Accessibility
· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.DLink & Button QualityAction7 issue(s) across 99 links and 18 buttonsFIX
| Element | Text | Issue | Suggested Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| https://sxsw.com/privacy-policy | Privacy Policy | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://cart.sxsw.com | BUY | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://schedule.sxsw.com | SCHEDULE | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.youtube.com/@SXSW/streams | Catch Up on Keynotes and Featu… | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://sxsw.com/news/2026/south-by-sout… | (empty) | empty | Add link text or aria-label |
| https://cart.sxsw.com/#presales | (empty) | empty | Add link text or aria-label |
| https://sxsw.framer.website/ | (empty) | empty | Add link text or aria-label |
| https://sxsw.com/film/2026/film-tv-festi… | (empty) | empty | Add link text or aria-label |
| https://sxsw.com/news/2026/sxsw-pitch-wi… | (empty) | empty | Add link text or aria-label |
| https://sxsw.com/sxsw-2026-activations-a… | (empty) | empty | Add link text or aria-label |
| https://sxsw.com/news/2025/everything-yo… | Learn More | generic text | Replace with descriptive text |
Before: Learn More Suggested: Everything You Need To Know About Sxsw 2026 Right Now | |||
| https://www.sxsw.com/newsletters/ | See all newsletters. | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://merch.sxsw.com/ | Merch | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.sxswedu.com/ | SXSW EDU | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.sxswlondon.com/ | SXSW London | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://books.sxsw.com | SXSW Books | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://bsky.app/profile/sxsw.com | Bluesky | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.facebook.com/sxswfestival | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text | |
| https://www.instagram.com/sxsw/ | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text | |
| https://www.linkedin.com/company/sxsw | logo-li | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://open.spotify.com/user/1270297457 | Spotify | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.tiktok.com/@sxsw | TikTok | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.youtube.com/user/sxsw | YouTube | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.sxsw.com/trademark-guideline… | Trademark Guidelines | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.sxsw.com/copyright-notice/ | Copyright Notice | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.sxsw.com/terms-of-use/ | Terms of Use | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
| https://www.sxsw.com/privacy-policy | Privacy Policy | new tab | Add '(opens in new tab)' to text |
Links without text are announced as raw URLs by screen readers.
https://sxsw.com/news/2026/south-by-southwest-2027-dates-announced/; https://cart.sxsw.com/#presales; https://sxsw.framer.website/; https://sxsw.com/film/2026/film-tv-festival-2026-audience-award-winners/; https://sxsw.com/news/2026/sxsw-pitch-winners-announced/; https://sxsw.com/sxsw-2026-activations-and-custom-events/
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://sxsw.com/news/2025/everything-you-need-to-know-about-sxsw-2026-right-… ("Learn More")
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://sxsw.com/privacy-policy; https://cart.sxsw.com; https://schedule.sxsw.com; https://www.youtube.com/@SXSW/streams; https://www.sxsw.com/newsletters/; https://merch.sxsw.com/; https://www.sxswedu.com/; https://www.sxswlondon.com/; https://books.sxsw.com; https://bsky.app/profile/sxsw.com (+10 more)
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
DWeb ManifestActionNot foundFIX
No web manifest found.
DDark Mode SupportActionTheme color onlyFIX
Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles.
DPrint StylesheetActionNo print stylesFIX
BHeading Hierarchy32 headingsREVIEW
- H3 Join Us March 15-21 at SXSW 2027
- H3 That's a Wrap on SXSW 2026
- H3 Discover the Experts Who Are Rewriting the Rules of Influence
- H3 SXSW Film & TV Festival Announces 2026 Audience Award Winners
- H3 2026 SXSW Pitch Winners Announced
- H3 SXSW 2026 Activations and Custom Events
- H3 Keynotes & Featured
- H3 Download the SXSW 2026 Insights Report
- H3 40th Edition
- H3 Keynotes & Featured
- H3 Download the SXSW 2026 Insights Report
- H3 40th Edition
- H2 SXSW 2026: All Together Now
- H2 Everything You Need to Know Right Now About SXSW 2026
- H2 2026 Watch Live, Listen Live, Captions, & Catch Up
- H2 Our Events
- H3 Innovation
- H3 Film & TV
- H3 Music
- H3 Innovation
- H3 Film & TV
- H3 Music
- H2 Get Your Badge Now!
- H2 Quick Links
- H3 Sign up to be notified for event updates
- H3 View Marketing Opportunities
- H3 Get Press Releases and Images
- H3 Catch up on our History
- H3 Sign up to be notified for event updates
- H3 View Marketing Opportunities
- H3 Get Press Releases and Images
- H3 Catch up on our History
Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.
