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Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
74
GRADE
C
FIX
2
REVIEW
5
PASS
6
INFO
0
Checks
13
6 PASS 5 REVIEW 2 FIX
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::
1 navigation landmark(s) detected
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 1 <nav> element(s)
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
1 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Limited navigation support. Consider adding breadcrumbs, search, and skip link.
C
Landmark Structure
Action
5 landmarks
REVIEW
5 landmarks
Critical::
No <main> landmark found
Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.
Info::
1 <nav> landmark(s) found
Info::
No contentinfo (footer) 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 header NAV "Main navigation" MAIN (missing!) CONTENTINFO (missing!)

Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.

Why this matters

Without a <main> landmark, screen-reader users can't skip past the navigation to the page content — every page starts with re-reading the menu.

Learn more ▾

The <main> element marks the page's primary content area. Assistive tech offers a 'jump to main' shortcut — but only if <main> exists. Without it, every page navigation forces re-reading the header. Wrap your primary content in a single <main>.

Source: WAI-ARIA / WCAG 2.4.1

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
Heading Hierarchy
2 headings
REVIEW
2 headings
Critical::
No H1 heading found
Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.
  • H3 The app for independent voices
  • H4 Cookie Policy

Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.

Why this matters

No H1 means screen-reader users can't identify the page's primary topic, and Google's content-extraction degrades.

Learn more ▾

The H1 is the document title for assistive tech and a strong signal to search engines about page topic. Pages without one force screen readers to fall back to the <title> attribute or page chrome. Add a single H1 that names the page's primary subject.

Source: WCAG 2.4.6 / Google Search Central

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::
Homepage link present on 404 page
404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page
Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title Discover Substack Newsletters ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✗
B
Dark Mode Support
Dark mode detected
REVIEW
Dark mode detected
Info::
Dark-specific theme-color detected
A theme-color with media='(prefers-color-scheme: dark)' adapts the browser toolbar for dark mode.
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 #ffffff ✓CSS indicators Detected ✓

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles.

C
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Action
Score 74/100 — 8 failing, 18 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

When an element doesn't have an accessible name, screen readers announce it with a generic name, making it unusable for users who rely on screen readers. Learn how to make command elements more accessible.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div.reader-nav-root > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > a.pencraft div.reader-nav-root > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > a.pencraft
div.reader-nav-root > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > a.pencraft div.reader-nav-root > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > a.pencraft
div.reader-nav-root > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > a.pencraft div.reader-nav-root > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > a.pencraft

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

When a button doesn't have an accessible name, screen readers announce it as "button", making it unusable for users who rely on screen readers. Learn how to make buttons more accessible.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
div#entry > div.reader-nav-root > div.app-banner > button.reader2-button-reset div#entry > div.reader-nav-root > div.app-banner > button.reader2-button-reset

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.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > a.pencraft div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > a.pencraft

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.

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
Get the app div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
Get the app div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
For you div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
2h div.pencraft > span.pencraft > a.pencraft > span.pencraft
Subscribe div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
Mar 27 div.pencraft > span.pencraft > a.pencraft > span.pencraft
Subscribe div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
Mar 29 div.pencraft > span.pencraft > a.pencraft > span.pencraft
Subscribe div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
You always own your intellectual property, mailing list, and subscriber payment… div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > p.pencraft
Get started div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
39m div.pencraft > span.pencraft > a.pencraft > span.pencraft
Subscribe div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
19h div.pencraft > span.pencraft > a.pencraft > span.pencraft
Subscribe div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
See more div.pencraft > div.pencraft > span.pencraft > a.pencraft
nbcnews.com div.pencraft > a.pencraft > div.pencraft > p.pencraft
Live Nation has vehemently denied acting as a monopoly. In a statement on Wedne… div.pencraft > a.pencraft > div.pencraft > p.pencraft
Join the most interesting and insightful discussions. div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > p.pencraft
Get started div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
2h div.pencraft > span.pencraft > a.pencraft > span.pencraft
Subscribe div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
See more div.pencraft > div.pencraft > span.pencraft > a.pencraft
Get app div.reader-nav-root > div.app-banner > a.app-banner-cta > div.pencraft
privacy policy div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > a.pencraft

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

Navigation

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
The app for independent voices div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > h4.pencraft

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

Best practices

Disabling zooming is problematic for users with low vision who rely on screen magnification to properly see the contents of a web page. Learn more about the viewport meta tag.

Why this matters

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

Source: MDN Permissions-Policy

Failing Elements
head > meta head > meta

One main landmark helps screen reader users navigate a web page. Learn more about landmarks.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
html html

These items highlight common accessibility best practices.

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
14 div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
1 div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
22.6K div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
1.2K div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
568 div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
9.8K div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
83 div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
1.5K div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
1.4K div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
157 div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
353 div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
136 div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
2 div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
10 div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
6 div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
2 div.pencraft > div.pencraft > div.pencraft > button.pencraft
○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
●Image elements have `[alt]` attributes
●ARIA attributes are used as specified for the element's role
●Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes
●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>`).
●No element has a `[tabindex]` value greater than 0
●Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing.
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
●Identical links have the same purpose.
○`[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
○Form elements have associated labels
○List items (`<li>`) are contained within `<ul>`, `<ol>` or `<menu>` parent elements
○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.
○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+
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
Favicon & Branding
10 icon(s) detected
PASS
10 icon(s) detected
Info::
favicon.ico present at site root
Info::
HTML icon links detected
Info::
Apple touch icon present
Info::
SVG favicon detected — scales perfectly to any size
Info::
Multiple icon sizes detected
✓ favicon.ico Present
✓ PNG Icons Present
✓ Apple Touch Present
✓ SVG Favicon Present
✓ Manifest Icons Present
✓ Multiple Sizes Present
A+
Web Manifest
PWA-ready
PASS
PWA-ready
Info::
Meets PWA install criteria
Info::
Name present: Substack
Info::
192x192 icon present
Info::
512x512 icon present
Info::
Display mode: standalone
PWA Install Criteria ✓ Installable
Name Substack ✓192×192 icon ✓512×512 icon ✓Start URL / ✓Display Mode standalone ✓
Name Substack Display Mode standalone Theme Color #ffffff Background Color #ffffff Icons 6 icon(s)
A+
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
14 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.

14 pass
Show all checked elements (14)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h3 The app for independ…21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
title Substack21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button Sign in21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button Create account21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button Get started21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button Learn more21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button For you21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button Get app21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
h4 Cookie Policy21.00:13.0:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
div We use cookies to im…21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a privacy policy21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button Manage21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button Reject21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
button Accept21.00:14.5:1
#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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