Accessibility

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

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

2 PASS 7 REVIEW 4 FIX

Favicon & Branding

Action

1 icon(s) detected

FIX

1 icon(s) detected

No favicon.ico at site root

Some older browsers, bookmark tools, and RSS readers look for /favicon.ico. Add one as a fallback.

HTML icon links detected

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

Web Manifest

Action

Not found

FIX

Not found

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.

Print Stylesheet

Action

No print styles

FIX

No print styles

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 ✗

Landmark Structure

11 landmarks

REVIEW

11 landmarks

<main> landmark present

Multiple <main> landmarks (2 found)

A page should have only one <main> landmark.

7 <nav> landmark(s) found

1 of 7 <nav> elements are unlabeled

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

Skip navigation link present

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

A page should have only one <main> landmark.

Why this matters

Multiple <main> elements violate the spec — there must be exactly one per page.

Learn more ▾

HTML5 spec: 'authors must not include more than one main element' visible to AT at the same time. Multiple <main>s confuse AT and break the 'jump to main content' shortcut. Refactor to a single <main> with nested <section>/<article>.

Source: HTML5 spec

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

Alt Text Quality

1 of 21 images have issues

REVIEW

1 of 21 images have issues

1 image(s) missing alt attribute

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

1 image-in-link without alt text

An image inside a link with no alt creates an empty link.

1 image(s) with alt text over 125 characters

19 image(s) with good alt text

21 images 19 good alt text 1 missing

Issue	Count
missing	1 image(s)
too long	1 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

Link & Button Quality

1 issue(s) across 92 links and 10 buttons

REVIEW

1 issue(s) across 92 links and 10 buttons

1 link(s) with generic text

Generic link text like 'click here' doesn't describe the destination.

Got: /report/special-report/2026/collaboration-and-resistance-tracking-transnation… ("Read More")

7 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: /#facebook; /#twitter; /#email; https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2026/04/16/transnational-…; https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/profiles-african-countries-pope-leo-is-v…; https://thediplomat.com/2026/04/kazakhstans-new-constitution-reform-or-power-…; https://www.addtoany.com

84 link(s) with descriptive text

92 links

0 empty

1 generic text

7 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
/report/special-report/2026/collaboratio…	Read More	generic text	Replace with descriptive text
Before: Read More Suggested: Collaboration And Resistance Tracking Transnational Repression 2025
/#facebook	Share this page on Facebook	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/#twitter	Share this page on Twitter	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/#email	Share this page via email	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://freedomhouse.org/report/report-s…	Policy Recommendations	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/…	Dictators increasingly team up…	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/pro…	Profiles of the African countr…	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://thediplomat.com/2026/04/kazakhst…	Kazakhstan’s new constitutio…	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.addtoany.com	AddToAny	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text

94 links and buttons have descriptive text

Generic link text like 'click here' doesn't describe the destination.

/report/special-report/2026/collaboration-and-resistance-tracking-transnation… ("Read More")

Why this matters

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

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

/#facebook; /#twitter; /#email; https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2026/04/16/transnational-…; https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/profiles-african-countries-pope-leo-is-v…; https://thediplomat.com/2026/04/kazakhstans-new-constitution-reform-or-power-…; https://www.addtoany.com

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

404 Error Page

HTTP 404, custom page

REVIEW

HTTP 404, custom page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Custom styled 404 page

Navigation links present on 404 page

Homepage link present on 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title 6E55EA53-B09E-4B49-9355-9E2A3E37B765 ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✗

Dark Mode Support

Dark mode detected

REVIEW

Dark mode detected

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 Not set ✗CSS indicators Detected ✓

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles.

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 20 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

0 pass 20 fail WCAG AA

h1 Expanding and Defending Freedom Around t…

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

32px · bottom of viewport

h2 Primary Navigation

1.29:1

#000000

#202020

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · above the fold · over background image/gradient

h2 Quicklinks

1.08:1

#000000

#120C0B

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · above the fold · over background image/gradient

h2 Mega Menu

2.30:1

#000000

#484849

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · mid-page

h2 Freedom House 2026 Annual Awards & 85th …

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Explore Freedom in the World 2026

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Tracking Freedom Around the World

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Latest Research

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 News & Updates

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 In the Media

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Be the first to know what's happening.

