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

favicon.ico present at site root

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 Present

✗ PNG Icons Missing

✗ 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.

Navigation UX

Action

1 navigation pattern(s)

FIX

1 navigation pattern(s)

Back-to-top link detected

2 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 2 <nav> element(s)

Hamburger Menu

Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)

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

Link & Button Quality

2 issue(s) across 164 links and 5 buttons

REVIEW

2 issue(s) across 164 links and 5 buttons

2 link(s) with no accessible text

Links without text are announced as raw URLs by screen readers.

Got: a#content; a#spotlight

2 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: https://www.niu.edu/policies/policy-documents/website-privacy-policy.shtml; https://niuforward.com/

160 link(s) with descriptive text

164 links

2 empty

0 generic text

2 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://www.niu.edu/policies/policy-docu…	learn more about cookies	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.niu.edu/index.shtml	NIU home page	img no alt	Add alt attribute to the image
https://niuforward.com/	FORWARD: The Campaign for NIU	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label

165 links and buttons have descriptive text

Links without text are announced as raw URLs by screen readers.

a#content; a#spotlight

Why this matters

Links with no accessible text (empty <a></a>, image-only no alt, icon-only no aria-label) are unidentifiable to screen readers.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.4

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

https://www.niu.edu/policies/policy-documents/website-privacy-policy.shtml; https://niuforward.com/

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

HTTP 404, custom page

REVIEW

HTTP 404, custom page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Custom styled 404 page

Navigation links present on 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title Page Not Found - NIU - Northern Illinois University ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 17 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

3 pass 17 fail WCAG AA

h1 Your Future. Our Focus.

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

32px · bottom of viewport

h2 Huskie Spotlight

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Upcoming Events

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Legacies on Display: The Forbidden and V…

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Sixty Years of Printmaking at NIU: A Leg…

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Food Truck Wednesdays

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Wing Wednesday at the Grill at Huskie De…

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 AI Network Meeting

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Upcoming Events

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 News from NIU

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h3 Meet More Huskies

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

19px · bottom of viewport

title Northern Illinois University | Your Futu…

3.57:1

#000000

#C8102E

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

span This website uses cookies to ensure you …

3.57:1

#000000

#C8102E

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Learn more

3.57:1

#000000

#C8102E

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Got it

3.57:1

#000000

#C8102E

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Directory

2.03:1

#000000

#404040

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Libraries

2.51:1

#000000

#922335

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

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

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)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 Your Future. Our Foc…	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 Huskie Spotlight	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 Upcoming Events	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 Legacies on Display:…	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 Sixty Years of Print…	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 Food Truck Wednesday…	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 Wing Wednesday at th…	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 AI Network Meeting	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 Upcoming Events	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 News from NIU	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h3 Meet More Huskies	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
title Northern Illinois Un…	3.57:1	4.5:1	#000000	#C8102E	Fail
span This website uses co…	3.57:1	4.5:1	#000000	#C8102E	Fail
a Learn more	3.57:1	4.5:1	#000000	#C8102E	Fail
a Got it	3.57:1	4.5:1	#000000	#C8102E	Fail
a NIU.edu	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a A-Z Index	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Calendar	21.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFFFFF	Pass
a Directory	2.03:1	4.5:1	#000000	#404040	Fail
a Libraries	2.51:1	4.5:1	#000000	#922335	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.

Landmark Structure

9 landmarks

PASS

9 landmarks

<main> landmark present

2 <nav> landmark(s) found

All <nav> elements are properly labeled

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

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

A+

Heading Hierarchy

15 headings

PASS

15 headings

Single H1 present

H1 Your Future. Our Focus.
H2 Apply Now
H2 Schedule a Visit
H2 Request More Info
H2 Advance Your Career with NIU Online Programs
H2 Huskie Spotlight Hear from our Huskies in their own words
H3 Meet More Huskies
H2 Upcoming Events
H2 Legacies on Display: The Forbidden and Venerated Arts of Burma
H2 Sixty Years of Printmaking at NIU: A Legacy of Excellence - NIU Art Museum Galleries
H2 Food Truck Wednesdays
H2 Wing Wednesday at the Grill at Huskie Den
H2 AI Network Meeting
H2 Upcoming Events
H2 News from NIU

A+

Alt Text Quality

All 18 images OK

PASS

All 18 images OK

8 decorative image(s) correctly marked

10 image(s) with good alt text

18 images 10 good alt text 8 decorative

All images have appropriate alt text.

A+

Form Accessibility

All 3 controls labeled

PASS

All 3 controls labeled

3 control(s) properly labeled

3 controls

3 labeled

0 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#searchNIU2	text	Search NIU	for/id
#searchNIUTablet	text	Search NIU	for/id
#searchNIUmobile	text	Search NIU	for/id

A+

Print Stylesheet

Print styles detected

PASS

Print styles detected

External print stylesheet detected

Got: /masterto/themes/Theme_4_0/css/print.css

Print Stylesheet ✓ Print Optimized

Print stylesheet /masterto/themes/Theme_4_0/css/print.css ✓Inline @media print Not detected ✗

A+

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 100/100 — 1 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.

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
Got it `body > div.cc-window > div.cc-compliance > a.cc-btn`

○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.

●`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names

●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

●`<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

○`[accesskey]` values are unique

○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

○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.

○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.