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 1 REVIEW 6 FIX

Link & Button Quality

Action

7 issue(s) across 100 links and 8 buttons

FIX

7 issue(s) across 100 links and 8 buttons

6 link(s) with no accessible text

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

Got: #; #; #; #; #; #

1 link(s) with generic text

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

Got: https://github.com/PLOS/plos-thesaurus/blob/master/README.md ("here")

5 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone; https://bsky.app/profile/plosone.org; https://www.facebook.com/plos.org; https://plos.org/privacy-policy; https://plos.org/cookies-policy

88 link(s) with descriptive text

100 links

6 empty

1 generic text

5 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://github.com/PLOS/plos-thesaurus/b…	here	generic text	Replace with descriptive text
Before: here Suggested: Readme.Md
#	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
#	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
#	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
#	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
#	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
#	(empty)	empty	Add link text or aria-label
https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone	Submit Your Manuscript	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://bsky.app/profile/plosone.org	PLOS One on Bluesky	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://www.facebook.com/plos.org	PLOS on Facebook	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://plos.org/privacy-policy	Privacy Policy	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://plos.org/cookies-policy	For more information about the…	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text

96 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

#; #; #; #; #; #

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

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

https://github.com/PLOS/plos-thesaurus/blob/master/README.md ("here")

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://www.editorialmanager.com/pone; https://bsky.app/profile/plosone.org; https://www.facebook.com/plos.org; https://plos.org/privacy-policy; https://plos.org/cookies-policy

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

Soft 404 detected

FIX

Soft 404 detected

Soft 404: server returns HTTP 200 for non-existent pages

The server returns HTTP 200 for a path that does not exist. Search engines will index these pages, diluting your real content. Configure your server to return a proper 404 status code for missing pages.

Got: Status: 200 for /beavercheck-404-test-a2siqi

404 Page Quality ✗ Soft 404 (HTTP 200)

Status Code: HTTP 200

The server returned HTTP 200 for a non-existent path. Search engines will index this page as real content. Configure your server to return HTTP 404 for missing pages.

Favicon & Branding

Action

2 icon(s) detected

FIX

2 icon(s) detected

favicon.ico present at site root

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 Present

✓ PNG Icons Present

✗ Apple Touch Missing

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✗ Manifest Icons Missing

✗ Multiple Sizes Missing

Web Manifest

Action

Invalid JSON

FIX

Invalid JSON

Manifest contains invalid JSON

Manifest at https://plosone.org/manifest.json contains invalid JSON. Browsers cannot parse it.

Got: https://plosone.org/manifest.json

Manifest contains invalid JSON.

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.

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 13 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

7 pass 13 fail WCAG AA 2 pass AA only

title PLOS One

1.64:1

#000000

#323232

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Skip to main content

1.64:1

#000000

#323232

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

div Advertisement

1.64:1

#000000

#323232

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a plos.org

2.29:1

#000000

#801A6D

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Create account

4.04:1

#000000

#8A5F82

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

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

span About

1.64:1

#000000

#323232

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

button Browse

1.36:1

#000000

#25232E

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

span Search

1.36:1

#000000

#252330

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a advanced search

1.37:1

#000000

#262331

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Browse Topics

1.37:1

#000000

#262331

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

div Browse Subject Areas

1.37:1

#000000

#262331

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

p Click through the PLOS taxonomy to find …

1.37:1

#000000

#272331

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · mid-page

p For more information about PLOS Subject …

1.37:1

#000000

#262331

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · mid-page

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
h2 Get new content from…	7.37:1	3.0:1	#000000	#999999	Pass
h3 Publish with PLOS	7.37:1	3.0:1	#000000	#999999	Pass
h3 Connect with Us	7.37:1	3.0:1	#000000	#999999	Pass
h3 Cookie Preference Ce…	7.37:1	3.0:1	#000000	#999999	Pass
h3 Customize Your Cooki…	7.37:1	3.0:1	#000000	#999999	Pass
title PLOS One	1.64:1	4.5:1	#000000	#323232	Fail
a Skip to main content	1.64:1	4.5:1	#000000	#323232	Fail
div Advertisement	1.64:1	4.5:1	#000000	#323232	Fail
a plos.org	2.29:1	4.5:1	#000000	#801A6D	Fail
a Create account	4.04:1	4.5:1	#000000	#8A5F82	Fail
a Sign in	6.66:1	4.5:1	#000000	#919191	Pass
span Publish	6.66:1	4.5:1	#000000	#919191	Pass
span About	1.64:1	4.5:1	#000000	#323232	Fail
button Browse	1.36:1	4.5:1	#000000	#25232E	Fail
span Search	1.36:1	4.5:1	#000000	#252330	Fail
a advanced search	1.37:1	4.5:1	#000000	#262331	Fail
a Browse Topics	1.37:1	4.5:1	#000000	#262331	Fail
div Browse Subject Areas	1.37:1	4.5:1	#000000	#262331	Fail
p Click through the PL…	1.37:1	4.5:1	#000000	#272331	Fail
p For more information…	1.37:1	4.5:1	#000000	#262331	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

4 landmarks

PASS

4 landmarks

<main> landmark present

1 <nav> landmark(s) found

Skip navigation link present

Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it

A+

Heading Hierarchy

21 headings

PASS

21 headings

Single H1 present

H1 We believe in a better future where science is open to all, for all.
H2 Utilizing large language models to construct a dataset of Württemberg’s 19th-century fauna from historical records
H2 The effect of game-based education on adherence to treatment and anxiety level in type 2 diabetics started on insulin therapy
H2 Habitat use of Bechstein´s bats (Myotis bechsteinii) in wind parks in forests
H2 On the ability of proglacial lake diatoms to reconstruct Antarctic past ozone changes
H2 Editorial Spotlight: Manuel Herrador-Muñoz
H2 Rare Disease Day 2026: Diverse community, common challenges
H2 Experiences of Women in Science in 2026
H2 Aeroponic cultivation of lettuce
H2 Postgraduate views on AI in Research
H2 Addressing Sexual Harassment at University
H2 Insights from cancer patient journey mapping
H3 Collections
H3 Collections
H3 Conferences 2026
H3 Conferences 2026
H3 Publish with PLOS
H3 Connect with Us
H2 Get new content from PLOS One in your inbox
H3 Cookie Preference Center
H3 Customize Your Cookie Preference

A+

Alt Text Quality

All 14 images OK

PASS

All 14 images OK

14 image(s) with good alt text

14 images 14 good alt text

All images have appropriate alt text.

A+

Form Accessibility

All 4 controls labeled

PASS

All 4 controls labeled

4 control(s) properly labeled

4 controls

4 labeled

0 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#search	text	Search	aria-label
#switch0	checkbox	OnOff	for/id
#switch1	checkbox	OnOff	for/id
#switch2	checkbox	OnOff	for/id

A+

Print Stylesheet

Print styles detected

PASS

Print styles detected

External print stylesheet detected

Got: /resource/css/print.css

Print Stylesheet ✓ Print Optimized

Print stylesheet /resource/css/print.css ✓Inline @media print Not detected ✗

A+

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 100/100 — 0 failing, 26 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.

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

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

●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 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

●Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.

○`[accesskey]` values are unique

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

○`[aria-hidden="true"]` elements do not contain focusable descendents

○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

○Links are distinguishable without relying on color.

○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.