nih.gov: Accessibility — week 2026-W38

Automated Accessibility Conformance Report (OpenACR): Download ACR. Machine-readable; compatible with GSA OpenACR tooling. Automated tools find ~⅓ of real barriers — supplement with manual AT testing.

Training priorities

Top WCAG success criteria by pages affected this week. Use these to focus team training on the highest-impact issues.

SC	Criterion	Pages	Rules
1.4.1	Use of Color	33	2
1.4.6	WCAG 1.4.6	11	1
1.4.8	WCAG 1.4.8	11	1
2.5.5	WCAG 2.5.5	11	1
1.3.1	Info and Relationships (semantic structure)	4	2

Next 10 actions

Clusters are fingerprinted by normalized selector path + rule id + snippet shape. Rank score = (severity weight × pages affected) / distinct components for the rule. This supersedes the template threshold heuristic while still surfacing it as a validation signal.

Top 10 clustered component fixes for this week.
Cluster	Severity	Pages	Who it affects	How to fix	Evidence	Decision
All page content should be contained by landmarks · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~22 finding(s) on 22 page(s). XPath / selector: `.usa-alert` `<div class="usa-alert">`	Moderate	22	Requires manual testing.	Wrap all page content in landmarks (header, nav, main, footer) so users can navigate by region.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Landmarks should have a unique role or role/label/title (i.e. accessible name) c · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~11 finding(s) on 11 page(s). XPath / selector: `#block-nih2-uswds-search` `<div class="search-block-form usa-form block block-search container-inline" data-drupal-selector="search-block-form" id="block-nih2-uswds-search" role="search">`	Moderate	11	Requires manual testing.	When a landmark role/type repeats (e.g. two <nav>s), give each a distinct accessible name with aria-label or aria-labelledby (e.g. "Primary" and "Footer" navigation) so screen-reader users can tell them apart.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
All page content should be contained by landmarks · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~21 finding(s) on 21 page(s). XPath / selector: `#system-breadcrumb` `<h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2>`	Moderate	21	Requires manual testing.	Wrap all page content in landmarks (header, nav, main, footer) so users can navigate by region.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Form field label is visible · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~11 finding(s) on 11 page(s). XPath / selector: `{"type":"document","children":[{"type":"type","name":"html","publicId":null,"sys`	Moderate	11	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r61	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
aria attribute is permitted for element role · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~11 finding(s) on 11 page(s). XPath / selector: `@aria-label="Descripción de la agencia"`	Moderate	11	Requires manual testing.	Only use ARIA states/properties that are allowed on this element/role.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
aria attribute is permitted for element role · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~11 finding(s) on 11 page(s). XPath / selector: `@aria-label="Official website of the Department of Health and Human Services"`	Moderate	11	Requires manual testing.	Only use ARIA states/properties that are allowed on this element/role.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Text has enhanced contrast · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~11 finding(s) on 11 page(s). XPath / selector: `text: "Get the Latest Updates and FAQs"`	Moderate	11	Requires manual testing.	Increase text contrast to meet WCAG AAA (7:1).	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Text has enhanced contrast · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~11 finding(s) on 11 page(s). XPath / selector: `text: "Health Information"`	Moderate	11	Requires manual testing.	Increase text contrast to meet WCAG AAA (7:1).	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Text has enhanced contrast · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~11 finding(s) on 11 page(s). XPath / selector: `text: "Grants & Funding"`	Moderate	11	Requires manual testing.	Increase text contrast to meet WCAG AAA (7:1).	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~11 finding(s) on 11 page(s). XPath / selector: `text: "NIH Websites Are Changing"`	Moderate	11	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r57	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes

Bug reports

4 issue type(s) are shown by default out of 19 total. Prioritized by severity, key pages, WCAG level, and prevalence; use the toggle to show everything.

Overall severity mix: 1 critical, 2 serious, 15 moderate, 1 minor. By WCAG category: 5 WCAG 2.0 A, 3 WCAG 2.x AAA, 5 Best Practice, 6 Undetermined. Ordered by severity, key-page impact, WCAG level, and prevalence. Following accessibility bug-reporting best practices. Download: Markdown · JSON (full archive) · JSON (AI diagnostic) · CSV (all findings) · Priority pages CSV · Priority pages JSON.

