nih.gov: Accessibility — week 2026-W39

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
1.4.8	WCAG 1.4.8	12	1
2.5.5	WCAG 2.5.5	12	1
1.4.6	WCAG 1.4.6	11	1
1.3.1	Info and Relationships (semantic structure)	6	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
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
Form field label is visible · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~12 finding(s) on 12 page(s). XPath / selector: `{"type":"document","children":[{"type":"type","name":"html","publicId":null,"sys`	Moderate	12	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r61	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
All page content should be contained by landmarks · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~23 finding(s) on 23 page(s). XPath / selector: `#system-breadcrumb` `<h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2>`	Moderate	23	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
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
aria attribute is permitted for element role · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~12 finding(s) on 12 page(s). XPath / selector: `@aria-label="Descripción de la agencia"`	Moderate	12	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 ~12 finding(s) on 12 page(s). XPath / selector: `@aria-label="Official website of the Department of Health and Human Services"`	Moderate	12	Requires manual testing.	Only use ARIA states/properties that are allowed on this element/role.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Headings are structured hierarchically · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~9 finding(s) on 9 page(s). XPath / selector: `<h3>`	Moderate	9	Requires manual testing.	Use headings in a logical, non-skipping order.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~12 finding(s) on 12 page(s). XPath / selector: `text: "NIH Websites Are Changing"`	Moderate	12	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r57	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~12 finding(s) on 12 page(s). XPath / selector: `text: "NIH is moving the launch of its new website to the fall to ensure the best possible experience for everyone who relies on our websites for health information, research, funding opportunities, a`	Moderate	12	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r57	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~12 finding(s) on 12 page(s). XPath / selector: `text: "Get the Latest Updates and FAQs"`	Moderate	12	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r57	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes

Bug reports

3 issue type(s) are shown by default out of 18 total. Prioritized by severity, key pages, WCAG level, and prevalence; use the toggle to show everything.

Overall severity mix: 2 serious, 15 moderate, 1 minor. By WCAG category: 4 WCAG 2.0 A, 1 WCAG 2.2 AA, 3 WCAG 2.x AAA, 4 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 3 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 · 88 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-328eb40c
Pattern ID: VS-8ade3360
Combined ID: VS-328eb40c (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://nih.gov/press-room?page=9
XPath / selector: .usa-identifier__identity-disclaimer > a[href$="hhs.gov/"]
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (15 wk)

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

<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/" class="ext" data-extlink="" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer" title="(opens in a new window)">Department of Health and Human Services</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 (88 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://nih.gov/press-room?page=9.
Locate the element: .usa-identifier__identity-disclaimer > a[href$="hhs.gov/"]
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-0d533bdd
Pattern ID: VS-a0bdbdf6
Combined ID: VS-0d533bdd (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://nih.gov/press-room?page=9
XPath / selector: .usa-pagination__list
History: first seen 2026-W29, last seen 2026-W39 (9 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://nih.gov/press-room?page=9.
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

Moderate alfa sia-r62 WCAG 2.0 A Link in text block is visually distinguishable without color (WCAG 1.4.1) 11/3333 pages · 24 instances · possible duplicate Likely template

Bug ID: VS-df8f62df
Pattern ID: VS-efd91fdd
Combined ID: VS-df8f62df (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/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/" class="ext" data-extlink="" target="_blank">
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (13 wk)
Possible duplicate: Same WCAG SC covered by axe report VS-328eb40c (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 (24 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
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) 23/3333 pages · 46 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-45297625
Pattern ID: VS-f18df681
Combined ID: VS-45297625 (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://nih.gov/press-room?page=9
XPath / selector: .usa-alert
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (15 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 23 of 3333 scanned pages (46 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://nih.gov/press-room?page=9.
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.

Drupal tip: Use Drupal's region system (header, navigation, main, sidebar, footer) and map each to an HTML5 landmark element in your theme's page.html.twig.

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) 19/3333 pages · 19 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-1e10ddeb
Pattern ID: VS-d25f622d
Combined ID: VS-1e10ddeb (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/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: h3:nth-child(4)
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (13 wk)

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

<h3>What</h3>

Description

Heading levels should only increase by one. Detected by axe-core rule heading-order on 19 of 3333 scanned pages (19 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
Locate the element: h3:nth-child(4)
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.

Drupal tip: Drupal Views and blocks can insert headings at arbitrary levels. In the Views UI, set "Title tag" for each display. For block titles, configure the heading level in the block's layout settings.

