Accessibility

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

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

1 PASS 5 REVIEW 7 FIX

Landmark Structure

Action

1 landmarks

FIX

1 landmarks

No <main> landmark found

Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.

1 <nav> landmark(s) found

No banner (header) landmark

No contentinfo (footer) landmark

Skip navigation link is missing (WCAG 2.4.1)

Add a skip link as the first focusable element so keyboard users can bypass repeated navigation.

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.

Why this matters

Without a <main> landmark, screen-reader users can't skip past the navigation to the page content — every page starts with re-reading the menu.

Learn more ▾

The <main> element marks the page's primary content area. Assistive tech offers a 'jump to main' shortcut — but only if <main> exists. Without it, every page navigation forces re-reading the header. Wrap your primary content in a single <main>.

Source: WAI-ARIA / WCAG 2.4.1

Add a skip link as the first focusable element so keyboard users can bypass repeated navigation.

Why this matters

Without a skip-nav link, keyboard users tab through every nav item before reaching content — every page, every visit.

Learn more ▾

WCAG 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks) requires a mechanism to skip past repeated content. The standard implementation is a 'Skip to main content' link that's the first focusable element, visually hidden until focused. Three lines of HTML + four of CSS.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.1

Alt Text Quality

Action

8 of 16 images have issues

FIX

8 of 16 images have issues

8 image(s) missing alt attribute

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

8 image-in-link without alt text

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

1 decorative image(s) correctly marked

7 image(s) with good alt text

16 images 7 good alt text 1 decorative 8 missing

Issue	Count
missing	8 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

Favicon & Branding

Action

2 icon(s) detected

FIX

2 icon(s) detected

favicon.ico present at site root

HTML icon links detected

Apple touch icon present

✓ favicon.ico Present

✓ PNG Icons Present

✓ Apple Touch Present

✗ 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

Theme color only

FIX

Theme color only

Theme-color present but no dark variant

A theme-color is set but no dark-specific variant was found. The browser toolbar may not adapt for dark mode users.

Got: #333333

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 ModePartial Dark Mode

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 ✗

Navigation UX

Action

No navigation patterns

FIX

No navigation patterns

1 navigation landmark(s) detected

No breadcrumbs, search, or skip link detected

These navigation aids help users orient themselves and find content efficiently, especially on large sites.

Breadcrumbs

Skip Link

Labeled Navigation 1 <nav> element(s)

Hamburger Menu

Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)

1 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Limited navigation support. Consider adding breadcrumbs, search, and skip link.

Heading Hierarchy

Action

10 headings, 2 skip(s)

REVIEW

10 headings, 2 skip(s)

Multiple H1 headings (5 found)

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

Heading level skipped: H1 → H3 (missing H2)

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.

Heading level skipped: H1 → H3 (missing H2)

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.

H1 Join the Hardware Revolution
H1 Hackaday Platform duplicate H1
H1 Explore Projects duplicate H1
H3 WORLD’S FASTEST COMMODORE PET USING THE MCL65+ skipped
H3 Turning a 2 ton robot into a 3D-printer
H1 Chat With the Community duplicate H1
H3 Hack Chat skipped
H3 LED Art Ongoing/Weekly Chat
H3 Modular Synth Discussion
H1 Find a Hackerspace Near You duplicate H1

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 ▾

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 / W3C WAI

Link & Button Quality

Action

1 issue(s) across 56 links and 1 buttons

REVIEW

1 issue(s) across 56 links and 1 buttons

6 image-only link(s) without alt text

Image-only links need alt text on the image (or aria-label on the link) so screen readers can announce them.

Got: a[href="https://hac.io/m/2369"]; a[href="https://hac.io/m/2369"]; a[href="https://hac.io/m/289684"]; a[href="https://hac.io/m/289684"]; a[href="https://hac.io/m/271844"]; a[href="https://hac.io/m/271844"]

1 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: https://dev.hackaday.io/

1 button(s) with no accessible text

Icon-only buttons need an aria-label so screen readers can announce them.