Automated testing does not establish full WCAG conformance. Findings in the verification lane require manual testing before they are treated as confirmed failures.

Default view shows 4 prioritized issue type(s); 15 more are available if you switch to "Show everything".

2 finding(s) marked "possible duplicate" — Alfa and axe-core both flagged the same WCAG SC on overlapping pages. If they target the same element, the axe-core report is authoritative. Filter the CSV by possible_duplicate_of to see these. Two engines flagging the same barrier reduces the chance of a false positive.

Findings needing review

These findings need manual verification before they can be treated as confirmed failures. Obligation remains visible for each finding.

Serious axe link-in-text-block WCAG 2.0 A Links must be distinguishable without relying on color (WCAG 1.4.1) 22/3333 pages · 107 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-5f4d07c9
Pattern ID: VS-8ade3360
Combined ID: VS-5f4d07c9 (pattern VS-8ade3360) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: axe-core — Links must be distinguishable without relying on color [link-in-text-block]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19
XPath / selector: p:nth-child(18) > a[data-extlink=""][target="_blank"][rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer"]
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (14 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33582134/" class="ext" data-extlink="" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer" title="(opens in a new window)">Hydrating the Respiratory Tract: An A

Description

Links must be distinguishable without relying on color. Detected by axe-core rule link-in-text-block on 22 of 3333 scanned pages (107 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19.
Locate the element: p:nth-child(18) > a[data-extlink=""][target="_blank"][rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer"]
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule link-in-text-block against WCAG 1.4.1 Use of Color.

Impact

Affects Without color perception (4.5%), Limited vision (2.4%).

Without color perception — 4.5% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/link-in-text-block?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Serious axe list WCAG 2.0 A <ul> and <ol> must only directly contain <li>, <script> or <template> elements (WCAG 1.3.1) 2/3333 pages · 2 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-a6e489dd
Pattern ID: VS-a0bdbdf6
Combined ID: VS-a6e489dd (pattern VS-a0bdbdf6) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: axe-core — <ul> and <ol> must only directly contain <li>, <script> or <template> elements [list]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/heal/award-policy/data-sharing-policy/common-data-elements-cdes-repository?page=15
XPath / selector: .usa-pagination__list
History: first seen 2026-W29, last seen 2026-W38 (8 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<ul class="usa-pagination__list pager__items js-pager__items">

Description

<ul> and <ol> must only directly contain <li>, <script> or <template> elements. Detected by axe-core rule list on 2 of 3333 scanned pages (2 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/heal/award-policy/data-sharing-policy/common-data-elements-cdes-repository?page=15.
Locate the element: .usa-pagination__list
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule list against WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.

Impact

Affects Without vision (1.0%), Limited vision (2.4%), Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability (11.0%).

Without vision — 1.0% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability — 11.0% of population

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Use <ul>/<ol> with only <li> children for lists; don't fake lists with <div>s.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/list?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Critical axe image-alt WCAG 2.0 A Images must have alternative text (WCAG 1.1.1) 1/3333 pages · 2 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-2713084d
Pattern ID: VS-9074b4dd
Combined ID: VS-2713084d (pattern VS-9074b4dd) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: axe-core — Images must have alternative text [image-alt]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events
XPath / selector: a[title="NIH News in Health"] > .thumbnail-teaser__img > .image-style-thumbnail-large[loading="lazy"][width="200"]
History: first seen 2026-W29, last seen 2026-W38 (7 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_large/public/2024-12/newsinhealth-fanned-out.jpg?itok=DvFTBOva" width="200" height="auto" class="image-style-thumbnail-large">

Description

Images must have alternative text. Detected by axe-core rule image-alt on 1 of 3333 scanned pages (2 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events.
Locate the element: a[title="NIH News in Health"] > .thumbnail-teaser__img > .image-style-thumbnail-large[loading="lazy"][width="200"]
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule image-alt against WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content.

Impact

Affects Without vision (1.0%), Limited vision (2.4%), Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability (11.0%).

