Accessibility

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

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

4 PASS 7 REVIEW 2 FIX

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: #e4042c

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 ✗

Heading Hierarchy

Action

88 headings, 2 skip(s)

REVIEW

88 headings, 2 skip(s)

Multiple H1 headings (2 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: H2 → H4 (missing H3)

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

H1 Cookies on le.ac.uk
H3 Study skipped
H3 Undergraduates
H2 Open Days
H3 Postgraduates
H2 Apply to study at the University of Leicester
H3 Research degrees
H2 How to apply
H3 Distance learners
H2 Learn at Leicester remotely
H3 Information for
H2 Open Days
H2 Open Days
H3 International
H3 Find your country/region
H2 Apply to study at the University of Leicester
H3 Scholarships
H2 Apply to study at the University of Leicester
H3 English language requirements
H2 Apply to study at the University of Leicester
H3 Advice for international students
H2 Apply to study at the University of Leicester
H3 Centre for International Training and Education
H2 Apply to study at the University of Leicester
H3 Enquire now
H2 Apply to study at the University of Leicester
H2 Apply to study at the University of Leicester
H3 Research
H3 Research themes
H2 Top 30 in the UK for our research
H3 Research institutes
H2 Top 30 in the UK for our research
H3 Study with us
H2 Top 30 in the UK for our research
H3 Explore our research
H2 Top 30 in the UK for our research
H2 Top 30 in the UK for our research
H3 Services for Business
H3 Our expertise
H2 In the news
H3 Commercialisation
H2 In the news
H3 Services for business
H2 In the news
H2 In the news
H3 Alumni
H3 Stay connected
H2 In the news
H3 Get involved
H2 In the news
H3 Join us
H2 In the news
H2 In the news
H3 About
H3 About the University
H2 In the news
H3 Our governance
H2 In the news
H3 Equity, diversity and inclusion
H2 In the news
H2 In the news
H2 Clearing is now open
H2 Summer Open Day
H2 100 hours. Built in.
H1 A Leading UK University duplicate H1
H2 Find your perfect course
H2 Discover our University
H3 Apply for an undergraduate course
H3 Apply for a postgraduate course
H3 Discover our accommodation
H3 100 hours. Built in.
H2 We change lives, we are Citizens of Change
H3 Gold Award
H3 Top 30 in the UK
H3 25th in the UK
H3 Top 15 in the UK
H2 Study
H2 Research
H2 Chat to our students
H2 In the news
H4 University of Leicester deepens Smithsonian Institution partnership skipped
H4 World-leading consciousness scientist to deliver Sluckin Lecture 2026
H4 Focusing on hospital death rates may be costing patients their lives, new study suggests
H4 University of Leicester goes stateside to launch global philanthropic campaign as part of UK Government-backed mission
H4 Space Worms! UK scientists launch microscopic crew into orbit to support future Moon missions
H2 Site visitors
H2 Staff and students
H2 Find us

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

2 issue(s) across 315 links and 50 buttons

REVIEW

2 issue(s) across 315 links and 50 buttons

2 link(s) with generic text

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

Got: /open-days ("Learn more"); /study/undergraduates/careers/100-hours ("Learn more")

3 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: https://citizen.le.ac.uk/blogs/hot-topics/; https://citizen.le.ac.uk/podcasts/; https://citizen.le.ac.uk/documentaries/

310 link(s) with descriptive text

315 links

0 empty

2 generic text

3 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://citizen.le.ac.uk/blogs/hot-topic…	Blogs …	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://citizen.le.ac.uk/podcasts/	Podcasts …	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://citizen.le.ac.uk/documentaries/	Films …	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
/open-days	Learn more	generic text	Replace with descriptive text
Before: Learn more Suggested: Open Days
/study/undergraduates/careers/100-hours	Learn more	generic text	Replace with descriptive text
Before: Learn more Suggested: 100 Hours

360 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

/open-days ("Learn more"); /study/undergraduates/careers/100-hours ("Learn 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.

https://citizen.le.ac.uk/blogs/hot-topics/; https://citizen.le.ac.uk/podcasts/; https://citizen.le.ac.uk/documentaries/