Got: button.hfr-button (#60 on page)

49 link(s) with descriptive text

56 links

0 empty

0 generic text

1 new tab

1 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
/project/204693-worlds-fastest-commodore…	WORLD’S FASTEST COMMODORE PE…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
/project/204676-turning-a-2-ton-robot-in…	I turned my 2-ton industrial r…	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://hac.io/m/2369	Hack Chat	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://hac.io/m/2369	Hack Chat	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://hac.io/m/289684	LED Art Ongoing/Weekly Chat	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://hac.io/m/289684	LED Art Ongoing/Weekly Chat	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://hac.io/m/271844	Modular Synth Discussion	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://hac.io/m/271844	Modular Synth Discussion	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://dev.hackaday.io/	Hackaday API	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
<button>	(empty)	empty	Add button text or aria-label

49 links and buttons have descriptive text

Image-only links need alt text on the image (or aria-label on the link) so screen readers can announce them.

a[href="https://hac.io/m/2369"]; a[href="https://hac.io/m/2369"]; a[href="https://hac.io/m/289684"]; a[href="https://hac.io/m/289684"]; a[href="https://hac.io/m/271844"]; a[href="https://hac.io/m/271844"]

Why this matters

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.

https://dev.hackaday.io/

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

Icon-only buttons need an aria-label so screen readers can announce them.

button.hfr-button (#60 on page)

Why this matters

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

404 Error Page

Action

HTTP 404, custom page

REVIEW

HTTP 404, custom page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Custom styled 404 page

Homepage link present on 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title Not Found | Hackaday.io ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✗

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 18 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

2 pass 18 fail WCAG AA

h1 Join the Hardware Revolution

1.97:1

#000000

#6D2727

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

32px · above the fold

h1 Explore Projects

1.17:1

#000000

#171717

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

32px · bottom of viewport

h1 Chat With the Community

1.17:1

#000000

#171717

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

32px · bottom of viewport

h1 Find a Hackerspace Near You

1.17:1

#000000

#171717

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

32px · bottom of viewport

title Hackaday.io | The world's largest collab…

1.17:1

#000000

#171717

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Discover

1.17:1

#000000

#171717

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Contests

1.04:1

#000000

#070705

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Courses

1.08:1

#000000

#0D0C0C

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Create

1.29:1

#000000

#202020

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

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

a New Project

1.35:1

#000000

#1C2625

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a New Page

1.41:1

#000000

#1E292A

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Project List

1.46:1

#000000

#212C2B

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Sign up

1.50:1

#000000

#232E2F

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Log in

1.36:1

#000000

#1D2626

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Close

1.47:1

#000000

#4B1B1C

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

div Hackaday.io is the world's largest colla…

2.73:1

#000000

#7A443F

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · mid-page · over background image/gradient

a Join Hackaday.io

4.15:1

#000000

#8B665A

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · mid-page · over background image/gradient

div - or -

4.00:1

#000000

#85681F

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · mid-page · over background image/gradient

4 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 Join the Hardware Re…	1.97:1	3.0:1	#000000	#6D2727	Fail
h1 Hackaday Platform	5.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#A57F23	Pass
h1 Explore Projects	1.17:1	3.0:1	#000000	#171717	Fail
h1 Chat With the Commun…	1.17:1	3.0:1	#000000	#171717	Fail
h1 Find a Hackerspace N…	1.17:1	3.0:1	#000000	#171717	Fail
title Hackaday.io \| The wo…	1.17:1	4.5:1	#000000	#171717	Fail
a Discover	1.17:1	4.5:1	#000000	#171717	Fail
a Contests	1.04:1	4.5:1	#000000	#070705	Fail
a Courses	1.08:1	4.5:1	#000000	#0D0C0C	Fail
a Create	1.29:1	4.5:1	#000000	#202020	Fail
a New Project	1.35:1	4.5:1	#000000	#1C2625	Fail
a New Page	1.41:1	4.5:1	#000000	#1E292A	Fail
a Project List	1.46:1	4.5:1	#000000	#212C2B	Fail
a Sign up	1.50:1	4.5:1	#000000	#232E2F	Fail
a Log in	1.36:1	4.5:1	#000000	#1D2626	Fail
a Close	1.47:1	4.5:1	#000000	#4B1B1C	Fail
div Hackaday.io is the w…	2.73:1	4.5:1	#000000	#7A443F	Fail
a Join Hackaday.io	4.15:1	4.5:1	#000000	#8B665A	Fail
div - or -	4.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#85681F	Fail
span Sign up with Github	7.05:1	4.5:1	#000000	#B5912B	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.

