Skip to content
https://healthdirect.gov.au

Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
63
GRADE
D
FIX
4
REVIEW
5
PASS
4
INFO
0
Checks
13
4 PASS 5 REVIEW 4 FIX
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
No navigation patterns
FIX
No navigation patterns
Info::
3 navigation landmark(s) detected
Info::
No breadcrumbs, search, or skip link detected
These navigation aids help users orient themselves and find content efficiently, especially on large sites.
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link
Labeled Navigation 3 <nav> element(s)
Back to Top
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.
B
Landmark Structure
13 landmarks
REVIEW
13 landmarks
Info::
<main> landmark present
Info::
3 <nav> landmark(s) found
Warning::
3 of 3 <nav> elements are unlabeled
Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.
Warning::
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
BANNER header NAV 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

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

B
Alt Text Quality
2 of 16 images have issues
REVIEW
2 of 16 images have issues
Critical::
2 image(s) missing alt attribute
Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.
Info::
1 decorative image(s) correctly marked
Info::
13 image(s) with good alt text
16 images 13 good alt text 1 decorative 2 missing
IssueCount
missing2 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

B
Favicon & Branding
6 icon(s) detected
REVIEW
6 icon(s) detected
Info::
favicon.ico present at site root
Info::
HTML icon links detected
Info::
Apple touch icon present
Info::
Multiple icon sizes detected
✓ favicon.ico Present
✓ PNG Icons Present
✓ Apple Touch Present
✗ SVG Favicon Missing
✗ Manifest Icons Missing
✓ Multiple Sizes Present
C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 16 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

4 pass 16 fail WCAG AA
h1 Get health information and advice
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
32px · bottom of viewport · over background image/gradient
h1 Healthdirect 24hr 7 days a week hotline
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
32px · bottom of viewport
h1 Government Accredited with over 140 info…
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
32px · bottom of viewport
h2 Symptom Checker
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 About Symptom Checker
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Find a health service
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Health topics
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 About
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Discover
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Resources in your language
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h2 Support for this browser is being discon…
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · bottom of viewport
h3 Get started
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
19px · bottom of viewport
button Menu
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
span Healthdirect
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
span Free Australian health advice you can co…
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
button Join
2.10:1
#000000
on
#1E4759
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)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h1 Get health informati…2.10:13.0:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
h1 Healthdirect 24hr 7 …2.10:13.0:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
h1 Government Accredite…2.10:13.0:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
h2 Symptom Checker2.10:13.0:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
h2 About Symptom Checke…2.10:13.0:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
h2 Find a health servic…2.10:13.0:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
h2 Health topics2.10:13.0:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
h2 About2.10:13.0:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
h2 Discover2.10:13.0:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
h2 Resources in your la…2.10:13.0:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
h2 Support for this bro…2.10:13.0:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
h3 Get started2.10:13.0:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
title Trusted Health Advic…21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span Sign in21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Join18.43:14.5:1
#000000
#F0F0F0
Pass
a Sign in15.02:14.5:1
#000000
#DADADA
Pass
button Menu2.10:14.5:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
span Healthdirect2.10:14.5:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
span Free Australian heal…2.10:14.5:1
#000000
#1E4759
Fail
button Join2.10:14.5:1
#000000
#1E4759
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.

A
Heading Hierarchy
13 headings
PASS
13 headings
Warning::
Multiple H1 headings (4 found)
A page should have only one H1. Multiple H1s dilute the document outline.
  • H1 Healthdirect Free Australian health advice you can count on.
  • H1 Get health information and advice duplicate H1
  • H2 Symptom Checker
  • H3 Get started
  • H2 About Symptom Checker
  • H2 Find a health service
  • H2 Health topics
  • H1 Healthdirect 24hr 7 days a week hotline duplicate H1
  • H1 Government Accredited with over 140 information partners duplicate H1
  • H2 About
  • H2 Discover
  • H2 Resources in your language
  • H2 Support for this browser is being discontinued

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

A
Form Accessibility
1 of 16 controls have issues
PASS
1 of 16 controls have issues
Critical::
1 control(s) without accessible label
Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.
Got: <textarea name="g-recaptcha-response" id="g-recaptcha-response-100000">
Info::
15 control(s) properly labeled
16 controls
15 labeled
0 placeholder only
1 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
#header-search-mobile-modesearchEnter your search termsaria-label
#header-search-desktop-modesearchEnter your search termsaria-label
symptomPatientradionone
symptomPatientradionone
selectedServiceTyperadionone
selectedServiceTyperadionone
selectedServiceTyperadionone
selectedServiceTyperadionone
selectedServiceTyperadionone
selectedServiceTyperadionone
selectedServiceTyperadionone
selectedServiceTyperadionone
#search-location-node-homepage-modesearchEnter a locationaria-label
inputcheckboxnone
#header-search-home-article-topic-searchsearchEnter your search termsaria-label
#g-recaptcha-response-100000textarea(none)none

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

<textarea name="g-recaptcha-response" id="g-recaptcha-response-100000">

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

A
404 Error Page
HTTP 404, custom page
PASS
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
Info::
Search form present on 404 page
404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page
Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title Page not found | healthdirect ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✓
A+
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 100/100 — 0 failing, 28 passed
PASS
100

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.

○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
●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.
●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
●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 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.
●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order
●Document has a main landmark.
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
●ARIA IDs are unique
●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
○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
○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.
○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.
All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.

Send Feedback