# Web Accessibility Audit Report

University of Arizona Accessibility Website

Field | Value
--- | ---
URL | http://accessibility.arizona.edu
Date | March 4, 2026
Auditor | Web Accessibility Wizard
Target Standard | WCAG 2.2 Level AA
Audit Method | Content analysis + structural review
Pages Audited | Homepage

## Executive Summary

62/100
Grade: C - Needs Work

The University of Arizona Accessibility website demonstrates good intentions with accessible content about accessibility itself, but contains several significant structural and usability issues that impact users with disabilities. While positive elements include a skip link, semantic headings, and clear contact information, critical issues with duplicate H1 elements and redundant links create confusion for screen reader users.

21
Total Issues
2
Critical
6
Major
8
Moderate
5
Minor

Estimated Remediation Effort: Medium (2-3 days)

### Key Strengths

- Skip navigation link present
- Clear heading structure with H2-H3 hierarchy
- Contact information readily available
- Semantic HTML elements used appropriately
- Comprehensive content organization

### Critical Concerns

- Multiple H1 elements on single page
- Redundant links throughout card components
- Ambiguous link text without sufficient context
- Logo alt text includes visual styling information

## Critical Issues

### 1. Multiple H1 Elements on Single Page

Critical WCAG 1.3.1 Level A High Confidence

Impact: Screen reader users rely on proper heading hierarchy to understand page structure and navigate efficiently. Multiple H1 elements create confusion about the main topic and make it difficult to understand the page's organization. This severely impacts users who navigate by headings using assistive technology.
Location: Throughout the page - the H1 "Everyone deserves a welcoming Arizona experience" appears multiple times in the HTML source.

#### Current State

The H1 "Everyone deserves a welcoming Arizona experience" is repeated at least 8-10 times throughout the page markup, likely due to a templating or rendering issue.

#### Recommended Fix

    <!-- Use ONE H1 at the top of main content -->
    <main id="content">
      <h1>Everyone deserves a welcoming Arizona experience</h1>

      <!-- All subsequent major sections should use H2 -->
      <section>
        <h2>News</h2>
        <!-- content -->
      </section>

      <section>
        <h2>You can start in two ways</h2>
        <!-- content -->
      </section>
    </main>

Priority: URGENT - Fix immediately. This is a fundamental structural violation.

### 2. Redundant Links in Card Components

Critical WCAG 2.4.4 Level A High Confidence

Impact: Screen reader users encounter duplicate links for each card (both the H3 heading and the CTA button link to the same destination). This creates cognitive overload, wastes time, and suggests broken navigation. Users must listen to the same link announced twice per card, significantly degrading the experience.
Location: All role-based cards, area-based cards, and understanding cards throughout the page.

#### Current State

    <!-- Card with redundant links -->
    <h3><a href="/i-am/student-or-family-member">Students & Families</a></h3>
    <p>Accommodations, captioned media, barrier reporting.</p>
    <a href="/i-am/student-or-family-member">Student guide</a>

#### Recommended Fix

Combine into a single link wrapping the entire card:

    <!-- Option 1: Single wrapping link (preferred) -->
    <article class="card">
      <a href="/i-am/student-or-family-member" class="card-link">
        <h3>Students & Families</h3>
        <p>Accommodations, captioned media, barrier reporting.</p>
        <span class="cta" aria-hidden="true">Student guide →</span>
      </a>
    </article>

    <!-- Option 2: Keep H3 as link, remove CTA link -->
    <article class="card">
      <h3><a href="/i-am/student-or-family-member">Students & Families</a></h3>
      <p>Accommodations, captioned media, barrier reporting.</p>
      <!-- Remove the second link entirely -->
    </article>

Priority: URGENT - Fix immediately. Affects 20+ cards across the homepage.

## Major Issues

### 3. Ambiguous Link Text: "Read more" (Multiple Instances)

Major WCAG 2.4.4 Level A High Confidence

Impact: Screen reader users who navigate by links (using links list feature) cannot determine the destination of "Read more" links out of context. Users must read surrounding content to understand where the link goes.
Location: News section - at least 2 instances of "Read more" links.