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

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) 12/3333 pages · 396 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-b58524e0
Pattern ID: VS-cb53cc4d
Combined ID: VS-b58524e0 (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/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: <a class="usa-button" href="/web-modernization">
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (13 wk)

Description

Target size is at least 44×44 CSS pixels (Enhanced). Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r111 on 12 of 3333 scanned pages (396 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
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-r73 WCAG 2.x AAA Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 (WCAG 1.4.8) 12/3333 pages · 64 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-52fb6870
Pattern ID: VS-2208081b
Combined ID: VS-52fb6870 (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/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: <p class="usa-banner__header-text">
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (13 wk)

Description

Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r73 on 12 of 3333 scanned pages (64 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
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-r57 Undetermined Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard (WCAG criterion undetermined) 12/3333 pages · 48 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-72ff58d0
Pattern ID: VS-c18be945
Combined ID: VS-72ff58d0 (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/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: text: "NIH Websites Are Changing"
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (13 wk)

Description

Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r57 on 12 of 3333 scanned pages (48 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
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-r18 Undetermined aria attribute is permitted for element role (WCAG criterion undetermined) 12/3333 pages · 24 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-55d6b303
Pattern ID: VS-e05344b9
Combined ID: VS-55d6b303 (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/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: @aria-label="Descripción de la agencia"
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (13 wk)

Description

aria attribute is permitted for element role. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r18 on 12 of 3333 scanned pages (24 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
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) 12/3333 pages · 12 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-2e28e7ba
Pattern ID: VS-7118fead
Combined ID: VS-2e28e7ba (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/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: {"type":"document","children":[{"type":"type","name":"html","publicId":null,"sys
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (13 wk)

Description

Form field label is visible. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r61 on 12 of 3333 scanned pages (12 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
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 alfa sia-r66 WCAG 2.x AAA Text has enhanced contrast (WCAG 1.4.6) 11/3333 pages · 507 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-6af78265
Pattern ID: VS-646b1e0b
Combined ID: VS-6af78265 (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/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: text: "Get the Latest Updates and FAQs"
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (13 wk)

Description

Text has enhanced contrast. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r66 on 11 of 3333 scanned pages (507 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
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 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-8044f30e
Pattern ID: VS-8806389c
Combined ID: VS-8044f30e (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/treatment-depression-young-children
XPath / selector: #block-nih2-uswds-search
History: first seen 2026-W29, last seen 2026-W39 (11 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/treatment-depression-young-children.
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) 10/3333 pages · 10 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-030170d4
Pattern ID: VS-f054f4a4
Combined ID: VS-030170d4 (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/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: <h3>
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (12 wk)

Description

Headings are structured hierarchically. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r53 on 10 of 3333 scanned pages (10 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
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

Minor axe empty-heading Best Practice Headings should not be empty (WCAG criterion undetermined) 6/3333 pages · 6 instances

Bug ID: VS-b476ee5c
Pattern ID: VS-0066c67d
Combined ID: VS-b476ee5c (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-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: h3:nth-child(15)
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (11 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 6 of 3333 scanned pages (6 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
Locate the element: h3:nth-child(15)
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-r85 Undetermined Keyboard trap does not exist (WCAG criterion undetermined) 4/3333 pages · 5 instances

Bug ID: VS-ebdd2e63
Pattern ID: VS-4c341c77
Combined ID: VS-ebdd2e63 (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/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: <p class="nih-subtitle">
History: first seen 2026-W29, last seen 2026-W39 (10 wk)

Description

Keyboard trap does not exist. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r85 on 4 of 3333 scanned pages (5 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
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

Moderate alfa sia-r64 WCAG 2.0 A Element has required owned roles (WCAG 1.3.1) 4/3333 pages · 4 instances · possible duplicate

Bug ID: VS-e88ed0a2
Pattern ID: VS-3c632d31
Combined ID: VS-e88ed0a2 (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/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: <h3>
History: first seen 2026-W25, last seen 2026-W39 (10 wk)
Possible duplicate: Same WCAG SC covered by axe report VS-0d533bdd (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 4 of 3333 scanned pages (4 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
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) 3/3333 pages · 3 instances

Bug ID: VS-8d149bbb
Pattern ID: VS-2cd767ca
Combined ID: VS-8d149bbb (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/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations
XPath / selector: <h3>
History: first seen 2026-W29, last seen 2026-W39 (8 wk)

Description

Table header has scope. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r78 on 3 of 3333 scanned pages (3 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations.
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 alfa sia-r113 WCAG 2.2 AA Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum) (WCAG 2.5.8) 1/3333 pages · 96 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-1d0b6c78
Pattern ID: VS-179ad9b3
Combined ID: VS-1d0b6c78 (pattern VS-179ad9b3) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.2 AA
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (Level AA, WCAG 2.2)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum) [sia-r113]
Example URL: https://nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison/freedom-information-act-office/nih-foia-library
XPath / selector: <a class="usa-button" href="/web-modernization">
History: first seen 2026-W39, last seen 2026-W39 (1 wk)

Description

Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum). Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r113 on 1 of 3333 scanned pages (96 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison/freedom-information-act-office/nih-foia-library.
Locate the element: <a class="usa-button" href="/web-modernization">
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r113 against WCAG 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum).

Impact

Affects Limited manipulation/strength (13.0%), Limited reach (2.0%), Limited vision (2.4%).

