www.healthcare.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
4.1.2	Name, Role, Value (ARIA)	1104	2
1.4.8	WCAG 1.4.8	588	1
2.5.5	WCAG 2.5.5	588	1
2.5.8	WCAG 2.5.8	100	1
1.4.3	Contrast (Minimum)	21	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
ARIA attributes must conform to valid values · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~1102 finding(s) on 1102 page(s). XPath / selector: `.index-module--search-form--93f38` `<form role="search" method="get" action="/search/" class="index-module--search-form--93f38" aria-controls="search-results">`	Critical	1102	Without vision, Limited vision, Limited manipulation/strength	Fix the ARIA attribute value — it must reference a real id or use an allowed value.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
aria attribute is permitted for element role · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~570 finding(s) on 570 page(s). XPath / selector: `@aria-labelledby="mm-topic-featured"`	Serious	570	Requires manual testing.	Only use ARIA states/properties that are allowed on this element/role.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Form field label is visible · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~570 finding(s) on 570 page(s). XPath / selector: `{"type":"document","children":[{"type":"type","name":"html","publicId":null,"sys`	Serious	570	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r61	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~588 finding(s) on 588 page(s). XPath / selector: `<p class="ds-c-usa-banner__header-text">`	Serious	588	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r73	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~588 finding(s) on 588 page(s). XPath / selector: `<p class="ds-c-usa-banner__action ds-u-align-items--center ds-u-md-display--none ds-u-display--flex">`	Serious	588	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r73	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~570 finding(s) on 570 page(s). XPath / selector: `<p class="megaMenu-module--featured-heading--d1d6f">`	Serious	570	Requires manual testing.	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r73	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Images must have alternative text · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~18 finding(s) on 9 page(s). XPath / selector: `div:nth-child(1) > div > img` `<img src="https://gov1.qualtrics.com/WRQualtricsSiteIntercept/Graphic.php?IM=IM_brriXYMu68CEU3s" style="width: 700px; height: 453px;">`	Critical	9	Without vision, Limited vision, Limited cognitive, language, or learning ability	Give every <img> a meaningful alt attribute. Use alt="" only for decorative images so screen readers skip them.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
Elements must meet minimum color contrast ratio thresholds · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~10 finding(s) on 10 page(s). XPath / selector: `#QSIFeedbackButton-btn > div > div:nth-child(2)` `<div>TAKE OUR SURVEY</div>`	Serious	10	Limited vision, Without color perception	Increase the contrast between text and its background to at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text). Check both light and dark modes.	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes
All page content should be contained by landmarks · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~18 finding(s) on 9 page(s). XPath / selector: `.QSIPopOver > div:nth-child(1)` `<div tabindex="0" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; position: absolute; z-index: 2000000000; width: 700px; height: 453px; background-color: transparent; border-width: 0px; border-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); bor`	Moderate	9	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
Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum) · unattributed component Fix one place, resolve ~43 finding(s) on 43 page(s). XPath / selector: `<a class="megaMenu-module--topic-link--97a32" href="/keep-or-change-plan/">`	Moderate	43	Limited manipulation/strength, Limited reach, Limited vision	See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r113	pages (CSV)	Decision Assigned to Notes

Bug reports

13 issue type(s) are shown by default out of 25 total. Prioritized by severity, key pages, WCAG level, and prevalence; use the toggle to show everything.

Overall severity mix: 2 critical, 9 serious, 13 moderate, 1 minor. By WCAG category: 9 WCAG 2.0 A, 2 WCAG 2.0 AA, 1 WCAG 2.1 A, 1 WCAG 2.2 AA, 3 WCAG 2.x AAA, 4 Best Practice, 5 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 13 prioritized issue type(s); 12 more are available if you switch to "Show everything".

1 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.

