Accessibility

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

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

8 PASS 2 REVIEW 3 FIX

404 Error Page

Action

HTTP 404, custom page

FIX

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 404 ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗

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: #e0112b

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.

Favicon & Branding

Action

6 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

6 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

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 4 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

16 pass 4 fail WCAG AA 3 pass AA only

a Current students

3.16:1

#000000

#605C56

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Staff

3.25:1

#000000

#605E5C

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Alumni & friends

1.97:1

#000000

#413E3A

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

button Study

2.58:1

#000000

#514F4D

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 The London School of…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 LSE among world's be…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 How Brexit remade Br…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Why are we having fe…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 LSE student named a …	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 LSE Summer School ap…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Celebrating LSE's 13…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Discover more	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 Study	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 Research	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 Student life	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 More	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
title The London School of…	5.24:1	4.5:1	#000000	#7F7F7F	Pass
a Skip to main content	5.24:1	4.5:1	#000000	#7F7F7F	Pass
a Current students	3.16:1	4.5:1	#000000	#605C56	Fail
a Staff	3.25:1	4.5:1	#000000	#605E5C	Fail
a Alumni & friends	1.97:1	4.5:1	#000000	#413E3A	Fail
button Study	2.58:1	4.5:1	#000000	#514F4D	Fail
a Study at LSE	6.68:1	4.5:1	#000000	#929191	Pass
a Undergraduate study	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	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.

Landmark Structure

18 landmarks

PASS

18 landmarks

<main> landmark present

15 <nav> landmark(s) found

10 of 15 <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

A+

Heading Hierarchy

63 headings

PASS

63 headings

Single H1 present

H1 The London School of Economics and Political Science
H2 LSE among world's best in subject rankings
H2 How Brexit remade Britain’s political identities
H2 Why are we having fewer children?
H2 LSE student named a TIME Woman of the Year
H2 LSE Summer School applications are open
H2 Celebrating LSE's 130th anniversary
H2 Study at LSE
H3 Undergraduate
H3 Graduate
H3 Global and Online Degrees
H3 Executive Education
H3 Executive Master's Degrees
H3 Study abroad
H2 Latest news
H2 Upcoming events
H2 LSE research impact
H3 Future Proof | Sustainable responses to global challenges
H3 How can we be more resilient?
H3 Why wildfires are becoming impossible to control | LSE Future Proof
H3 How Gulf cities could be rebuilt with people in mind | LSE Future Proof
H3 Who benefits from the privatisation of health and social care?
H3 The power and constraints on international law in a political world
H3 Why are we having fewer children? | Award-winning LSE iQ podcast
H3 China's one-child policy created a generation that prefers smaller families
H3 Tackling school bullying: insights from Mexico
H3 Teaching about colonialism in the classroom
H3 LSE launches £10m Huth Initiative to shape global economic thinking
H3 LSE and SMU Launch New Institutional Partnership and Joint Research Fund
H3 How many steps can you do to save the NHS billions - it’s fewer than you think
H3 LSE Blogs
H3 What's next for quantum computing?
H3 Living in London: How can we make our communities greener?
H3 Are jobs getting better? | Award-winning LSE iQ podcast
H3 Stem cells: the future of science explained
H3 LSE iQ Podcast
H3 LSE Research for the World magazine
H3 LSE Press
H3 Will AI free us from work?
H3 Minister for Science, Innovation, and Research visits LSE
H3 Five global challenges at LSE
H2 Student life
H3 LSE alumna honoured as TIME Woman of the Year
H3 LSE student named a TIME woman of the year
H3 LSE Generate secures leading spot as the UK’s top university start-up hub in 2026 rankings
H3 Language Centre
H3 Recent LSE graduate selected for prestigious fellowship
H3 LSE’s widening participation Pathways programmes are “genuinely life-changing” say participants
H3 LSE named as top university in the UK
H3 Guardian University Guide 2026 ranks LSE top in London
H2 Subscribe to LSE Research for the World
H2 Discover more
H3 LSE at a glance
H3 Virtual Graduate Open Events at LSE
H3 Social networks and ideological polarisation: a Q&A with Nilmini Herath
H3 Sustainability at LSE
H3 Meet, visit and discover LSE
H3 Welcome to LSE: Our official campus tour video
H2 Connect with LSE
H3 Study
H3 Research
H3 Student life
H3 More

A+

Alt Text Quality

All 52 images OK

PASS

All 52 images OK

1 image(s) with alt text over 125 characters

51 image(s) with good alt text

52 images 51 good alt text

Issue	Count
too long	1 image(s)

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
#header-search	search	What are you looking for?	for/id
#hero-searchbar	search	Find an LSE programme or course	for/id

Link & Button Quality

271 links, 26 buttons — all OK

PASS

271 links, 26 buttons — all OK

2 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: https://www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/Graduate/Prospective-students/How-to-Apply; https://lse.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a3604ef19e71c8d514f310d18&id=6d4…

269 link(s) with descriptive text

271 links

0 empty

0 generic text

2 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/Gradu…	How to apply to postgraduate p…	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://lse.us10.list-manage.com/subscri…	Subscribe	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text

295 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

https://www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/Graduate/Prospective-students/How-to-Apply; https://lse.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a3604ef19e71c8d514f310d18&id=6d4…

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

A+

Web Manifest

PWA-ready

PASS

PWA-ready

Meets PWA install criteria

Name present: LSE

192x192 icon present

512x512 icon present

Display mode: minimal-ui

PWA Install Criteria ✓ Installable

Name LSE ✓192×192 icon ✓512×512 icon ✓Start URL / ✓Display Mode minimal-ui ✓

Name LSE Display Mode minimal-ui Theme Color #ffffff Background Color #ffffff Icons 2 icon(s)

A+

Print Stylesheet

Print styles detected

PASS

Print styles detected

External print stylesheet detected

Got: /_mClaLQ_ecc5b3e5-e43c-4685-b93a-3ff09749c378/static/print.css

Print Stylesheet ✓ Print Optimized

Print stylesheet /_mClaLQ_ecc5b3e5-e43c-4685-b93a-3ff09749c378/static/print.css ✓Inline @media print Not detected ✗

A+

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 100/100 — 1 failing, 29 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.

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
Privacy Policy `div#onetrust-group-container > div#onetrust-policy > div#onetrust-policy-text > a.ot-cookie-policy-link`

○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

●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 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

●Skip links are focusable.

●Document has a main landmark.

●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used

○`[accesskey]` values are unique

○`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 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.

○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.

○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.