Without vision — 1.0% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability — 11.0% of population

Affected pages

/news-events

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Give every <img> a meaningful alt attribute. Use alt="" only for decorative images so screen readers skip them.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/image-alt?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r62 WCAG 2.0 A Link in text block is visually distinguishable without color (WCAG 1.4.1) 11/3333 pages · 31 instances · possible duplicate Likely template

Bug ID: VS-d7f68f66
Pattern ID: VS-efd91fdd
Combined ID: VS-d7f68f66 (pattern VS-efd91fdd) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Link in text block is visually distinguishable without color [sia-r62]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19
XPath / selector: <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/" class="ext" data-extlink="" target="_blank">
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (12 wk)
Possible duplicate: Same WCAG SC covered by axe report VS-5f4d07c9 (pattern VS-8ade3360). If axe and this engine flag the same element, the axe report takes precedence — mark this as duplicate in JIRA.

Description

Link in text block is visually distinguishable without color. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r62 on 11 of 3333 scanned pages (31 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19.
Locate the element: <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/" class="ext" data-extlink="" target="_blank">
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r62 against WCAG 1.4.1 Use of Color.

Impact

Affects Without color perception (4.5%), Limited vision (2.4%).

Without color perception — 4.5% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Make links visually distinguishable from surrounding text (not by color alone).

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r62

Triage status Notes

Moderate axe region Best Practice All page content should be contained by landmarks (WCAG criterion undetermined) 22/3333 pages · 43 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-729f71d8
Pattern ID: VS-f18df681
Combined ID: VS-729f71d8 (pattern VS-f18df681) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Best Practice
Obligation: advisory
Handling: review
WCAG SC: Best Practice — not a WCAG requirement
Rule: axe-core — All page content should be contained by landmarks [region]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19
XPath / selector: .usa-alert
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (14 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<div class="usa-alert">

Description

All page content should be contained by landmarks. Detected by axe-core rule region on 22 of 3333 scanned pages (43 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19.
Locate the element: .usa-alert
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule region.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Wrap all page content in landmarks (header, nav, main, footer) so users can navigate by region.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/region?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Moderate axe heading-order Best Practice Heading levels should only increase by one (WCAG criterion undetermined) 16/3333 pages · 16 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-934a8b3b
Pattern ID: VS-d25f622d
Combined ID: VS-934a8b3b (pattern VS-d25f622d) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Best Practice
Obligation: advisory
Handling: review
WCAG SC: Best Practice — not a WCAG requirement
Rule: axe-core — Heading levels should only increase by one [heading-order]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19
XPath / selector: .callout__text > h3
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (12 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<h3>At a Glance</h3>

Description

Heading levels should only increase by one. Detected by axe-core rule heading-order on 16 of 3333 scanned pages (16 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19.
Locate the element: .callout__text > h3
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule heading-order.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Use heading levels in order (h1 → h2 → h3) without skipping; structure, not size.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/heading-order?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r66 WCAG 2.x AAA Text has enhanced contrast (WCAG 1.4.6) 11/3333 pages · 591 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-771e89fe
Pattern ID: VS-646b1e0b
Combined ID: VS-771e89fe (pattern VS-646b1e0b) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.x AAA
Obligation: aspirational
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced) (Level AAA, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Text has enhanced contrast [sia-r66]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19
XPath / selector: text: "Get the Latest Updates and FAQs"
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (12 wk)

Description

Text has enhanced contrast. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r66 on 11 of 3333 scanned pages (591 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19.
Locate the element: text: "Get the Latest Updates and FAQs"
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r66 against WCAG 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced).

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Increase text contrast to meet WCAG AAA (7:1).

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r66

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r111 WCAG 2.x AAA Target size is at least 44×44 CSS pixels (Enhanced) (WCAG 2.5.5) 11/3333 pages · 370 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-6575ea9f
Pattern ID: VS-cb53cc4d
Combined ID: VS-6575ea9f (pattern VS-cb53cc4d) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.x AAA
Obligation: aspirational
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 2.5.5 Target Size (Enhanced) (Level AAA, WCAG 2.1)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Target size is at least 44×44 CSS pixels (Enhanced) [sia-r111]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19
XPath / selector: <a class="usa-button" href="/web-modernization">
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (12 wk)

Description

Target size is at least 44×44 CSS pixels (Enhanced). Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r111 on 11 of 3333 scanned pages (370 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19.
Locate the element: <a class="usa-button" href="/web-modernization">
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r111 against WCAG 2.5.5 Target Size (Enhanced).