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

Action

HTTP 404, custom page

REVIEW

HTTP 404, custom page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Custom styled 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title PAGE_TITLE | University of Leicester ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗

Favicon & Branding

Action

7 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

7 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

Apple touch icon present

Multiple icon sizes detected

✗ favicon.ico Missing

✓ PNG Icons Present

✓ Apple Touch Present

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✓ Manifest Icons Present

✓ Multiple Sizes Present

Web Manifest

Action

Valid manifest

REVIEW

Valid manifest

Name present: University of Leicester

192x192 icon present

512x512 icon present

PWA Install Criteria Not Installable

Name University of Leicester ✓192×192 icon ✓512×512 icon ✓Start URL ✗Display Mode ✗

Name University of Leicester Theme Color #e4042c Background Color #e4042c Icons 2 icon(s)

Navigation UX

Action

3 navigation pattern(s)

REVIEW

3 navigation pattern(s)

Search functionality detected

Got: role-search

Skip navigation link detected

Back-to-top link detected

1 navigation landmark(s) detected

Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)

Breadcrumbs

Search role='search' landmark

Skip Link Skip link detected

Labeled Navigation 1 <nav> element(s)

Hamburger Menu

Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)

5 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Strong navigation UX with multiple discovery paths.

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 Cookies on le.ac.uk

2.09:1

#000000

#89021A

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

32px · top of page (header area)

h1 A Leading UK University

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

32px · bottom of viewport

h2 Open Days

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Apply to study at the University of Leic…

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 How to apply

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Learn at Leicester remotely

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Open Days

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Open Days

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Apply to study at the University of Leic…

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Apply to study at the University of Leic…

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Apply to study at the University of Leic…

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Apply to study at the University of Leic…

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Apply to study at the University of Leic…

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Apply to study at the University of Leic…

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Apply to study at the University of Leic…

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Top 30 in the UK for our research

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Top 30 in the UK for our research

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Top 30 in the UK for our research

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Top 30 in the UK for our research

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Top 30 in the UK for our research

1.66:1

#000000

#333333

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 Cookies on le.ac.uk	2.09:1	3.0:1	#000000	#89021A	Fail
h1 A Leading UK Univers…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Open Days	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Apply to study at th…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 How to apply	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Learn at Leicester r…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Open Days	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Open Days	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Apply to study at th…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Apply to study at th…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Apply to study at th…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Apply to study at th…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Apply to study at th…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Apply to study at th…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Apply to study at th…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Top 30 in the UK for…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Top 30 in the UK for…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Top 30 in the UK for…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Top 30 in the UK for…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	Fail
h2 Top 30 in the UK for…	1.66:1	3.0:1	#000000	#333333	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+

Landmark Structure

10 landmarks

PASS

10 landmarks

<main> landmark present

1 <nav> landmark(s) found

Skip navigation link present

Search landmark present

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

A+

Alt Text Quality

All 27 images OK

PASS

All 27 images OK

3 decorative image(s) correctly marked

24 image(s) with good alt text

27 images 24 good alt text 3 decorative

All images have appropriate alt text.

A+

Form Accessibility

All 5 controls labeled

PASS

All 5 controls labeled

5 control(s) properly labeled

5 controls

5 labeled

0 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#site-search--header	search	Enter search query	for/id
#site-search-select--filter	select	Search filter by	for/id
#site-search--course	search	Search for a course	for/id
#site-search-select	select	Select a course level	for/id
#search-box__submit	submit	Search site	aria-label

A+

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 99/100 — 1 failing, 29 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.

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
University of Leicester deepens Smithsonian Institution partnership `div.featured-posts__col > a.post-item > div.post-item__text > h4.post-item__title`

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]` 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

●Input buttons have discernible text.

●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.

●Select elements have associated label elements.

●`[accesskey]` values are unique

●ARIA attributes are used as specified for the element's role

●Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` have accessible names.

●`[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

●`<frame>` or `<iframe>` elements have a title

●`<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

●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

○`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements 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

○`<html>` element has an `[xml:lang]` attribute with the same base language as the `[lang]` attribute.

○`<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

○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.

○Identical links have the same purpose.

○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.