Critical axe aria-valid-attr-value WCAG 2.0 A ARIA attributes must conform to valid values (WCAG 4.1.2) 1102/1138 pages · 1102 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-02936df9
Pattern ID: VS-af36d20c
Combined ID: VS-02936df9 (pattern VS-af36d20c) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: axe-core — ARIA attributes must conform to valid values [aria-valid-attr-value]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/agent-privacy-act-statement
XPath / selector: .index-module--search-form--93f38
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

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

<form role="search" method="get" action="/search/" class="index-module--search-form--93f38" aria-controls="search-results">

Description

ARIA attributes must conform to valid values. Detected by axe-core rule aria-valid-attr-value on 1102 of 1138 scanned pages (1102 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/agent-privacy-act-statement.
Locate the element: .index-module--search-form--93f38
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule aria-valid-attr-value against WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value.

Impact

Affects Without vision (1.0%), Limited vision (2.4%), Limited manipulation/strength (13.0%).

Without vision — 1.0% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Limited manipulation/strength — 13.0% of population

Affected pages

…and more — all 1102 pages (CSV).

Testing environment

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

Suggested fix

How to fix: Fix the ARIA attribute value — it must reference a real id or use an allowed value.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/aria-valid-attr-value?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Serious axe color-contrast WCAG 2.0 AA Elements must meet minimum color contrast ratio thresholds (WCAG 1.4.3) 10/1138 pages · 10 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-5a2a75b1
Pattern ID: VS-be8d563e
Combined ID: VS-5a2a75b1 (pattern VS-be8d563e) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 AA
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: axe-core — Elements must meet minimum color contrast ratio thresholds [color-contrast]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/get-answers
XPath / selector: #QSIFeedbackButton-btn > div > div:nth-child(2)
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

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

<div>TAKE OUR SURVEY</div>

Description

Elements must meet minimum color contrast ratio thresholds. Detected by axe-core rule color-contrast on 10 of 1138 scanned pages (10 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/get-answers.
Locate the element: #QSIFeedbackButton-btn > div > div:nth-child(2)
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule color-contrast against WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum).

Impact

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

Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Without color perception — 4.5% 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: Increase the contrast between text and its background to at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text). Check both light and dark modes.

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

Triage status Notes

Critical axe image-alt WCAG 2.0 A Images must have alternative text (WCAG 1.1.1) 9/1138 pages · 18 instances

Bug ID: VS-0ba54a67
Pattern ID: VS-9074b4dd
Combined ID: VS-0ba54a67 (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://healthcare.gov/glossary/prevention-glossary
XPath / selector: div:nth-child(1) > div > img
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

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

<img src="https://gov1.qualtrics.com/WRQualtricsSiteIntercept/Graphic.php?IM=IM_brriXYMu68CEU3s" style="width: 700px; height: 453px;">

Description

Images must have alternative text. Detected by axe-core rule image-alt on 9 of 1138 scanned pages (18 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://healthcare.gov/glossary/prevention-glossary.
Locate the element: div:nth-child(1) > div > img
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

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

Serious axe definition-list WCAG 2.0 A <dl> elements must only directly contain properly-ordered <dt> and <dd> groups, (WCAG 1.3.1) 4/1138 pages · 8 instances

Bug ID: VS-5fc7a72b
Pattern ID: VS-4bcaa7bf
Combined ID: VS-5fc7a72b (pattern VS-4bcaa7bf) — 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 — <dl> elements must only directly contain properly-ordered <dt> and <dd> groups, [definition-list]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip/getting-medicaid-chip
XPath / selector: dl:nth-child(4)
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

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

<dl>

Description

<dl> elements must only directly contain properly-ordered <dt> and <dd> groups, . Detected by axe-core rule definition-list on 4 of 1138 scanned pages (8 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip/getting-medicaid-chip.
Locate the element: dl:nth-child(4)
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule definition-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

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/definition-list?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) 2/1138 pages · 2 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-2c7d8471
Pattern ID: VS-a0bdbdf6
Combined ID: VS-2c7d8471 (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.healthcare.gov/glossary
XPath / selector: .jumpTool-module--jump-list--99f14
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