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r111

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r57 Undetermined Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard (WCAG criterion undetermined) 11/3333 pages · 44 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-298007c7
Pattern ID: VS-c18be945
Combined ID: VS-298007c7 (pattern VS-c18be945) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Undetermined
Obligation: unmapped
Handling: review
WCAG SC: undetermined
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard [sia-r57]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19
XPath / selector: text: "NIH Websites Are Changing"
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (12 wk)

Description

Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r57 on 11 of 3333 scanned pages (44 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19.
Locate the element: text: "NIH Websites Are Changing"
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r57.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r57

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r73 WCAG 2.x AAA Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 (WCAG 1.4.8) 11/3333 pages · 35 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-9816ce07
Pattern ID: VS-2208081b
Combined ID: VS-9816ce07 (pattern VS-2208081b) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.x AAA
Obligation: aspirational
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.4.8 Visual Presentation (Level AAA, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 [sia-r73]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19
XPath / selector: <p class="usa-banner__header-text">
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (12 wk)

Description

Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r73 on 11 of 3333 scanned pages (35 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19.
Locate the element: <p class="usa-banner__header-text">
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r73 against WCAG 1.4.8 Visual Presentation.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r73

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r18 Undetermined aria attribute is permitted for element role (WCAG criterion undetermined) 11/3333 pages · 22 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-eed9a938
Pattern ID: VS-e05344b9
Combined ID: VS-eed9a938 (pattern VS-e05344b9) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Undetermined
Obligation: unmapped
Handling: review
WCAG SC: undetermined
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — aria attribute is permitted for element role [sia-r18]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19
XPath / selector: @aria-label="Descripción de la agencia"
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (12 wk)

Description

aria attribute is permitted for element role. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r18 on 11 of 3333 scanned pages (22 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19.
Locate the element: @aria-label="Descripción de la agencia"
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r18.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Only use ARIA states/properties that are allowed on this element/role.

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r18

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r61 Undetermined Form field label is visible (WCAG criterion undetermined) 11/3333 pages · 11 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-9b0f0599
Pattern ID: VS-7118fead
Combined ID: VS-9b0f0599 (pattern VS-7118fead) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Undetermined
Obligation: unmapped
Handling: review
WCAG SC: undetermined
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Form field label is visible [sia-r61]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19
XPath / selector: {"type":"document","children":[{"type":"type","name":"html","publicId":null,"sys
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (12 wk)

Description

Form field label is visible. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r61 on 11 of 3333 scanned pages (11 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19.
Locate the element: {"type":"document","children":[{"type":"type","name":"html","publicId":null,"sys
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r61.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r61

Triage status Notes

Moderate axe landmark-unique Best Practice Landmarks should have a unique role or role/label/title (i.e. accessible name) c (WCAG criterion undetermined) 11/3333 pages · 11 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-65ccc77e
Pattern ID: VS-8806389c
Combined ID: VS-65ccc77e (pattern VS-8806389c) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Best Practice
Obligation: advisory
Handling: review
WCAG SC: Best Practice — not a WCAG requirement
Rule: axe-core — Landmarks should have a unique role or role/label/title (i.e. accessible name) c [landmark-unique]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19
XPath / selector: #block-nih2-uswds-search
History: first seen 2026-W29, last seen 2026-W38 (10 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<div class="search-block-form usa-form block block-search container-inline" data-drupal-selector="search-block-form" id="block-nih2-uswds-search" role="search">

Description

Landmarks should have a unique role or role/label/title (i.e. accessible name) c. Detected by axe-core rule landmark-unique on 11 of 3333 scanned pages (11 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19.
Locate the element: #block-nih2-uswds-search
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule landmark-unique.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: When a landmark role/type repeats (e.g. two <nav>s), give each a distinct accessible name with aria-label or aria-labelledby (e.g. "Primary" and "Footer" navigation) so screen-reader users can tell them apart.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/landmark-unique?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r53 Undetermined Headings are structured hierarchically (WCAG criterion undetermined) 8/3333 pages · 8 instances

