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Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
52
GRADE
F
FIX
7
REVIEW
5
PASS
1
INFO
0
Checks
13
1 PASS 5 REVIEW 7 FIX
D
Form Accessibility
Action
4 of 4 controls have issues
FIX
4 of 4 controls have issues
Critical::
2 control(s) without accessible label
Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.
Got: <input type="submit" name="op" id="edit-submit">; <input type="submit" name="op" id="edit-submit">
Warning::
2 control(s) rely on placeholder only
Placeholder text disappears on focus and is not a reliable label.
Got: <input type="text" name="search" id="edit-search">; <input type="text" name="search" id="edit-search">
4 controls
0 labeled
2 placeholder only
2 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
#edit-searchtext(Search)placeholder only
#edit-searchtext(Search)placeholder only
#edit-submitsubmit(none)none
#edit-submitsubmit(none)none

Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.

<input type="submit" name="op" id="edit-submit">; <input type="submit" name="op" id="edit-submit">

Why this matters

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="text" name="search" id="edit-search">; <input type="text" name="search" id="edit-search">

Why this matters

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

F
Favicon & Branding
Action
1 icon(s) detected
FIX
1 icon(s) detected
Warning::
No favicon.ico at site root
Some older browsers, bookmark tools, and RSS readers look for /favicon.ico. Add one as a fallback.
Info::
HTML icon links detected
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 Missing
✓ PNG Icons Present
✗ Apple Touch Missing
✗ SVG Favicon Missing
✗ Manifest Icons Missing
✗ Multiple Sizes Missing
D
Web Manifest
Action
Not found
FIX
Not found
Info::
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.

D
Dark Mode Support
Action
No dark mode signals
FIX
No dark mode signals
Info::
No dark mode signals detected
Consider adding CSS with @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) and <meta name='color-scheme' content='light dark'>.
Info::
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.

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
1 navigation pattern(s)
FIX
1 navigation pattern(s)
Info::
Skip navigation link detected
Info::
3 navigation landmark(s) detected
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation 3 <nav> element(s)
Back to Top
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.
B
Heading Hierarchy
50 headings, 2 skip(s)
REVIEW
50 headings, 2 skip(s)
Info::
Single H1 present
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H5 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H6 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
  • H1 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
  • H2 Menu: Top Buttons
  • H2 Menu: Top
  • H2 Main navigation
  • H2 Remembering Pope Francis
  • H2 Pray for Peace | USCCB President
  • H2 Join the St. Gianna Novena
  • H2 Happy Easter!
  • H2 Archbishop Sample on Holy Week, Good Friday, and Rejecting Antisemitism
  • H2 Vatican Access
  • H2 USCCB Diocesan Map
  • H2 Celebrating Catholic Contributions to the United States of America on the 250th Anniversary
  • H2 U.S. Bishops Issue a “Special Message” on Immigration from Plenary Assembly in Baltimore
  • H2 Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life | Homily by Bishop James D. Conley
  • H5 America 250 Special Episode 1: Catholics and the Founding skipped
  • H5 In Angola, Catholic Church steps in to give a voice to mining-affected communities
  • H6 Our Spotlight
  • H5 Catholic Relief Services Collection 2026
  • H6 Daily Reflection
  • H5 Reflection 275 2026 04 22 Reflection 275
  • H2 Daily Reading
  • H2 Latest News
  • H2 Who We Are
  • H3 Our Role
  • H3 Topics
  • H3 Impact
  • H3 Get Involved
  • H2 Featured Stories
  • H3 In Angola, Catholic Church steps in to give a voic...
  • H3 Ordination Class of 2026 Survey Results Released i...
  • H3 One year ago today: The pope from the peripheries ...
  • H3 5 Minutes with a Bishop: The Camino with Archbishop Coakley, Bishop Wall, and Bishop Conley
  • H3 APRIL | For priests in crisis
  • H3 Healing and Hope: A Catholic Response to Mental Health
  • H3 Bishop Seitz: We Have Become a Great Nation Because We Have Welcomed Immigrants
  • H3 5 Minutes with a Bishop: My Episcopal Motto
  • H3 5 Minutes with a Bishop: The Camino with Archbishop Coakley, Bishop Wall, and Bishop Conley
  • H3 APRIL | For priests in crisis
  • H3 Healing and Hope: A Catholic Response to Mental Health
  • H3 Bishop Seitz: We Have Become a Great Nation Because We Have Welcomed Immigrants
  • H3 5 Minutes with a Bishop: My Episcopal Motto
  • H3 5 Minutes with a Bishop: The Camino with Archbishop Coakley, Bishop Wall, and Bishop Conley
  • H2 The best of the USCCB, right in your inbox
  • H2 Event Calendar
  • H2 Dive into God's Word
  • H6 About USCCB skipped
  • H6 Topics
  • H6 Prayer & Worship
  • H6 Get Involved to Act Now
  • H6 Quick Links

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.

Why this matters

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline — screen-reader users lose track of section nesting.