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

<ul class="jumpTool-module--jump-list--99f14 ds-c-list--bare">

Description

<ul> and <ol> must only directly contain <li>, <script> or <template> elements. Detected by axe-core rule list on 2 of 1138 scanned pages (2 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary.
Locate the element: .jumpTool-module--jump-list--99f14
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

Serious axe link-in-text-block WCAG 2.0 A Links must be distinguishable without relying on color (WCAG 1.4.1) 2/1138 pages · 2 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-e3445c24
Pattern ID: VS-8ade3360
Combined ID: VS-e3445c24 (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://healthcare.gov/see-plans
XPath / selector: .ds-u-padding--0
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

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

<a class="ds-u-text-decoration--none ds-u-padding--0 ds-u-font-weight--normal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/qualifying-life-event/" aria-label="L

Description

Links must be distinguishable without relying on color. Detected by axe-core rule link-in-text-block on 2 of 1138 scanned pages (2 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://healthcare.gov/see-plans.
Locate the element: .ds-u-padding--0
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 td-headers-attr WCAG 2.0 A Table cell headers attributes must refer to other <th> elements in the same tabl (WCAG 1.3.1) 2/1138 pages · 2 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-b2aec309
Pattern ID: VS-07ba3b17
Combined ID: VS-b2aec309 (pattern VS-07ba3b17) — 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 — Table cell headers attributes must refer to other <th> elements in the same tabl [td-headers-attr]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/learn-more/hra-guide
XPath / selector: table
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

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

<table class="ds-c-table ds-c-table--striped ds-c-sm-table--stacked">

Description

Table cell headers attributes must refer to other <th> elements in the same tabl. Detected by axe-core rule td-headers-attr on 2 of 1138 scanned pages (2 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/learn-more/hra-guide.
Locate the element: table
Confirm the axe-core finding for rule td-headers-attr 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: Associate data cells with their headers correctly using headers/id or scope.

See remediation guidance: https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/td-headers-attr?application=axeAPI

Triage status Notes

Serious alfa sia-r111 WCAG 2.x AAA Target size is at least 44×44 CSS pixels (Enhanced) (WCAG 2.5.5) 588/1138 pages · 24755 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-8573b41e
Pattern ID: VS-cb53cc4d
Combined ID: VS-8573b41e (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.healthcare.gov/agent-privacy-act-statement
XPath / selector: <a href="https://www.cuidadodesalud.gov/es/agent-privacy-act-statement/" aria-label="CuidadoDeSalud.gov en Español" class="hc-c-logged-out-links__link sl-c-locale sl_swap" data-listener-attached="true
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

Description

Target size is at least 44×44 CSS pixels (Enhanced). Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r111 on 588 of 1138 scanned pages (24755 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/agent-privacy-act-statement.
Locate the element: <a href="https://www.cuidadodesalud.gov/es/agent-privacy-act-statement/" aria-label="CuidadoDeSalud.gov en Español" class="hc-c-logged-out-links__link sl-c-locale sl_swap" data-listener-attached="true
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

…and more — all 588 pages (CSV).

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

Serious alfa sia-r73 WCAG 2.x AAA Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 (WCAG 1.4.8) 588/1138 pages · 3564 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-8e53a311
Pattern ID: VS-2208081b
Combined ID: VS-8e53a311 (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.healthcare.gov/agent-privacy-act-statement
XPath / selector: <p class="ds-c-usa-banner__header-text">
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

Description

Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r73 on 588 of 1138 scanned pages (3564 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/agent-privacy-act-statement.
Locate the element: <p class="ds-c-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

…and more — all 588 pages (CSV).

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

Serious alfa sia-r18 Undetermined aria attribute is permitted for element role (WCAG criterion undetermined) 570/1138 pages · 570 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-8faa6f60
Pattern ID: VS-e05344b9
Combined ID: VS-8faa6f60 (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.healthcare.gov/agent-privacy-act-statement
XPath / selector: @aria-labelledby="mm-topic-featured"
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

Description

aria attribute is permitted for element role. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r18 on 570 of 1138 scanned pages (570 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/agent-privacy-act-statement.
Locate the element: @aria-labelledby="mm-topic-featured"
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r18.

