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Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
52
GRADE
F
FIX
7
REVIEW
3
PASS
3
INFO
0
Checks
13
3 PASS 3 REVIEW 7 FIX
F
Heading Hierarchy
Action
55 headings, 7 skip(s)
FIX
55 headings, 7 skip(s)
Warning::
Multiple H1 headings (13 found)
A page should have only one H1. Multiple H1s dilute the document outline.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H5 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H4 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H5 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H5 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H5 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H5 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H5 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
  • H2 Patent knowledge
  • H2 Applying for a patent
  • H2 Law & practice
  • H2 News & events
  • H2 Learning
  • H2 About us
  • H5 Main navigation skipped
  • H1 EPO Technology Dashboard 2025
  • H1 EPAC 2026 enrolment now open duplicate H1
  • H1 Ready to explore tomorrow? duplicate H1
  • H1 AI and energy – a balancing act for sustainability duplicate H1
  • H1 Innovation and IP for sustainable growth duplicate H1
  • H1 Filing in DOCX now available for all users duplicate H1
  • H1 EPO Technology Dashboard 2025 duplicate H1
  • H1 EPAC 2026 enrolment now open duplicate H1
  • H1 Ready to explore tomorrow? duplicate H1
  • H1 AI and energy – a balancing act for sustainability duplicate H1
  • H1 Innovation and IP for sustainable growth duplicate H1
  • H1 Filing in DOCX now available for all users duplicate H1
  • H1 EPO Technology Dashboard 2025 duplicate H1
  • H2 The EPO provides high-quality patents and efficient services that foster innovation, competitiveness and economic growth.
  • H4 Searching for patents skipped
  • H4 Applying for a patent
  • H4 Law and practice
  • H4 Boards of Appeal
  • H2 News
  • H5 President’s mission to Georgia skipped
  • H5 Modular IP Education Framework marks three years of growing impact
  • H5 Candidate Support Programme expands access to EPAC certification in Europe
  • H5 EPO introduces automated live captions in oral proceedings by VICO
  • H5 Quality dashboard: quarterly update
  • H5 Driving the digital shift: highlights from the eSACEPO meeting
  • H5 Guidelines 2026 enter into force, streamlining procedural guidance
  • H5 Filing in DOCX now available for all users - greater flexibility and smoother workflows
  • H2 Are you new to patents?
  • H2 Unitary Patent
  • H2 Events
  • H5 Innovation and intellectual property for sustainable growth in Latin America and the Caribbean skipped
  • H5 European Inventor Award 2026
  • H2 Videos
  • H5 Interview: Peter Berg skipped
  • H5 EPO Technology Dashboard 2025
  • H5 Introducing MIPEF Framework
  • H5 Interview: Ludwig Witter
  • H2 Quality – our commitment to excellence
  • H2 Get to know the EPO!
  • H5 EPO Technology Dashboard and other statistics skipped
  • H5 Transparency Portal
  • H5 Our strategy
  • H5 Observatory on Patents and Technology
  • H5 Footer - Service & support
  • H5 Footer - More links
  • H2 extra
  • H5 Footer skipped
  • H2 We use cookies

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

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

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

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

F
Favicon & Branding
Action
1 icon(s) detected
FIX
1 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::
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
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::
10 navigation landmark(s) detected
Info::
Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation 10 <nav> element(s)
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
3 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Strong navigation UX with multiple discovery paths.
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 Page not found | epo.org ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✗
B
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
20 text elements analyzed, 0 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

20 pass 19 pass AA only
Show all checked elements (20)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h1 EPO Technology Dashb…3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h1 EPAC 2026 enrolment …3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h1 Ready to explore tom…3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h1 AI and energy – a …3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h1 Innovation and IP fo…3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h1 Filing in DOCX now a…3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h1 EPO Technology Dashb…3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h1 EPAC 2026 enrolment …3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h1 Ready to explore tom…3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h1 AI and energy – a …3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h1 Innovation and IP fo…3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h1 Filing in DOCX now a…3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h1 EPO Technology Dashb…3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h2 Patent knowledge7.28:13.0:1
#000000
#869CA1
Pass
h2 Applying for a paten…3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h2 Law & practice3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h2 News & events3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h2 Learning3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h2 About us3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
Pass
h2 The EPO provides hig…3.07:13.0:1
#000000
#0258B5
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.