Learn more ▾

Screen reader users navigate by jumping between headings (H1 → H2 → H3). Skipping (H1 → H3) breaks the sense of hierarchy. Use sequential levels even if you don't like the default styling — restyle with CSS instead. WCAG 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) treats this as an A failure.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 / W3C WAI

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.

Why this matters

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline — screen-reader users lose track of section nesting.

Learn more ▾

Screen reader users navigate by jumping between headings (H1 → H2 → H3). Skipping (H1 → H3) breaks the sense of hierarchy. Use sequential levels even if you don't like the default styling — restyle with CSS instead. WCAG 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) treats this as an A failure.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 / W3C WAI

B
Alt Text Quality
2 of 39 images have issues
REVIEW
2 of 39 images have issues
Critical::
2 image(s) missing alt attribute
Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.
Info::
1 image(s) with alt text over 125 characters
Info::
9 decorative image(s) correctly marked
Info::
27 image(s) with good alt text
39 images 27 good alt text 9 decorative 2 missing
IssueCount
missing2 image(s)
too long1 image(s)

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

Why this matters

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

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 Conference Legislative Texts | USCCB ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✓Search Form ✗
C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 2 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

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

18 pass 2 fail WCAG AA 18 pass AA only
h2 Menu: Top Buttons
2.16:1
#000000
on
#52403E
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · top of page (header area)
h2 Menu: Top
1.72:1
#000000
on
#433131
needs 3.0:1 (large text)
24px · above the fold
Show all checked elements (20)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h2 Menu: Top Buttons2.16:13.0:1
#000000
#52403E
Fail
h2 Menu: Top1.72:13.0:1
#000000
#433131
Fail
h2 Main navigation3.20:13.0:1
#000000
#236192
Pass
h2 Remembering Pope Fra…3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 Pray for Peace | USC…3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 Join the St. Gianna …3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 Happy Easter!3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 Archbishop Sample on…3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 Vatican Access3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 USCCB Diocesan Map3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 Celebrating Catholic…3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 U.S. Bishops Issue a…3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 Opening Mass of the …3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 Daily Reading3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 Latest News3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 Who We Are3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 Featured Stories3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 The best of the USCC…3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 right in your inbox3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
Pass
h2 Event Calendar3.87:13.0:1
#000000
#027954
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.

B
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 85/100 — 5 failing, 30 passed
REVIEW
85

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.

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.item > div.embed-video > div.video-embed-field-lazy > button.video-embed-field-lazy-play div.item > div.embed-video > div.video-embed-field-lazy > button.video-embed-field-lazy-play
div#vaticanAccordion > div.accordion-item > h2.accordion-header > button.accordion-button div#vaticanAccordion > div.accordion-item > h2.accordion-header > button.accordion-button
div#vaticanAccordion > div.accordion-item > h2.accordion-header > button.accordion-button div#vaticanAccordion > div.accordion-item > h2.accordion-header > button.accordion-button

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.accordion-item > h2.accordion-header > button.accordion-button > img.logo div.accordion-item > h2.accordion-header > button.accordion-button > img.logo
div.accordion-item > h2.accordion-header > button.accordion-button > img.logo div.accordion-item > h2.accordion-header > button.accordion-button > img.logo

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.label > div#mCSB_1 > div#mCSB_1_scrollbar_vertical > a.mCSB_buttonUp div.label > div#mCSB_1 > div#mCSB_1_scrollbar_vertical > a.mCSB_buttonUp
div.label > div#mCSB_1 > div#mCSB_1_scrollbar_vertical > a.mCSB_buttonDown div.label > div#mCSB_1 > div#mCSB_1_scrollbar_vertical > a.mCSB_buttonDown

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
OUR SPOTLIGHT div.block > a.cards > div.content-body > h6
DAILY REFLECTION div.block > a.link-card-daily-reflection > div.content-body > h6
Our Role div.tabs > div.content > div.tab > div.title
CLOSE div.eu-cookie-compliance-banner > div.popup-content > div#popup-buttons > button.agree-button

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
America 250 Special Episode 1: Catholics and the Founding div.block > a.link-card-podcast-video > div.content-body > h5
About USCCB div.innerblock > div.content > div.first > h6

These are opportunities to improve keyboard navigation in your application.

○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
●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
●`[role]` values are valid
●`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values
●`[aria-*]` attributes are valid and not misspelled
●Input buttons have discernible text.
●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
●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
●No element has a `[tabindex]` value greater than 0
●Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing.
●Document has a main landmark.
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
●All heading elements contain content.
●Image elements do not have `[alt]` attributes that are redundant text.
●Identical links have the same purpose.
●Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.
○`[accesskey]` values are unique
○ARIA input fields have accessible names
○ARIA `meter` elements have accessible names
○ARIA `progressbar` elements have accessible names
○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 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>`.
○Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements
○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+
Landmark Structure
7 landmarks
PASS
7 landmarks
Info::
<main> landmark present
Info::
3 <nav> landmark(s) found
Info::
All <nav> elements are properly labeled
Info::
Skip navigation link present
Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it
BANNER header NAV "block-menu-top-buttons-menu" MAIN CONTENTINFO footer
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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