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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
4
REVIEW
3
PASS
6
INFO
0
Checks
13
6 PASS 3 REVIEW 4 FIX
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.

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.
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 Oops! Page not found! - Dalhousie University ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✗
C
Favicon & Branding
Action
5 icon(s) detected
REVIEW
5 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 Missing
✓ Multiple Sizes Present
C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 17 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

3 pass 17 fail WCAG AA
h2 Just right for you
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 International students
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Research & Innovation
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Dal News
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Purpose‑driven leadership: Dal student…
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Student‑athlete Melina Collins honoure…
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 From 'scandalous' cycling trousers to ve…
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Capturing the stars from the roof of the…
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Formula for success: Chemistry postdoc n…
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 What's Happening
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Dalhousie's campaign for transformationa…
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Search Dal.ca
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h3 Learn more about studying at Dal
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
19px · bottom of viewport
h3 Check out the featured stories, alumni c…
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
19px · bottom of viewport
h3 A one-stop space to connect community me…
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
19px · bottom of viewport
h3 A day for faculty and staff to connect a…
1.35:1
#000000
on
#242424
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
19px · bottom of viewport
span Main Menu
4.28:1
#000000
on
#7E6E5F
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · top of page (header area) · over background image/gradient

1 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 Just right for you1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h2 International studen…1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h2 Research & Innovatio…1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h2 Dal News1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h2 Purpose‑driven lea…1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h2 Student‑athlete Me…1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h2 From 'scandalous' cy…1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h2 Capturing the stars …1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h2 Formula for success:…1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h2 What's Happening1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h2 Dalhousie's campaign…1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h2 Search Dal.ca1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h3 Learn more about stu…1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h3 Check out the featur…1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h3 A one-stop space to …1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
h3 A day for faculty an…1.35:13.0:1
#000000
#242424
Fail
title Dalhousie University21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Skip to main content21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button Close9.14:14.5:1
#000000
#ACABA7
Pass
span Main Menu4.28:14.5:1
#000000
#7E6E5F
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
7 landmarks
PASS
7 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 Menu" MAIN CONTENTINFO footer
A
Heading Hierarchy
20 headings, 1 skip(s)
PASS
20 headings, 1 skip(s)
Info::
Single H1 present
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H1 → H3 (missing H2)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
  • H2 Go to
  • H2 Info for
  • H2 Login
  • H1 Is Dalhousie just right for your future?
  • H3 Learn more about studying at Dal skipped
  • H2 Just right for you
  • H2 International students
  • H2 Research & Innovation
  • H2 Dal News
  • H2 Purpose‑driven leadership: Dal students reshaping campus — and beyond — earn top honour
  • H2 Student‑athlete Melina Collins honoured for building community beyond the court
  • H2 From 'scandalous' cycling trousers to velvet gowns, students revive 1897 fashion
  • H2 Capturing the stars from the roof of the world: Dal‑built camera provides new perspective on the universe
  • H2 Formula for success: Chemistry postdoc named to two prestigious programs for emerging science leaders
  • H2 What's Happening
  • H3 Check out the featured stories, alumni class notes, research roundup and more in the Dal Magazine
  • H3 A one-stop space to connect community members with events, resources, spaces & services at Dal
  • H3 A day for faculty and staff to connect and collaborate through sessions, workshops, and presentations
  • H2 Dalhousie's campaign for transformational change
  • H2 Search Dal.ca

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

A+
Alt Text Quality
All 15 images OK
PASS
All 15 images OK
Info::
1 image(s) with alt text over 125 characters
Info::
1 decorative image(s) correctly marked
Info::
13 image(s) with good alt text
15 images 13 good alt text 1 decorative
IssueCount
too long1 image(s)
A+
Form Accessibility
No form controls
PASS
No form controls
Info::
No form controls on this page
No form controls found.
A
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 94/100 — 2 failing, 20 passed
PASS
94

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
Learn more about studying at Dal div.aem-Grid > div.title > div#title-3fb6f8ecc9 > h3.cmp-title__text

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

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
Website feedback div.content-teaser > ul#list-81501c058a > li.cmp-list__item > a.cmp-list__item-link
Privacy Statement div.content-teaser > ul#list-81501c058a > li.cmp-list__item > a.cmp-list__item-link

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
●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
●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
●Skip links are focusable.
●Document has a main landmark.
○`[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
○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.
○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.

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