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Footer Main Menu

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Footer Social Menu

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Footer

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h3 Read the Report

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Policy Recommendations

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Explore the Map

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 More Action Needed to Ensure Safety: Com…

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Tunnel Vision: Anti-censorship Tools, En…

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

h3 Free Them All: The Fred Hiatt Program to…

2.45:1

#000000

#4C4C4C

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

2 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)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 Expanding and Defend…	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h2 Primary Navigation	1.29:1	3.0:1	#000000	#202020	Fail
h2 Quicklinks	1.08:1	3.0:1	#000000	#120C0B	Fail
h2 Mega Menu	2.30:1	3.0:1	#000000	#484849	Fail
h2 Freedom House 2026 A…	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h2 Explore Freedom in t…	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h2 Tracking Freedom Aro…	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h2 Latest Research	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h2 News & Updates	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h2 In the Media	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h2 Be the first to know…	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h2 Footer Main Menu	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h2 Footer Social Menu	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h2 Footer	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h3 Read the Report	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h3 Policy Recommendatio…	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h3 Explore the Map	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h3 More Action Needed t…	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h3 Tunnel Vision: Anti-…	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	Fail
h3 Free Them All: The F…	2.45:1	3.0:1	#000000	#4C4C4C	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.

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 86/100 — 4 failing, 21 passed

REVIEW

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

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
Caption `div.node > div.field > div.paragraph > div.banner-caption-wrapper`

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.

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
article.media > div.field > picture > img `article.media > div.field > picture > img`

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
Search `div.container > div.top-row > div.main-nav__right > a.search-button`

These items highlight common accessibility best practices.

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.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Read the Report `div.three-up-cta-count-3 > div.field > div.three-up-cta-count-3 > a.three-up-card-link-wrapper`
Explore the Map `div.three-up-cta-count-3 > div.field > div.three-up-cta-count-3 > a.three-up-card-link-wrapper`
More Action Needed to Ensure Safety: Combating Transnational Repression in Aust… `div.three-up-cta-count-3 > div.field > div.three-up-cta-count-3 > a.three-up-card-link-wrapper`
Tunnel Vision: Anti-censorship Tools, End-to-End Encryption and the Fight for a… `div.three-up-cta-count-3 > div.field > div.three-up-cta-count-3 > a.three-up-card-link-wrapper`
Free Them All: The Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners `div.three-up-cta-count-3 > div.field > div.three-up-cta-count-3 > a.three-up-card-link-wrapper`

○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

●`[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

●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 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

●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

●Identical links have the same purpose.

○`[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

○`<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

○Links are distinguishable without relying on color.

○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.

○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+

Heading Hierarchy

31 headings

PASS

31 headings

Single H1 present

H2 Primary Navigation
H2 Quicklinks
H2 Mega Menu
H1 Expanding and Defending Freedom Around the World
H2 Collaboration and Resistance: Tracking Transnational Repression in 2025
H2 Freedom House 2026 Annual Awards & 85th Anniversary
H2 Explore Freedom in the World 2026
H3 Read the Report
H3 Policy Recommendations
H3 Explore the Map
H2 Tracking Freedom Around the World
H2 Latest Research
H3 More Action Needed to Ensure Safety: Combating Transnational Repression in Australia
H3 Tunnel Vision: Anti-censorship Tools, End-to-End Encryption and the Fight for a Free and Open Internet
H3 Free Them All: The Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners
H2 News & Updates
H3 Freedom House Experts on What Trump Should Discuss with Xi in Beijing
H3 Leading Global Voices Call for Renewed Solidarity in Support of the Iranian People
H3 The Iranian Struggle for Freedom: A Call for Renewed Global Solidarity in Support of the People of Iran
H2 In the Media
H3 Dictators increasingly team up to hunt dissenters abroad opens in new tab
H3 Profiles of the African countries Pope Leo is visiting opens in new tab
H3 Kazakhstan’s new constitution: reform or power consolidation? opens in new tab
H2 Be the first to know what's happening.
H2 Footer Main Menu
H3 Address
H3 General Inquiries
H3 Press & Media
H2 Footer Social Menu
H3 Follow
H2 Footer

Form Accessibility

1 of 5 controls have issues

PASS

1 of 5 controls have issues

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-actions-submit">

4 control(s) properly labeled

5 controls

4 labeled

0 placeholder only

1 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#edit-email	email	Email	for/id
#edit-first-name	text	Leave this field blank	for/id
#a2a_copy_link_text	text	Copy link	for/id
#a2apage_find	text	Find any service	for/id
#edit-actions-submit	submit	(none)	none

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

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.