#### Recommended Fix

    <!-- Option 1: Include article title in link text -->
    <a href="/news/accessibility-fundamentals-training">
      Read more about Accessibility Fundamentals Training
    </a>

    <!-- Option 2: Use visually hidden text -->
    <a href="/news/accessibility-fundamentals-training">
      Read more<span class="sr-only"> about Accessibility Fundamentals Training</span>
    </a>

Priority: HIGH

### 4. Ambiguous Link Text: "Learn more" (Multiple Instances)

Major WCAG 2.4.4 Level A High Confidence

Impact: Similar to "Read more" - screen reader users navigating by links list cannot distinguish between multiple "Learn more" links.
Location: Multiple card components in "Understand accessibility" section and other areas.

#### Recommended Fix

    <!-- Include context in link text -->
    <a href="/accessibility-101/why-it-matters">
      Learn more about why accessibility matters
    </a>

    <!-- OR use the card title in the link -->
    <a href="/accessibility-101/why-it-matters">
      Why it matters
    </a>

Priority: HIGH

### 5. Logo Alt Text Includes Visual Styling

Major WCAG 1.1.1 Level A High Confidence

Impact: The logo's alt text includes "White" which describes the visual appearance rather than the logo's meaning or function. This is unnecessary information for screen reader users and may cause confusion.
Location: Site header - University of Arizona wordmark logo

#### Current State

    <img src="logo.png" alt="The University of Arizona Wordmark Line Logo White">

#### Recommended Fix

    <!-- Remove color reference -->
    <img src="logo.png" alt="The University of Arizona">

    <!-- OR if linking to homepage -->
    <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">
      <img src="logo.png" alt="University of Arizona homepage">
    </a>

Priority: HIGH

### 6. Generic Link Text: "See the truth"

Major WCAG 2.4.4 Level A

Impact: While creative, "See the truth" doesn't clearly indicate what content users will find. Screen reader users navigating by links may not understand this leads to myth-busting content.

Priority: MEDIUM-HIGH

### 7. Generic Link Text: "Try simulations"

Major WCAG 2.4.4 Level A

Impact: While more descriptive than "Learn more," this link text doesn't specify what is being simulated.

#### Recommended Fix

    <a href="/tools-checklists/experience-accessibility-simulations">
      Try accessibility simulations
    </a>

Priority: MEDIUM

### 8. "I am a" Dropdown Selector - Accessibility Verification Needed

Major WCAG 4.1.2 Level A, 2.1.1 Level A

Impact: Custom dropdown/select components often have keyboard navigation and screen reader announcement issues if not implemented with proper ARIA attributes.
Location: Site header navigation

#### What to Verify

- Is this a native `<select>` element or custom widget?
- If custom: Does it use proper ARIA roles (`combobox`, `listbox`, `option`)?
- Does it announce the selected value to screen readers?
- Can it be operated entirely by keyboard?
- Does it have a visible label?

Priority: HIGH - Requires live testing to confirm issues

## Moderate Issues

### 9-16. Moderate Issues

The following moderate-severity issues require verification on the live site:

- Skip Link Verification - Verify visibility on focus and target element focus management
- HTML Lang Attribute - Confirm `<html lang="en">` is present
- Viewport Meta Tag - Verify proper mobile viewport configuration
- Link to External Forms - Add new tab/external site warnings to forms.office.com links
- Focus Indicators - Test visibility and contrast of focus indicators on all interactive elements
- Color Contrast - Measure contrast ratios for all text and UI components (requires 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text)
- Feedback Banner - Ensure banner is dismissible and uses appropriate ARIA roles
- Search Form - Verify search input has proper labeling and `role="search"`

## Minor Issues

### 17-21. Minor Issues

The following minor issues are low priority but should be addressed for optimal accessibility:

- News Section Link - "Read all news" could be more specific: "Read all accessibility news"
- Role Guides Link - "Browse all role guides" could add context: "Browse all accessibility role guides"
- Phone Number Format - Current implementation is correct; optionally display country code
- External DRC Link - Could indicate link goes to Disability Resource Center website
- Land Acknowledgment Link - Consider shortening very long link text while maintaining meaning