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
BAlt Text Quality7 of 25 images have issuesREVIEW
| Issue | Count |
|---|---|
| missing | 1 image(s) |
| generic | 6 image(s) |
Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.
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
BForm Accessibility2 of 5 controls have issuesREVIEW
| Control | Type | Label | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| #osano-cm-dialog-toggle--category_MARKETING | checkbox | none | |
| #osano-cm-dialog-toggle--category_PERSONALIZATION | checkbox | none | |
| #osano-cm-dialog-toggle--category_ANALYTICS | checkbox | none | |
| #email-cf036cb5-82de-458b-8d3f-fdbae8217eaf | (Sign up for event updates*) | placeholder only | |
| input | submit | (none) | none |
Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.
<input type="submit">
Form controls without labels — assistive tech announces 'edit text' with no context; users can't complete forms.
Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.2
Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.
<input type="email" name="email" id="email-cf036cb5-82de-458b-8d3f-fdbae8217eaf">
Placeholder-only labels disappear when the user starts typing — they must remember what the field was for.
Learn more ▾ ▴
Placeholders are NOT labels. They vanish on input, fail color contrast checks (most are gray), and don't satisfy WCAG SC 3.3.2. Always use a real <label> alongside (or aria-labelledby).
Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.2 / Nielsen Norman
BFavicon & Branding6 icon(s) detectedREVIEW
CColor Contrast (Screenshot)Action20 text elements analyzed, 20 fail WCAG AAREVIEW
Analyzes text contrast against the actual rendered page, including background images, gradients, and overlays that CSS-based tools cannot detect.
Show all checked elements (20)
| Element | Ratio | Required | FG | BG | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| h2 SXSW 2026: All Toget… | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h2 Everything You Need … | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h2 2026 Watch Live, Lis… | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h2 Our Events | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h2 Get Your Badge Now! | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h2 Quick Links | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 Join Us March 15-21 … | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 That's a Wrap on SXS… | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 Discover the Experts… | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 SXSW Film & TV Festi… | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 2026 SXSW Pitch Winn… | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 SXSW 2026 Activation… | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 Keynotes & Featured | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 Download the SXSW 20… | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 40th Edition | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 Keynotes & Featured | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 Download the SXSW 20… | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 40th Edition | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 Innovation | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | Fail |
| h3 Film & TV | 1.10:1 | 3.0:1 | #000000 | #0F1012 | 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.
ALandmark Structure10 landmarksPASS
Add a skip link as the first focusable element so keyboard users can bypass repeated navigation.
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
A404 Error PageHTTP 404, custom pagePASS
ALighthouse Accessibility AuditsScore 91/100 — 3 failing, 29 passedPASS
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
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.
Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.
| Failing Elements |
|---|
SXSW is 850+ total conference sessions, 600+ mentor and networking events, 4,40… section#statementBlock > div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial |
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.
Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.
| Failing Elements |
|---|
SAVE div.osano-cm-window > div#eb6f6142-65d7-4139-a69c-73e91e625d3d > div.osano-cm-dialog__buttons > button.osano-cm-save |
ACCEPT ALL div.osano-cm-window > div#eb6f6142-65d7-4139-a69c-73e91e625d3d > div.osano-cm-dialog__buttons > button.osano-cm-accept-all |
REJECT NON-ESSENTIAL div.osano-cm-window > div#eb6f6142-65d7-4139-a69c-73e91e625d3d > div.osano-cm-dialog__buttons > button.osano-cm-denyAll |
SXSW div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
is div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
850+ div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
total div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
conference div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
sessions, div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
600+ div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
mentor div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
and div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
networking div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
events, div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
4,400 div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
musicians div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
performing div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
over div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
300 div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
live div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
showcases, div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
375+ div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
film div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
and div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
tv div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
show div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
screenings, div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
four div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
nights div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
of div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
comedy, div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
and div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
450 div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
brands div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
activating. div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
days div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
in div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
Austin div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
to div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
connect, div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
discover, div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
and div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
create div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
what’s div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
next. div.container-lg > div.text-block > p.initial > div.word |
COMPANY div.container-fluid > div.row > div.col-12 > p.link-section-label |
PROPERTIES div.container-fluid > div.row > div.col-12 > p.link-section-label |
RESOURCES div.container-fluid > div.row > div.col-12 > p.link-section-label |
These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.
Names and labels
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.
Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.
| Failing Elements |
|---|
div.flickity-viewport > div.flickity-slider > div.carousel-cell > a.img-slide-wrapper div.flickity-viewport > div.flickity-slider > div.carousel-cell > a.img-slide-wrapper |
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.