Bug ID: VS-ed2b0086
Pattern ID: VS-f054f4a4
Combined ID: VS-ed2b0086 (pattern VS-f054f4a4) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Undetermined
Obligation: unmapped
Handling: review
WCAG SC: undetermined
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Headings are structured hierarchically [sia-r53]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19
XPath / selector: <h3>
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (11 wk)

Description

Headings are structured hierarchically. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r53 on 8 of 3333 scanned pages (8 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19.
Locate the element: <h3>
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r53.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Use headings in a logical, non-skipping order.

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r53

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r85 Undetermined Keyboard trap does not exist (WCAG criterion undetermined) 3/3333 pages · 4 instances

Bug ID: VS-8d55d478
Pattern ID: VS-4c341c77
Combined ID: VS-8d55d478 (pattern VS-4c341c77) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Undetermined
Obligation: unmapped
Handling: review
WCAG SC: undetermined
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Keyboard trap does not exist [sia-r85]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/dr-jonathan-m-green-selected-ceo-nih-clinical-center
XPath / selector: <p class="nih-subtitle">
History: first seen 2026-W29, last seen 2026-W38 (9 wk)

Description

Keyboard trap does not exist. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r85 on 3 of 3333 scanned pages (4 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/dr-jonathan-m-green-selected-ceo-nih-clinical-center.
Locate the element: <p class="nih-subtitle">
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r85.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r85

Triage status Notes

Minor axe empty-heading Best Practice Headings should not be empty (WCAG criterion undetermined) 3/3333 pages · 3 instances

Bug ID: VS-7191385e
Pattern ID: VS-0066c67d
Combined ID: VS-7191385e (pattern VS-0066c67d) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Best Practice
Obligation: advisory
Handling: review
WCAG SC: Best Practice — not a WCAG requirement
Rule: axe-core — Headings should not be empty [empty-heading]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-launches-21-million-initiative-improve-understanding-sex-specific-hormonal-biology
XPath / selector: article > div > h3
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (10 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<h3></h3>

Description

Headings should not be empty. Detected by axe-core rule empty-heading on 3 of 3333 scanned pages (3 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-launches-21-million-initiative-improve-understanding-sex-specific-hormonal-biology.
Locate the element: article > div > h3
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule empty-heading.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

How to fix: Remove empty headings or give them text. Don't use heading tags for spacing.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/empty-heading?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r64 WCAG 2.0 A Element has required owned roles (WCAG 1.3.1) 2/3333 pages · 2 instances · possible duplicate Likely content

Bug ID: VS-1dbb64fc
Pattern ID: VS-3c632d31
Combined ID: VS-1dbb64fc (pattern VS-3c632d31) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Element has required owned roles [sia-r64]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/dr-jonathan-m-green-selected-ceo-nih-clinical-center
XPath / selector: <h3>
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (9 wk)
Possible duplicate: Same WCAG SC covered by axe report VS-a6e489dd (pattern VS-a0bdbdf6). If axe and this engine flag the same element, the axe report takes precedence — mark this as duplicate in JIRA.

Description

Element has required owned roles. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r64 on 2 of 3333 scanned pages (2 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/dr-jonathan-m-green-selected-ceo-nih-clinical-center.
Locate the element: <h3>
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r64 against WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.

Impact

Affects Without vision (1.0%), Limited vision (2.4%), Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability (11.0%).