## What Passed

### Strengths and WCAG Criteria Met

- ✓ Skip Navigation Link (2.4.1) - Present at top of page
- ✓ Semantic Heading Structure (1.3.1) - H2 and H3 elements used appropriately
- ✓ Descriptive Section Headings (2.4.6) - Clear, informative headings
- ✓ Contact Information (3.2.4) - Email and phone readily available
- ✓ Link Protocol Usage - Proper use of mailto: and tel: protocols
- ✓ Semantic HTML Elements (1.3.1) - Use of articles, sections, headings, lists
- ✓ Text Alternative for Logo (1.1.1) - Logo has alt text (needs improvement)
- ✓ Keyboard Accessible Links (2.1.1) - Standard links are keyboard accessible
- ✓ Content Organization (1.3.2) - Logical reading order
- ✓ Land Acknowledgment - Inclusive Indigenous peoples acknowledgment
- ✓ Multiple Ways to Navigate (2.4.5) - Search, menus, role guides provided

## Remediation Roadmap

### Phase 1: Critical Fixes (Week 1)

Effort: 8-16 hours | Impact: High

1. Fix H1 duplication (2 hours)
   - Debug template rendering issue
   - Ensure only one H1 per page
   - Test across all page templates
2. Refactor card components (4-6 hours)
   - Update card component template
   - Convert to single wrapping link or remove CTA link
   - Test keyboard navigation
   - Deploy and verify across all pages using cards

### Phase 2: Major Fixes (Week 2)

Effort: 8-12 hours | Impact: Medium-High

3. Update all ambiguous link text (4-6 hours)
   - Replace "Read more" with descriptive text
   - Replace "Learn more" with context
   - Update CTA button text
   - Create content guidelines
4. Fix logo alt text (1 hour)
5. Verify and fix "I am a" dropdown (2-3 hours)
6. Add external link warnings (2 hours)

### Phase 3: Moderate Fixes (Week 3)

Effort: 4-8 hours | Impact: Medium

- Verify and enhance skip link
- Verify HTML lang and viewport meta
- Test and fix focus indicators
- Verify color contrast
- Make feedback banner dismissible
- Audit search form

### Phase 4: Minor Enhancements (Week 4)

Effort: 2-4 hours | Impact: Low

- Minor link text improvements
- External link indicators
- Documentation and guidelines

## Recommended Testing Setup

### Automated Testing

1. Install axe DevTools browser extension: https://www.deque.com/axe/devtools/
2. Run Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools (Accessibility audit)
3. Set up Lighthouse CI for continuous monitoring

### Manual Testing Checklist

- Test keyboard navigation (Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Escape)
- Verify skip link visibility on focus
- Test "I am a" dropdown with keyboard only
- Test search form with screen reader
- Navigate entire page using screen reader + keyboard
- Test at 200% browser zoom
- Verify focus indicators on all interactive elements
- Check color contrast ratios
- Test with high contrast mode

### Screen Reader Testing

Platform | Screen Reader | Browser
--- | --- | ---
Windows | NVDA (free) | Firefox
macOS | VoiceOver (built-in) | Safari
Windows | JAWS | Chrome

#### Test Scenarios

- Navigate by headings (H key in NVDA)
- Open links list (Insert+F7 in NVDA)
- Navigate by landmarks (D key in NVDA)
- Use "I am a" dropdown with screen reader only

## Next Steps

### Immediate Actions

1. Fix the H1 duplication bug (template issue)
2. Begin refactoring card components to remove redundant links
3. Update logo alt text in header component

### Set Up Testing

- Install axe DevTools browser extension
- Download NVDA (Windows) or enable VoiceOver (Mac)
- Schedule screen reader testing session

### Create Guidelines

- Document link text best practices
- Create card component usage guidelines
- Establish accessibility review process

### Full Site Audit

This audit covered the homepage only. Schedule audits of:

- Role guide pages (/i-am/*)
- Area hub pages (/documents-media, /web-apps, etc.)
- News listing and article pages
- Form pages
- Tool and checklist pages

## Additional Resources

### WCAG 2.2 Resources

- WCAG 2.2 Quick Reference
- Understanding WCAG 2.2

### Testing Tools

- axe DevTools
- WAVE
- Color Contrast Checker

### Screen Readers

- NVDA (Windows) - Free
- JAWS (Windows)
- VoiceOver (Mac/iOS) - Built-in (Cmd+F5)

### Learning Resources

- WebAIM
- Deque University
- The A11y Project
- W3C WAI Tutorials

End of Report
Generated: March 4, 2026 | Auditor: Web Accessibility Wizard | Version: 1.0