Accessibility

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

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

6 PASS 2 REVIEW 5 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.

Dark Mode Support

Action

No dark mode signals

FIX

No dark mode signals

No dark mode signals detected

Consider adding CSS with @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) and <meta name='color-scheme' content='light dark'>.

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.

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 ✗

Link & Button Quality

1 issue(s) across 105 links and 14 buttons

REVIEW

1 issue(s) across 105 links and 14 buttons

1 link(s) with no accessible text

Links without text are announced as raw URLs by screen readers.

Got: a#main-content

3 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: https://www.hhs.gov/web/policies-and-standards/hhs-web-policies/plugins/index…; https://www.nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-…; https://www.hhs.gov/vulnerability-disclosure-policy/index.html

101 link(s) with descriptive text

105 links

1 empty

0 generic text

3 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.hhs.gov/web/policies-and-sta…	Plug-Ins Used by HHS	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-o…	FOIA	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.hhs.gov/vulnerability-disclo…	HHS Vulnerability Disclosure	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text

115 links and buttons have descriptive text

Links without text are announced as raw URLs by screen readers.

a#main-content

Why this matters

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

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

https://www.hhs.gov/web/policies-and-standards/hhs-web-policies/plugins/index…; https://www.nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-…; https://www.hhs.gov/vulnerability-disclosure-policy/index.html

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

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 8 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

12 pass 8 fail WCAG AA

title National Human Genome Research Institute…

1.00:1

#000000

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

p Scan to visit

1.00:1

#000000

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Skip to main content

1.06:1

#000000

#020C03

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

span Dark/Light Mode

1.19:1

#000000

#051D09

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

span Toggle Large Font Size

4.04:1

#000000

#3F7766

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

span Focus Mode

2.56:1

#000000

#255844

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold · over background image/gradient

span Reader Mode

1.31:1

#000000

#0A2709

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Skip to navigation

1.12:1

#000000

#031604

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

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)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 Multidrug-resistant …	18.43:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F0F0F0	Pass
h1 Collaboration and te…	18.43:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F0F0F0	Pass
h1 To accelerate genomi…	18.43:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F0F0F0	Pass
h1 Expand your genomics…	18.43:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F0F0F0	Pass
h1 Spark scientific cur…	18.43:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F0F0F0	Pass
h1 The more you know, t…	18.43:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F0F0F0	Pass
h2 About the National H…	18.43:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F0F0F0	Pass
h2 Footer Links	18.43:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F0F0F0	Pass
h3 Organization	18.43:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F0F0F0	Pass
h3 Careers & Training	18.43:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F0F0F0	Pass
h3 Get Updates	18.43:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F0F0F0	Pass
h3 Social Media Stream	18.43:1	3.0:1	#000000	#F0F0F0	Pass
title National Human Genom…	1.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
p Scan to visit	1.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
a Skip to main content	1.06:1	4.5:1	#000000	#020C03	Fail
span Dark/Light Mode	1.19:1	4.5:1	#000000	#051D09	Fail
span Toggle Large Font Si…	4.04:1	4.5:1	#000000	#3F7766	Fail
span Focus Mode	2.56:1	4.5:1	#000000	#255844	Fail
span Reader Mode	1.31:1	4.5:1	#000000	#0A2709	Fail
a Skip to navigation	1.12:1	4.5:1	#000000	#031604	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

14 landmarks

PASS

14 landmarks

<main> landmark present

8 <nav> landmark(s) found

7 of 8 <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

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

Heading Hierarchy

12 headings

PASS

12 headings

Multiple H1 headings (6 found)

A page should have only one H1. Multiple H1s dilute the document outline.

H1 Multidrug-resistant pathogens living on skin spread in nursing homes
H1 Collaboration and teamwork ensure that our genomic advances improve health for all humans. duplicate H1
H1 To accelerate genomics research, we support scientists at public and private institutions around the world. duplicate H1
H1 Expand your genomics knowledge with resources focused on patient care. duplicate H1
H1 Spark scientific curiosity and engage a diverse community of learners. duplicate H1
H1 The more you know, the better decisions you can make about your health. duplicate H1
H2 About the National Human Genome Research Institute
H3 Organization
H3 Careers & Training
H3 Get Updates
H3 Social Media Stream
H2 Footer Links

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

Alt Text Quality

1 of 3 images have issues

PASS

1 of 3 images have issues

1 image(s) missing alt attribute

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

2 image(s) with good alt text

3 images 2 good alt text 1 missing

Issue	Count
missing	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

A+

Form Accessibility

All 2 controls labeled

PASS

All 2 controls labeled

2 control(s) properly labeled

2 controls

2 labeled

0 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#site-search	search	search-input	aria-label
#search-input	input	Email Subscribe	aria-label

404 Error Page

HTTP 404, custom page

PASS

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

Search form present on 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title 404 - Page Not Found ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✓

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 92/100 — 2 failing, 30 passed

PASS

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 roles have required attributes that describe the state of the element to screen readers. Learn more about roles and required attributes.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
ABOUT GENOMICS `div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > a.title-link > div.menu-title`
RESEARCH FUNDING `div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > a.title-link > div.menu-title`
RESEARCH AT NHGRI `div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > a.title-link > div.menu-title`
ABOUT HEALTH `div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > a.title-link > div.menu-title`
CAREERS & TRAINING `div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > a.title-link > div.menu-title`
NEWS & EVENTS `div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > a.title-link > div.menu-title`
ABOUT NHGRI `div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > a.title-link > div.menu-title`

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.

Tables and lists

Screen readers require list items (`<li>`) to be contained within a parent `<ul>`, `<ol>` or `<menu>` to be announced properly. Learn more about proper list structure.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
INTRODUCTION TO GENOMICS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
POLICY ISSUES IN GENOMICS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
HISTORY OF GENOMICS PROGRAM `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
FUNDED PROGRAMS & PROJECTS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
DIVISION AND PROGRAM DIRECTORS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM ANALYSTS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
CONTACTS BY RESEARCH AREA `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
NEWS & EVENTS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
RESEARCH AREAS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
RESEARCH INVESTIGATORS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
STAFF CLINICIANS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
RESEARCH PROJECTS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
CLINICAL RESEARCH `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
DATA TOOLS & RESOURCES `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
NEWS & EVENTS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
GENOMICS & MEDICINE `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
FOR PATIENTS & FAMILIES `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
JOBS AT NHGRI `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
TRAINING AT NHGRI `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
FUNDING FOR RESEARCH TRAINING `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
NHGRI CULTURE `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
NEWS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
EVENTS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
SOCIAL MEDIA `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
BROADCAST MEDIA `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
IMAGE GALLERY `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
VIDEOS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
PRESS RESOURCES `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
ORGANIZATION `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
MISSION AND VISION `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
POLICIES AND GUIDANCE `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
BUDGET `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
INSTITUTE ADVISORS `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
STRATEGIC VISION `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
PARTNER WITH NHGRI `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
STAFF SEARCH `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`
CONTACT US `div#about-genome > div.menu-container > ul.menu-items > li.menu-item`

These are opportunities to improve the experience of reading tabular or list data using assistive technology, like a screen reader.

○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>`

●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

●`[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

●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>`).

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

●Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing.

●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order

●Skip links are focusable.

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

●Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements

●Identical links have the same purpose.

●Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.

○`[accesskey]` values are unique

○`[aria-hidden="true"]` elements do not contain focusable descendents

○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

○`<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

○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.

○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.

○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.

All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.