Without vision — 1.0% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability — 11.0% of population

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r64

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r78 Undetermined Table header has scope (WCAG criterion undetermined) 2/3333 pages · 2 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-811c61db
Pattern ID: VS-2cd767ca
Combined ID: VS-811c61db (pattern VS-2cd767ca) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Undetermined
Obligation: unmapped
Handling: review
WCAG SC: undetermined
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Table header has scope [sia-r78]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/dr-jonathan-m-green-selected-ceo-nih-clinical-center
XPath / selector: <h3>
History: first seen 2026-W29, last seen 2026-W38 (7 wk)

Description

Table header has scope. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r78 on 2 of 3333 scanned pages (2 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/dr-jonathan-m-green-selected-ceo-nih-clinical-center.
Locate the element: <h3>
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r78.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

Testing environment

Automated: Siteimprove Alfa, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r78

Triage status Notes

Moderate axe page-has-heading-one Best Practice Page should contain a level-one heading (WCAG criterion undetermined) 1/3333 pages · 1 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-fa135615
Pattern ID: VS-fa44f293
Combined ID: VS-fa135615 (pattern VS-fa44f293) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: Best Practice
Obligation: advisory
Handling: review
WCAG SC: Best Practice — not a WCAG requirement
Rule: axe-core — Page should contain a level-one heading [page-has-heading-one]
Example URL: https://www.nih.gov/news-events
XPath / selector: html
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W38 (6 wk)

HTML snippet — use this to validate the finding without re-running the tool

<html lang="en" dir="ltr" prefix="og: https://ogp.me/ns#" class=" js">

Description

Page should contain a level-one heading. Detected by axe-core rule page-has-heading-one on 1 of 3333 scanned pages (1 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events.
Locate the element: html
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule page-has-heading-one.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

/news-events

Testing environment

Automated: axe-core, headless Chromium (Playwright). Manual AT verification: Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Suggested fix

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/page-has-heading-one?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Deque axe-core findings

Rule-level axe-core summary (8 rule type(s))

Each failing rule links out to the axe-core documentation. For full element-level detail including HTML snippets and XPaths, see the bug reports above.

axe-core rules failing in 2026-W38, by pages affected
Rule	Impact	Pages affected	Instances	Example pages	All affected
Links must be distinguishable without relying on color [link-in-text-block]	serious	22	107	/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19 /news-events/nih-research-matters/understanding-exceptional-responders-cancer-treatment /news-events/nih-research-matters/how-psychedelic-drugs-may-help-depression	all 22 pages (CSV)
All page content should be contained by landmarks [region]	moderate	22	43	/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19 /news-events/nih-research-matters/understanding-exceptional-responders-cancer-treatment /news-events/nih-research-matters/how-psychedelic-drugs-may-help-depression	all 22 pages (CSV)
Heading levels should only increase by one [heading-order]	moderate	16	16	/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19 /news-events/nih-research-matters/understanding-exceptional-responders-cancer-treatment /news-events/nih-research-matters/how-psychedelic-drugs-may-help-depression	all 16 pages (CSV)
Landmarks should have a unique role or role/label/title (i.e. accessible name) combination [landmark-unique]	moderate	11	11	/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19 /news-events/nih-research-matters/understanding-exceptional-responders-cancer-treatment /news-events/nih-research-matters/how-psychedelic-drugs-may-help-depression	all 11 pages (CSV)
Headings should not be empty [empty-heading]	minor	3	3	/news-events/news-releases/nih-launches-21-million-initiative-improve-understanding-sex-specific-hormonal-biology /news-events/news-releases/dr-jonathan-m-green-selected-ceo-nih-clinical-center /news-events/news-releases/monoclonal-antibodies-crucial-fighting-emerging-infectious-diseases-say-nih-officials	all 3 pages (CSV)
<ul> and <ol> must only directly contain <li>, <script> or <template> elements [list]	serious	2	2	/heal/award-policy/data-sharing-policy/common-data-elements-cdes-repository /heal/award-policy/data-sharing-policy/common-data-elements-cdes-repository	all 2 pages (CSV)
Images must have alternative text [image-alt]	critical	1	2	/news-events	all 1 pages (CSV)
Page should contain a level-one heading [page-has-heading-one]	moderate	1	1	/news-events	all 1 pages (CSV)

Siteimprove Alfa findings

Rule-level Alfa summary (11 rule type(s))

Rule-level summary from Siteimprove Alfa (W3C ACT-based). Findings that overlap with axe-core on the same WCAG success criterion are noted as possible duplicates in the bug reports above.

