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https://politico.com

Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
63
GRADE
D
FIX
4
REVIEW
4
PASS
5
INFO
0
Checks
13
5 PASS 4 REVIEW 4 FIX
F
Favicon & Branding
Action
1 icon(s) detected
FIX
1 icon(s) detected
Info::
favicon.ico present at site root
Info::
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
F
Web Manifest
Action
Valid manifest
FIX
Valid manifest
Info::
Name present: POLITICO
Warning::
No 192x192 icon
A 192px icon is required for PWA installation.
PWA Install Criteria Not Installable
Name POLITICO ✓192×192 icon ✗512×512 icon ✗Start URL ✗Display Mode ✗
Name POLITICO
D
Print Stylesheet
Action
No print styles
FIX
No print styles
Info::
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 ✗
F
Navigation UX
Action
No navigation patterns
FIX
No navigation patterns
Info::
No breadcrumbs, search, or skip link detected
These navigation aids help users orient themselves and find content efficiently, especially on large sites.
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link
Labeled Navigation
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
0 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Limited navigation support. Consider adding breadcrumbs, search, and skip link.
B
Landmark Structure
2 landmarks
REVIEW
2 landmarks
Info::
<main> landmark present
Warning::
No <nav> landmark found
Info::
No banner (header) landmark
Warning::
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
BANNER (missing!) MAIN CONTENTINFO footer

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

B
404 Error Page
HTTP 404, custom page
REVIEW
HTTP 404, custom page
Info::
Correct 404 status code returned
Got: HTTP 404
Info::
Custom styled 404 page
Info::
Navigation links present on 404 page
Info::
Search form present on 404 page
404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page
Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title Close ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✓
B
Dark Mode Support
Dark mode detected
REVIEW
Dark mode detected
Info::
prefers-color-scheme CSS detected in inline styles
Info::
Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles
External CSS files may contain prefers-color-scheme rules not visible to this scan.
Dark Mode✓ Dark Mode Supported
color-scheme meta Not set ✗Dark theme-color Not set ✗CSS indicators Detected ✓

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles.

C
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Action
Score 74/100 — 9 failing, 22 passed
REVIEW
74

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

Focusable descendents within an `[aria-hidden="true"]` element prevent those interactive elements from being available to users of assistive technologies like screen readers. Learn how `aria-hidden` affects focusable elements.

Why this matters

Informational: a Permissions-Policy directive showing feature -> allowed origins.

Source: MDN Permissions-Policy

Failing Elements
Advertisement ol.media-item-list > li#quick-pops-sponsored > div#native11-wrap > div#native11_rlWr
Advertisement div.container__column > div.container__slot > div#native12-wrap > div#native12_rlWr

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
Advertisement body#templateCoreHomepage > div.page-wrapper > div.bgc--transparent > div#banner-wrap
Advertisement div.container__row > div.container__column > div.container__slot > div#mrec5-wrap
Advertisement div.module > ol.media-item-list > li#quick-pops-sponsored > div#native11-wrap
Advertisement div.container__row > div.container__column > div.container__slot > div#native12-wrap
Advertisement div.container__column > div.container__row > div.container__slot > div#mrec4-wrap
Advertisement div.container__column > div.container__row > div.container__slot > div#mrec6-wrap

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.

Contrast

Low-contrast text is difficult or impossible for many users to read. Learn how to provide sufficient color contrast.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
BY POLITICO MAGAZINE div.media-item__summary > div.meta > div.meta__details > p.authors
POLITICO MAGAZINE div.meta__details > p.authors > span.vcard > span

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

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
div.headline > div.subscribe > a > img div.headline > div.subscribe > a > img
div.headline > div.subscribe > a > img div.headline > div.subscribe > a > img
div#anchor > div#div_utif_anchor > div.oneTag > img div#anchor > div#div_utif_anchor > div.oneTag > img

Screen reader users rely on frame titles to describe the contents of frames. Learn more about frame titles.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div.podcast-today > div.headline > div.podcast-embed-crop > iframe div.podcast-today > div.headline > div.podcast-embed-crop > iframe

Link text (and alternate text for images, when used as links) that is discernible, unique, and focusable improves the navigation experience for screen reader users. Learn how to make links accessible.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div.podcast-today > div.headline > div.subscribe > a
div.podcast-today > div.headline > div.subscribe > a div.podcast-today > div.headline > div.subscribe > a

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.

Navigation

A value greater than 0 implies an explicit navigation ordering. Although technically valid, this often creates frustrating experiences for users who rely on assistive technologies. Learn more about the `tabindex` attribute.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT body#templateCoreHomepage > div.skip-nav > div.skip-nav__action > div.skip-nav__link
div.page-header > header#js-top-header > div.header__branding > a div.page-header > header#js-top-header > div.header__branding > a
Master menu div.page-header > header#js-top-header > div.header__left > button.hamburger

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
April 21, 2026 div.container__slot > div.podcast-today > div.headline > h5

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

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
FORUM The Clock Is Ticking to Secure the Midterms — Here’s What the Experts Sa… div.slider__container > div#swiper-wrapper-eabc84e33c6d8143 > div.slider__slide > a.slider__card
Here’s how different US tariff revenue was in 2025 section.media-item > div.media-item__summary > h3.headline > a.js-tealium-tracking
How a major DOE report hides the whole truth on climate change section.media-item > div.media-item__summary > h3.headline > a.js-tealium-tracking
CONGRESS div.content-heading > div.content-heading__group > h2.heading > a.js-tealium-tracking
WHITE HOUSE div.content-heading > div.content-heading__group > h2.heading > a.js-tealium-tracking
LEGAL div.content-heading > div.content-heading__group > h2.heading > a.js-tealium-tracking
ELECTIONS div.content-heading > div.content-heading__group > h2.heading > a.js-tealium-tracking
FOREIGN AFFAIRS div.content-heading > div.content-heading__group > h2.heading > a.js-tealium-tracking
EARLIER div.content-heading > div.content-heading__group > h2.heading > a.js-tealium-tracking
○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
●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
●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.
●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.
●Document has a main landmark.
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
●Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements
●Identical links have the same purpose.
○`[accesskey]` values are unique
○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
○`<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.
○Image elements do not have `[alt]` attributes that are redundant text.
○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+
Heading Hierarchy
3 headings
PASS
3 headings
Info::
Single H1 present
  • H1 www.politico.com
  • H2 Performing security verification
  • H2 Verification successful. Waiting for www.politico.com to respond
A+
Alt Text Quality
No images
PASS
No images
Info::
No images on this page
No images on this page.
A+
Form Accessibility
No form controls
PASS
No form controls
Info::
No form controls on this page
No form controls found.
A+
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
10 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.

10 pass
Show all checked elements (10)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h1 www.politico.com21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Performing security …21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h2 Verification success…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
title Just a moment...21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
p This website uses a …18.76:14.5:1
#000000
#F2F2F2
Pass
div Ray ID:21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
code 9efeb2bd9a0d34b721.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
span Performance and Secu…21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Cloudflare21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Privacy21.00:14.5:1
#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.

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

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