B
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 89/100 — 4 failing, 29 passed
REVIEW
89

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.

ARIA

Some ARIA parent roles must contain specific child roles to perform their intended accessibility functions. Learn more about roles and required children elements.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
1 2 3 4 5 6 Pause div.block-inline-blocksimple-view-hero-banner-carousel-23341 > div.slick > div#slick-563643e5aa3 > ul.slick-dots

Focusable descendents within an `[aria-hidden="true"]` element prevent those interactive elements from being available to users of assistive technologies like screen readers. Learn how `aria-hidden` affects focusable elements.

Why this matters

Informational: a Permissions-Policy directive showing feature -> allowed origins.

Source: MDN Permissions-Policy

Failing Elements
Image Event MAY 19 Innovation and intellectual property for sustainable growth … div#slick-a2b7b348b42 > div.slick-list > div.slick-track > div#slick-slide20

These are opportunities to improve the usage of ARIA in your application which may enhance the experience for users of assistive technology, like a screen reader.

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
Upcoming div.node--event-card > div.d-flex > div.block-field-blocknodeeventfield-epo-status > div.status-d12549b1-057a-4649-a61b-a058b9abc1a2
English div.lc-inline_column_first-edit > div.layout-builder__region > div.block > div.field

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
Searching for patents div.clearfix > div.h-100 > div.panel-card-header-quick-access > h4.icon-eye
President’s mission to Georgia div.node--news-card > div.content > div.title > h5
European Inventor Award 2026 div.node--event-card > div.content > div.title > h5
Interview: Peter Berg div.layout-builder__region > div.block > div.field > h5
EPO Technology Dashboard and other statistics div.clearfix > div.block-inline-blockpromoted-about-us-card > div.field--name-field-title > h5
Footer div.container > div.region > nav#block-footer > h5#block-footer-menu

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

○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]`s are contained by their required parent element
●`[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
●Form elements have associated labels
●`[user-scalable="no"]` is not used in the `<meta name="viewport">` element and the `[maximum-scale]` attribute is not less than 5.
●`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names
●ARIA attributes are used as specified for the element's role
●Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` have accessible names.
●Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes
●Document has a `<title>` element
●`<frame>` or `<iframe>` elements have a title
●`<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.
●Document has a main landmark.
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
●Identical links have the same purpose.
●Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.
○`[accesskey]` values are unique
○ARIA input fields have accessible names
○ARIA `meter` elements have accessible names
○ARIA `progressbar` elements have accessible names
○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
○`<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
○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.
○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
Landmark Structure
13 landmarks
PASS
13 landmarks
Info::
<main> landmark present
Info::
10 <nav> landmark(s) found
Warning::
5 of 10 <nav> elements are unlabeled
Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.
Info::
Skip navigation link present
Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it
BANNER header NAV "megamenu navigation" MAIN CONTENTINFO footer

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+
Alt Text Quality
All 44 images OK
PASS
All 44 images OK
Info::
1 image(s) with alt text over 125 characters
Info::
43 image(s) with good alt text
44 images 43 good alt text
IssueCount
too long1 image(s)
A
Form Accessibility
1 of 3 controls have issues
PASS
1 of 3 controls have issues
Critical::
1 control(s) without accessible label
Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.
Got: <input type="submit" name="op" id="edit-submit">
Info::
2 control(s) properly labeled
3 controls
2 labeled
0 placeholder only
1 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
#qtextSearchfor/id
#cookie-category-videocheckboxYouTube cookiesfor/id
#edit-submitsubmit(none)none

Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.

<input type="submit" name="op" id="edit-submit">

Why this matters

Form controls without labels — assistive tech announces 'edit text' with no context; users can't complete forms.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.2

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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