Accessibility
· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.DLink & Button QualityAction3 issue(s) across 124 links and 11 buttonsFIX
| Element | Text | Issue | Suggested Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| //go.epfl.ch/privacy-policy | privacy policy | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| # | (empty) | empty | Add link text or aria-label |
| https://memento.epfl.ch/event/full-speed… | Full speed… But Where are Wo… | img no alt | Add alt attribute to the image |
| https://memento.epfl.ch/event/startup-ch… | Startup Champions Seed Night 2… | img no alt | Add alt attribute to the image |
| https://memento.epfl.ch/event/defining-e… | Defining EPFL Values – Works… | img no alt | Add alt attribute to the image |
| https://www.epfl.ch/innovation/ | Read more | generic text | Replace with descriptive text |
Before: Read more Suggested: Innovation | |||
| https://www.epflalumni.ch | EPFL Alumni | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.facebook.com/epflcampus | Follow us on Facebook | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://instagram.com/epflcampus | Follow us on Instagram | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.linkedin.com/school/epfl/ | Follow us on LinkedIn | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://social.epfl.ch/@epfl/ | Follow us on Mastodon | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://x.com/epfl_en | Follow us on X | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.youtube.com/user/epflnews | Follow us on Youtube | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| <button> | (empty) | empty | Add button text or aria-label |
Links without text are announced as raw URLs by screen readers.
#
Links with no accessible text (empty <a></a>, image-only no alt, icon-only no aria-label) are unidentifiable to screen readers.
Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4
Generic link text like 'click here' doesn't describe the destination.
https://www.epfl.ch/innovation/ ("Read more")
Generic anchor text ('click here', 'read more', 'learn more') tells screen readers and search engines nothing about the destination.
Learn more ▾ ▴
Out-of-context lists of links read by AT (one navigation pattern) become useless when every link says 'click here'. Use the destination's title or topic as anchor text. Doubles as SEO win — Google passes anchor-text relevance to the destination.
Source: WCAG 2.4.4 / Google Search Central
Image-only links need alt text on the image (or aria-label on the link) so screen readers can announce them.
a[href="https://memento.epfl.ch/event/full-speed-but-where-are-women-in-formula-1"]; a[href="https://memento.epfl.ch/event/startup-champions-seed-night-2026"]; a[href="https://memento.epfl.ch/event/defining-epfl-values-workshops-and-online-platform"]
Image-only links with no alt are unidentifiable to screen-reader users — link's destination is invisible.
Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4
Add '(opens in new tab)' to link text or aria-label.
//go.epfl.ch/privacy-policy; https://www.epflalumni.ch; https://www.facebook.com/epflcampus; https://instagram.com/epflcampus; https://www.linkedin.com/school/epfl/; https://social.epfl.ch/@epfl/; https://x.com/epfl_en; https://www.youtube.com/user/epflnews
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
Icon-only buttons need an aria-label so screen readers can announce them.
button.btn-circle (#537 on page)
Buttons with no accessible text (icon-only, no aria-label) can't be activated by voice control or understood by screen readers.
Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.2
DDark Mode SupportActionNo dark mode signalsFIX
Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles.
DPrint StylesheetActionNo print stylesFIX
BForm Accessibility2 of 2 controls have issuesREVIEW
| Control | Type | Label | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| q | text | (Search) | placeholder only |
| q | text | (Search) | placeholder only |
Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.
<input type="text" name="q">; <input type="text" name="q">
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
B404 Error PageHTTP 404, custom pageREVIEW
BFavicon & Branding20 icon(s) detectedREVIEW
BWeb ManifestValid manifestREVIEW
CColor Contrast (Screenshot)Action20 text elements analyzed, 11 fail WCAG AAREVIEW
Analyzes text contrast against the actual rendered page, including background images, gradients, and overlays that CSS-based tools cannot detect.
Show all checked elements (20)
| Element | Ratio | Required | FG | BG | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| h1 EPFL | 2.45:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #4C4C4C | Fail |
| h2 Latest news | 2.45:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #4C4C4C | Fail |
| h2 Highlights | 2.45:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #4C4C4C | Fail |
| h2 About | 2.45:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #4C4C4C | Fail |
| h2 EPFL Memento | 2.45:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #4C4C4C | Fail |
| h2 Missions | 2.45:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #4C4C4C | Fail |
| h3 Lighting up the orga… | 2.45:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #4C4C4C | Fail |
| h3 What your voice give… | 2.45:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #4C4C4C | Fail |
| h3 How to teach the sam… | 2.45:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #4C4C4C | Fail |
| h3 Ig Nobel Award Tour … | 2.45:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #4C4C4C | Fail |
| h3 Visit EPFL | 2.45:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #4C4C4C | Fail |
| title EPFL | 21.00:1 | 4.5:1 | #000000 | #FFFFFF | Pass |
| span When you access EPFL… | 21.00:1 | 4.5:1 | #000000 | #FFFFFF | Pass |
| a privacy policy | 21.00:1 | 4.5:1 | #000000 | #FFFFFF | Pass |
| span . You can block cook… | 21.00:1 | 4.5:1 | #000000 | #FFFFFF | Pass |
| a Skip to content | 21.00:1 | 4.5:1 | #000000 | #FFFFFF | Pass |
| a About | 21.00:1 | 4.5:1 | #000000 | #FFFFFF | Pass |
| a Education | 21.00:1 | 4.5:1 | #000000 | #FFFFFF | Pass |
| a Research | 21.00:1 | 4.5:1 | #000000 | #FFFFFF | Pass |
| a Innovation | 21.00:1 | 4.5:1 | #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.
ALandmark Structure6 landmarksPASS
Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.
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 Hierarchy14 headingsPASS
- H1 EPFL
- H2 Latest news
- H3 Lighting up the organizers of the cell's architecture
- H3 What your voice gives away
- H3 How to teach the same skill to different robots
- H2 Highlights
- H3 David Atienza elected to Academia Europaea
- H3 “When I need a boost, I turn to the music I grew up with”
- H3 Where is mobility headed?
- H2 About
- H2 EPFL Memento
- H3 Ig Nobel Award Tour Show 2026
- H2 Missions
- H3 Visit EPFL
A+Alt Text QualityAll 17 images OKPASS
A+Lighthouse Accessibility AuditsScore 97/100 — 2 failing, 27 passedPASS
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.
Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.
| Failing Elements |
|---|
Read more div.fullwidth-teaser > div.fullwidth-teaser-text > div.fullwidth-teaser-footer > a.btn |
23.04.2026 a.card > div.card-body > div.card-info > span.card-info-date |
18:00 a.card > div.card-body > div.card-info > span.event-time |
20:00 a.card > div.card-body > div.card-info > span.event-time |
Maps and directions div.fullwidth-teaser > div.fullwidth-teaser-text > div.fullwidth-teaser-footer > a.btn |
These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.
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.
Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.
| Failing Elements |
|---|
Maps and directions div.fullwidth-teaser > div.fullwidth-teaser-text > div.fullwidth-teaser-footer > a.btn |