Alfa rules failing in 2026-W38, by pages affected
Rule	Impact	Pages affected	Instances	Example pages	All affected
Text has enhanced contrast [sia-r66]	n/a	11	591	/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19 /news-events/nih-research-matters/financial-problems-can-be-sign-dementia-onset /news-events/nih-research-matters/researchers-find-cause-new-autoinflammatory-disease	all 11 pages (CSV)
Target size is at least 44×44 CSS pixels (Enhanced) [sia-r111]	n/a	11	370	/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19 /news-events/nih-research-matters/financial-problems-can-be-sign-dementia-onset /news-events/nih-research-matters/researchers-find-cause-new-autoinflammatory-disease	all 11 pages (CSV)
Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard [sia-r57]	n/a	11	44	/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19 /news-events/nih-research-matters/financial-problems-can-be-sign-dementia-onset /news-events/nih-research-matters/researchers-find-cause-new-autoinflammatory-disease	all 11 pages (CSV)
Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 [sia-r73]	n/a	11	35	/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19 /news-events/nih-research-matters/financial-problems-can-be-sign-dementia-onset /news-events/nih-research-matters/researchers-find-cause-new-autoinflammatory-disease	all 11 pages (CSV)
Link in text block is visually distinguishable without color [sia-r62]	n/a	11	31	/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19 /news-events/nih-research-matters/financial-problems-can-be-sign-dementia-onset /news-events/nih-research-matters/researchers-find-cause-new-autoinflammatory-disease	all 11 pages (CSV)
aria attribute is permitted for element role [sia-r18]	n/a	11	22	/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19 /news-events/nih-research-matters/financial-problems-can-be-sign-dementia-onset /news-events/nih-research-matters/researchers-find-cause-new-autoinflammatory-disease	all 11 pages (CSV)
Form field label is visible [sia-r61]	n/a	11	11	/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19 /news-events/nih-research-matters/financial-problems-can-be-sign-dementia-onset /news-events/nih-research-matters/researchers-find-cause-new-autoinflammatory-disease	all 11 pages (CSV)
Headings are structured hierarchically [sia-r53]	n/a	8	8	/news-events/nih-research-matters/humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19 /news-events/nih-research-matters/financial-problems-can-be-sign-dementia-onset /news-events/nih-research-matters/researchers-find-cause-new-autoinflammatory-disease	all 8 pages (CSV)
Keyboard trap does not exist [sia-r85]	n/a	3	4	/news-events/news-releases/dr-jonathan-m-green-selected-ceo-nih-clinical-center /about-nih/nih-almanac/michael-gottesman-md /news-events/news-releases/monoclonal-antibodies-crucial-fighting-emerging-infectious-diseases-say-nih-officials	all 3 pages (CSV)
Table header has scope [sia-r78]	n/a	2	2	/news-events/news-releases/dr-jonathan-m-green-selected-ceo-nih-clinical-center /news-events/news-releases/monoclonal-antibodies-crucial-fighting-emerging-infectious-diseases-say-nih-officials	all 2 pages (CSV)
Element has required owned roles [sia-r64]	n/a	2	2	/news-events/news-releases/dr-jonathan-m-green-selected-ceo-nih-clinical-center /news-events/news-releases/monoclonal-antibodies-crucial-fighting-emerging-infectious-diseases-say-nih-officials	all 2 pages (CSV)

Unique accessibility issues (axe + Alfa consolidated)

axe and Alfa both implement W3C ACT rules, so the same issue is often caught by both. These are deduplicated by ACT rule and page, so a shared finding counts once (170 raw engine findings → 168 unique).

Unique issues (rule × page): 168
Caught by both engines: 2 highest confidence
axe only: 76
Alfa only: 90

1 rule type(s) caught by both engines — highest confidence

Two independent ACT-rule implementations (Deque axe-core and Siteimprove Alfa) flagged the same issue on the same pages. Agreement between separate engines is strong evidence the barrier is real, not a single-tool false positive — the best place to start.

Rules flagged by both axe-core and Alfa in 2026-W38, by pages affected.
Issue	Pages	Rule references
Headings should not be empty	3	axe empty-heading · Alfa sia-r64 · ACT ffd0e9