishing with BMC	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h3 Updates	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h3 Discover content	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	Fail
h3 Publish with us	1.56:1	3.0:1	#000000	#01324B	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.

Landmark Structure

23 landmarks

PASS

23 landmarks

<main> landmark present

12 <nav> landmark(s) found

5 of 12 <nav> elements are unlabeled

Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.

Skip navigation link present

Search landmark present

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

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

A+

Heading Hierarchy

36 headings

PASS

36 headings

Single H1 present

H2 Your privacy, your choice
H3 Store and/or access information on a device
H3 Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development
H2 Search
H2 Navigation
H1 BMC, Research in progress
H2 Featured journals
H3 Acta Neuropathologica Communications
H3 BMC Molecular and Cell Biology
H3 Cardio-Oncology
H2 Calls for papers
H3 Advances in breast imaging
H3 Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD)
H3 Clinical Questions in Tropical Medicine and Health
H2 Journals by subject
H2 Recent research
H3 The economic burden of COVID-19 undervaccination: costs of hospitalisation, ICU admission, and death in Scotland
H3 Establishment and identification of immortalized sheep ovarian granulosa cells
H3 Association between hepatitis virus infection and risk of colorectal polyps: a cross-sectional study of Taiwanese adults
H3 Impact of regional STEMI network on rural-urban inequality of ischemic times in Southwest China: a real world longitudinal cohort study
H3 Understanding the relationship between lung GABAA receptors and aquaporin-1: a new therapeutic approach for acute lung injury
H2 Latest updates
H3 Maintaining integrity in published research, from concern to decision
H3 Introducing the new Marine Science family of OA journals at BMC
H3 Behind the Paper - From COVID crisis to ChatGPT: How urgent evidence needs led to rigorous AI evaluation
H2 Follow BMC
H2 Brand navigation
H3 Home
H3 About
H3 Journals
H3 Publishing with BMC
H3 Updates
H3 Discover content
H3 Publish with us
H3 Products and services
H3 Our brands

A+

Alt Text Quality

All 11 images OK

PASS

All 11 images OK

5 decorative image(s) correctly marked

6 image(s) with good alt text

11 images 6 good alt text 5 decorative

All images have appropriate alt text.

A+

Form Accessibility

All 1 controls labeled

PASS

All 1 controls labeled

1 control(s) properly labeled

1 controls

1 labeled

0 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#eds-c-header-search	search	Search by keyword or author	for/id

A+

Link & Button Quality

128 links, 12 buttons — all OK

PASS

128 links, 12 buttons — all OK

1 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G39GBS2?pagePath=/brands/bmc

127 link(s) with descriptive text

128 links

0 empty

0 generic text

1 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G39GBS2?p…	Share your feedback	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text

139 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G39GBS2?pagePath=/brands/bmc

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

A+

Print Stylesheet

Print styles detected

PASS

Print styles detected

External print stylesheet detected

Got: /oscar-static/app-springerlink/css/print-5e77550b92.css

Print Stylesheet ✓ Print Optimized

Print stylesheet /oscar-static/app-springerlink/css/print-5e77550b92.css ✓Inline @media print Not detected ✗

A+

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 100/100 — 0 failing, 27 passed

PASS

100

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.

○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

●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.

●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

●`<dl>`'s contain only properly-ordered `<dt>` and `<dd>` groups, `<script>`, `<template>` or `<div>` elements.

●Definition list items are wrapped in `<dl>` elements

●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.

●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

●No element has a `[tabindex]` value greater than 0

●Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing.

●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

○`[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

○The page contains a heading, skip link, or landmark region

○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.

○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.