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 84/100 — 4 failing, 19 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.

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
Ted Fried `div.project-item-headline > p > span.identity-card > a`
Brian Brocken `div.project-item-headline > p > span.identity-card > a`
Going up? `body.index > div#footer > a.back-to-top`
About Us `body.index > div#footer > p > a`
Contact Hackaday.io `body.index > div#footer > p > a`
Give Feedback `body.index > div#footer > p > a`
Terms of Use `body.index > div#footer > p > a`
Privacy Policy `body.index > div#footer > p > a`
Hackaday API `body.index > div#footer > p > a`
Do not sell or share my personal information `body.index > div#footer > p > a#do-not-sell-link`
© 2026 Hackaday `body.index > div#footer > p > a#footer--home`

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
WORLD’S FASTEST COMMODORE PET USING THE MCL65+ `div.hfr-card-list > div.hfr-card-list-item > div.project-item-headline > h3.element-title`
Hack Chat `div.hfr-card-meta > div.hfr-card-summary > div.hfr-card-headline > h3.element-title`

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

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
a > div.hfr-card-img > picture > img `a > div.hfr-card-img > picture > img`
a > div.hfr-card-img > picture > img `a > div.hfr-card-img > picture > img`
a > div.hfr-card-img > picture > img `a > div.hfr-card-img > picture > img`
div.hfr-card-summary > a > figure.hfr-image > img.hfr-is-rounded `div.hfr-card-summary > a > figure.hfr-image > img.hfr-is-rounded`
a > div.hfr-card-img > picture > img `a > div.hfr-card-img > picture > img`
div.hfr-card-summary > a > figure.hfr-image > img.hfr-is-rounded `div.hfr-card-summary > a > figure.hfr-image > img.hfr-is-rounded`
a > div.hfr-card-img > picture > img `a > div.hfr-card-img > picture > img`
div.hfr-card-summary > a > figure.hfr-image > img.hfr-is-rounded `div.hfr-card-summary > a > figure.hfr-image > img.hfr-is-rounded`

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
Give Feedback `body.index > div#footer > p > a`
Privacy Policy `body.index > div#footer > p > a`
Hackaday API `body.index > div#footer > p > a`
Do not sell or share my personal information `body.index > div#footer > p > a#do-not-sell-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>`

●`[role]`s have all required `[aria-*]` attributes

●`[role]` values are valid

●`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values

●`[aria-*]` attributes are valid and not misspelled

●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

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

●Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes

●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

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

●Identical links have the same purpose.

○`[accesskey]` values are unique

○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

○Buttons have an accessible name

○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.

○Lists contain only `<li>` elements and script supporting elements (`<script>` and `<template>`).

○List items (`<li>`) are contained within `<ul>`, `<ol>` or `<menu>` parent elements

○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.

○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.

Form Accessibility

1 of 2 controls have issues

PASS

1 of 2 controls have issues

1 control(s) rely on placeholder only

Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.

Got: <input type="text" name="term" id="add-search">

1 control(s) properly labeled

2 controls

1 labeled

1 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#email-sign-up	text		none
#add-search	text	(Find projects and more)	placeholder only

Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.

Why this matters

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

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