Limited manipulation/strength — 13.0% of population
Limited reach — 2.0% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population

Affected pages

/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison/freedom-information-act-office/nih-foia-library

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-r113

Triage status Notes

Deque axe-core findings

Rule-level axe-core summary (6 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-W39, by pages affected
Rule	Impact	Pages affected	Instances	Example pages	All affected
All page content should be contained by landmarks [region]	moderate	23	46	/press-room /news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/nih-research-matters/treatment-depression-young-children	all 23 pages (CSV)
Links must be distinguishable without relying on color [link-in-text-block]	serious	22	88	/press-room /news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/nih-research-matters/treatment-depression-young-children	all 22 pages (CSV)
Heading levels should only increase by one [heading-order]	moderate	19	19	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/nih-research-matters/treatment-depression-young-children /news-events/news-releases/graduates-early-childhood-program-show-greater-educational-gains-adults	all 19 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/treatment-depression-young-children /news-events/nih-research-matters/healthful-diet-linked-reduced-risk-cognitive-decline /news-events/nih-research-matters/approach-prevent-fall-injuries-no-better-usual-care	all 11 pages (CSV)
Headings should not be empty [empty-heading]	minor	6	6	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/news-releases/graduates-early-childhood-program-show-greater-educational-gains-adults /news-events/news-releases/iodine-deficiency-may-reduce-pregnancy-chances-nih-study-suggests	all 6 pages (CSV)
<ul> and <ol> must only directly contain <li>, <script> or <template> elements [list]	serious	2	2	/press-room /press-room	all 2 pages (CSV)

Siteimprove Alfa findings

Rule-level Alfa summary (12 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-W39, by pages affected
Rule	Impact	Pages affected	Instances	Example pages	All affected
Target size is at least 44×44 CSS pixels (Enhanced) [sia-r111]	n/a	12	396	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/news-releases/graduates-early-childhood-program-show-greater-educational-gains-adults /health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/personal-stories/why-we-became-scientists	all 12 pages (CSV)
Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 [sia-r73]	n/a	12	64	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/news-releases/graduates-early-childhood-program-show-greater-educational-gains-adults /health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/personal-stories/why-we-became-scientists	all 12 pages (CSV)
Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard [sia-r57]	n/a	12	48	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/news-releases/graduates-early-childhood-program-show-greater-educational-gains-adults /health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/personal-stories/why-we-became-scientists	all 12 pages (CSV)
aria attribute is permitted for element role [sia-r18]	n/a	12	24	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/news-releases/graduates-early-childhood-program-show-greater-educational-gains-adults /health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/personal-stories/why-we-became-scientists	all 12 pages (CSV)
Form field label is visible [sia-r61]	n/a	12	12	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/news-releases/graduates-early-childhood-program-show-greater-educational-gains-adults /health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/personal-stories/why-we-became-scientists	all 12 pages (CSV)
Text has enhanced contrast [sia-r66]	n/a	11	507	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/news-releases/graduates-early-childhood-program-show-greater-educational-gains-adults /health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/personal-stories/why-we-became-scientists	all 11 pages (CSV)
Link in text block is visually distinguishable without color [sia-r62]	n/a	11	24	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/news-releases/graduates-early-childhood-program-show-greater-educational-gains-adults /health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/personal-stories/why-we-became-scientists	all 11 pages (CSV)
Headings are structured hierarchically [sia-r53]	n/a	10	10	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/news-releases/graduates-early-childhood-program-show-greater-educational-gains-adults /institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison/freedom-information-act-office/nih-foia-library	all 10 pages (CSV)
Keyboard trap does not exist [sia-r85]	n/a	4	5	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/news-releases/graduates-early-childhood-program-show-greater-educational-gains-adults /news-events/news-releases/iodine-deficiency-may-reduce-pregnancy-chances-nih-study-suggests	all 4 pages (CSV)
Element has required owned roles [sia-r64]	n/a	4	4	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /news-events/news-releases/graduates-early-childhood-program-show-greater-educational-gains-adults /news-events/news-releases/iodine-deficiency-may-reduce-pregnancy-chances-nih-study-suggests	all 4 pages (CSV)
Table header has scope [sia-r78]	n/a	3	3	/news-events/news-releases/nih-expands-research-improve-covid-19-testing-among-underserved-vulnerable-populations /institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison/freedom-information-act-office/nih-foia-library /news-events/news-releases/iodine-deficiency-may-reduce-pregnancy-chances-nih-study-suggests	all 3 pages (CSV)
Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum) [sia-r113]	n/a	1	96	/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison/freedom-information-act-office/nih-foia-library	all 1 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 (187 raw engine findings → 183 unique).

Unique issues (rule × page): 183
Caught by both engines: 4 highest confidence
axe only: 79
Alfa only: 100

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-W39, by pages affected.
Issue	Pages	Rule references
Headings should not be empty	6	axe empty-heading · Alfa sia-r64 · ACT ffd0e9