Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.

SCORE

GRADE

FIX

REVIEW

PASS

INFO

Checks

4 PASS 5 REVIEW 4 FIX

Web Manifest

Action

Not found

FIX

Not found

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.

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.

Print Stylesheet

Action

No print styles

FIX

No print styles

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 ✗

Navigation UX

Action

No navigation patterns

FIX

No navigation patterns

5 navigation landmark(s) detected

Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)

No breadcrumbs, search, or skip link detected

These navigation aids help users orient themselves and find content efficiently, especially on large sites.

Breadcrumbs

Skip Link

Labeled Navigation 5 <nav> element(s)

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.

Landmark Structure

15 landmarks

REVIEW

15 landmarks

<main> landmark present

5 <nav> landmark(s) found

3 of 5 <nav> elements are unlabeled

Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.

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

Multiple navigations need aria-label to distinguish them for screen readers.

Why this matters

Some <nav> elements lack aria-label — screen-reader users hear 'navigation' multiple times with no way to distinguish them.

Learn more ▾

When a page has multiple <nav> regions (primary, footer, breadcrumb), each needs aria-label or aria-labelledby. AT users navigate by landmark; identical 'navigation' announcements force them to enter each one to discover purpose.

Source: WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices

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

Alt Text Quality

2 of 28 images have issues

REVIEW

2 of 28 images have issues

2 image(s) missing alt attribute

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

1 decorative image(s) correctly marked

25 image(s) with good alt text

28 images 25 good alt text 1 decorative 2 missing

Issue	Count
missing	2 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

404 Error Page

HTTP 404, custom page

REVIEW

HTTP 404, custom page

Correct 404 status code returned

Got: HTTP 404

Custom styled 404 page

Navigation links present on 404 page

404 Page Quality ✓ Custom 404 Page

Status Code HTTP 404 ✓Page Title 404 - Virginia Commonwealth University ✓Custom Styling ✓Navigation ✓Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗

Favicon & Branding

Action

11 icon(s) detected

REVIEW

11 icon(s) detected

No favicon.ico at site root

Some older browsers, bookmark tools, and RSS readers look for /favicon.ico. Add one as a fallback.

HTML icon links detected

Apple touch icon present

Multiple icon sizes detected

✗ favicon.ico Missing

✓ PNG Icons Present

✓ Apple Touch Present

✗ SVG Favicon Missing

✗ Manifest Icons Missing

✓ Multiple Sizes Present

Color Contrast (Screenshot)

Action

20 text elements analyzed, 15 fail WCAG AA

REVIEW

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

5 pass 15 fail WCAG AA 1 pass AA only

h2 Explore our

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Rams say it

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 We are the

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Explore

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Resources

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

h2 Site links

1.00:1

#000000

needs 3.0:1 (large text)

24px · bottom of viewport

title Virginia Commonwealth University

1.32:1

#000000

#222222

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Virginia Commonwealth University

1.32:1

#000000

#222222

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · top of page (header area)

a Programs

1.00:1

#000000

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Programs

1.01:1

#000000

#010101

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Undergraduate

1.05:1

#000000

#090909

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Graduate

1.09:1

#000000

#0F0E0E

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Colleges and schools

1.13:1

#000000

#141314

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · above the fold

a Online learning

1.17:1

#000000

#171717

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · mid-page

a Continuing education

1.18:1

#000000

#181818

needs 4.5:1 (normal text)

16px · mid-page

Show all checked elements (20)

Element	Ratio	Required	FG	BG	Result
h1 VCU	9.81:1	3.0:1	#000000	#EAA400	Pass
h2 Explore our	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 Rams say it	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 We are the	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 Explore	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 Resources	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
h2 Site links	1.00:1	3.0:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
title Virginia Commonwealt…	1.32:1	4.5:1	#000000	#222222	Fail
a Virginia Commonwealt…	1.32:1	4.5:1	#000000	#222222	Fail
a Give	5.07:1	4.5:1	#000000	#A1750E	Pass
a Skip to main content	11.58:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FEB200	Pass
a Skip to footer	11.70:1	4.5:1	#000000	#FFB300	Pass
button Full menu	10.82:1	4.5:1	#000000	#F6AC00	Pass
a Programs	1.00:1	4.5:1	#000000	#000000	Fail
a Programs	1.01:1	4.5:1	#000000	#010101	Fail
a Undergraduate	1.05:1	4.5:1	#000000	#090909	Fail
a Graduate	1.09:1	4.5:1	#000000	#0F0E0E	Fail
a Colleges and schools	1.13:1	4.5:1	#000000	#141314	Fail
a Online learning	1.17:1	4.5:1	#000000	#171717	Fail
a Continuing education	1.18:1	4.5:1	#000000	#181818	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+

Heading Hierarchy

8 headings

PASS

8 headings

Single H1 present

H1 VCU
H2 Explore our programs
H2 Why VCU?
H2 Rams say it best
H2 We are the UNCOMMON
H2 Explore
H2 Resources
H2 Site links

A+

Form Accessibility

All 2 controls labeled

PASS

All 2 controls labeled

2 control(s) properly labeled

2 controls

2 labeled

0 placeholder only

0 unlabeled

Control	Type	Label	Method
#query	text	Search VCU people and web	for/id
#peQ	input	Keyword	for/id

Link & Button Quality

150 links, 19 buttons — all OK

PASS

150 links, 19 buttons — all OK

4 link(s) open in new tab without warning

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

Got: https://irds.vcu.edu/consumer-information/; https://vcu.public.doctract.com/doctract/documentportal/08DA32A740D33543CBC5E…; https://accessibility.vcu.edu/; https://marcom.vcu.edu/requests/foia/

146 link(s) with descriptive text

150 links

0 empty

0 generic text

4 new tab

0 empty buttons

Element	Text	Issue	Suggested Fix
https://irds.vcu.edu/consumer-informatio…	Student consumer information	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://vcu.public.doctract.com/doctract…	Nondiscrimination notice	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://accessibility.vcu.edu/	Accessibility	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text
https://marcom.vcu.edu/requests/foia/	FOIA	new tab	Add '(opens in new tab)' to text

165 links and buttons have descriptive text

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

https://irds.vcu.edu/consumer-information/; https://vcu.public.doctract.com/doctract/documentportal/08DA32A740D33543CBC5E…; https://accessibility.vcu.edu/; https://marcom.vcu.edu/requests/foia/

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

A+

Lighthouse Accessibility Audits

Score 97/100 — 1 failing, 32 passed

PASS

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.

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 > nav#skip-links > a.cwf-skip-links__link`
Skip to footer `body > nav#skip-links > a.cwf-skip-links__link`

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

●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

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

●Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes

●Background and foreground colors have a sufficient contrast ratio

●Document has a `<title>` element

●`<frame>` or `<iframe>` elements have a title

●`<html>` element has a `[lang]` attribute

●`<html>` element has a valid value for its `[lang]` attribute

●Links are distinguishable without relying on color.

●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

●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

●ARIA IDs are unique

●Image elements do not have `[alt]` attributes that are redundant text.

●Elements with visible text labels have matching accessible names.

○`[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 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

○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.

○Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements

○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.