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 3 REVIEW 4 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 ✗

Alt Text Quality

8 of 12 images have issues

REVIEW

8 of 12 images have issues

1 image(s) missing alt attribute

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

7 image(s) with generic alt text

1 decorative image(s) correctly marked

3 image(s) with good alt text

12 images 3 good alt text 1 decorative 7 generic 1 missing

Issue	Count
missing	1 image(s)
generic	7 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

Navigation UX

Action

2 navigation pattern(s)

REVIEW

2 navigation pattern(s)

Search functionality detected

Got: role-search

Skip navigation link detected

3 navigation landmark(s) detected

Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)

Breadcrumbs

Search role='search' landmark

Skip Link Skip link detected

Labeled Navigation 3 <nav> element(s)

Hamburger Menu

Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)

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

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 84/100 — 4 failing, 22 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.

ARIA

Assistive technologies, like screen readers, can't interpret ARIA attributes with invalid names. Learn more about valid ARIA attributes.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
STARKVILLE MERIDIAN ONLINE GULF COAST `div.container-fluid > div.row > div.col-auto > ul.nav`

Using ARIA attributes in roles where they are prohibited can mean that important information is not communicated to users of assistive technologies. Learn more about prohibited ARIA roles.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
System messages from Drupal `body.path--node-1 > div.dialog-off-canvas-main-canvas > div#system-messages`

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.

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
body.path--node-1 > img `body.path--node-1 > img`

Including a skip link can help users skip to the main content to save time. Learn more about skip links.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Skip to main menu `body.path--node-1 > nav#skipnav-nav > a.skipnav-link`

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.

○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

●Buttons have an accessible name

●`[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

●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

●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

●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

○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

○Form elements have associated labels

○The document does not use `<meta http-equiv="refresh">`

○`<object>` elements have alternate text

○Select elements have associated label elements.

○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.

A+

Landmark Structure

17 landmarks

PASS

17 landmarks

<main> landmark present

3 <nav> landmark(s) found

All <nav> elements are properly labeled

No banner (header) landmark

Skip navigation link present

Search landmark present

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

A+

Heading Hierarchy

51 headings

PASS

51 headings

Single H1 present

H1 Welcome to Mississippi State University
H2 Welcome To Mississippi State University
H2 Mississippi State University Locations
H2 Discover Our State
H2 Prospective Undergraduates
H2 Prospective Graduate Students
H2 Quick Guide
H3 Our State
H3 Prospective Students
H3 Current Students
H3 Faculty & Staff
H3 Alumni & Giving
H3 Visitors
H2 Our People & State Spotlight
H2 Our People
H2 State Spotlight
H2 What's Happening
H3 Featured
H2 Students break MSU communication awards record at MAB
H2 MSU’s Bhattarai awarded RISE summer internship
H2 Recent News
H3 Recent
H2 MSU CALS, MAFES honor faculty, staff and students for excellence
H2 MSU CVM Dean Frank honored among Purdue alumni
H2 Keever named MSU executive director of high performance computing
H2 MSU earns $3 million NSF award to advance smart agriculture, rural energy innovation
H2 Recent Announcements
H3 Announcements
H2 Provost’s Office accepting nominations for Emeritus status
H2 MSU poet gives ‘A Clear Eye’ reading April 20
H2 Applications for ORED Faculty Leadership Program open until April 30
H2 MSU announces 2026 Image of Research winners
H2 Upcoming Events
H3 Upcoming Events
H2 Dunn-Seiler Museum Earth Day Open House, Awards Ceremony
H3 April 22
H3 Location
H2 Grisham Lecture Series: Kelly Moser
H3 April 23
H3 Location
H2 Waldorf Lecture Series
H3 April 23
H3 Location
H2 Carlton Owen Lecture: Kier Klepzig
H3 April 24
H3 Location
H2 Highlights
H2 Fraternity & Sorority Life
H2 Student Awards and Honors on Merit Pages
H2 Museums and Galleries
H2 Daily News Digest

A+

Form Accessibility

All 1 controls labeled

PASS

All 1 controls labeled

1 control(s) properly labeled

1 controls

1 labeled

0 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#search-terms-mobile	text	Search MSSTATE	for/id

A+

Link & Button Quality

221 links, 5 buttons — all OK

PASS

221 links, 5 buttons — all OK

221 link(s) with descriptive text

221 links

0 empty

0 generic text

0 new tab

0 empty buttons

All links and buttons have descriptive accessible text.

226 links and buttons have descriptive text

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 | Mississippi State University ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✓

A+

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

20 text elements analyzed, 0 fail WCAG AA

PASS

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

20 pass

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h2 Mississippi State Un…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Students break MSU c…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 MSU’s Bhattarai aw…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 MSU CALS, MAFES hono…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 MSU CVM Dean Frank h…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Keever named MSU exe…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 MSU earns $3 million…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Provost’s Office a…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 MSU poet gives ‘A …	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Applications for ORE…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 MSU announces 2026 I…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Dunn-Seiler Museum E…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Grisham Lecture Seri…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Waldorf Lecture Seri…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Carlton Owen Lecture…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Fraternity & Sororit…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Student Awards and H…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Museums and Gallerie…	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h2 Daily News Digest	21.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
h3 Our State	21.00:1	3.0:1	#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.

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