Impact

Not captured by automated scan — requires manual testing.

Affected pages

…and more — all 570 pages (CSV).

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

Serious alfa sia-r61 Undetermined Form field label is visible (WCAG criterion undetermined) 570/1138 pages · 570 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-7ecce49b
Pattern ID: VS-7118fead
Combined ID: VS-7ecce49b (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.healthcare.gov/agent-privacy-act-statement
XPath / selector: {"type":"document","children":[{"type":"type","name":"html","publicId":null,"sys
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

Description

Form field label is visible. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r61 on 570 of 1138 scanned pages (570 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/agent-privacy-act-statement.
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

…and more — all 570 pages (CSV).

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-r113 WCAG 2.2 AA Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum) (WCAG 2.5.8) 100/1138 pages · 100 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-21ddeb62
Pattern ID: VS-179ad9b3
Combined ID: VS-21ddeb62 (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://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/generic-drugs
XPath / selector: <a class="megaMenu-module--topic-link--97a32" href="/keep-or-change-plan/">
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

Description

Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum). Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r113 on 100 of 1138 scanned pages (100 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/generic-drugs.
Locate the element: <a class="megaMenu-module--topic-link--97a32" href="/keep-or-change-plan/">
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

…and more — all 100 pages (CSV).

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

Moderate alfa sia-r69 WCAG 2.0 AA Text has sufficient color contrast (Enhanced) (WCAG 1.4.3) 11/1138 pages · 29 instances · possible duplicate Likely template

Bug ID: VS-877dee2b
Pattern ID: VS-f7e99f4b
Combined ID: VS-877dee2b (pattern VS-f7e99f4b) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 AA
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Text has sufficient color contrast (Enhanced) [sia-r69]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses
XPath / selector: text: "Sell SHOP health insurance to small businesses"
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)
Possible duplicate: Same WCAG SC covered by axe report VS-5a2a75b1 (pattern VS-be8d563e). If axe and this engine flag the same element, the axe report takes precedence — mark this as duplicate in JIRA.

Description

Text has sufficient color contrast (Enhanced). Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r69 on 11 of 1138 scanned pages (29 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses.
Locate the element: text: "Sell SHOP health insurance to small businesses"
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r69 against WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum).

Impact

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

Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Without color perception — 4.5% 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: Increase text contrast to meet WCAG AA (4.5:1, or 3:1 for large text).

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r69

Triage status Notes

Moderate axe heading-order Best Practice Heading levels should only increase by one (WCAG criterion undetermined) 24/1138 pages · 24 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-99d53ad9
Pattern ID: VS-d25f622d
Combined ID: VS-99d53ad9 (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://healthcare.gov/dental-plan-information
XPath / selector: h3:nth-child(19)
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

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

<h3><span>Other health &amp; dental plan datasets</span></h3>

Description

Heading levels should only increase by one. Detected by axe-core rule heading-order on 24 of 1138 scanned pages (24 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://healthcare.gov/dental-plan-information.
Locate the element: h3:nth-child(19)
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 axe landmark-unique Best Practice Landmarks should have a unique role or role/label/title (i.e. accessible name) c (WCAG criterion undetermined) 22/1138 pages · 22 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-4f99ee73
Pattern ID: VS-8806389c
Combined ID: VS-4f99ee73 (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.healthcare.gov/verify-information/documents-and-deadlines
XPath / selector: #box-content--3269fd380
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

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

<div class="ds-c-alert ds-c-alert--hide-icon ds-c-alert--lightweight" role="region" aria-labelledby="box-content--3269fd380__a11y-label" id="box-content--3269fd380">

Description

Landmarks should have a unique role or role/label/title (i.e. accessible name) c. Detected by axe-core rule landmark-unique on 22 of 1138 scanned pages (22 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/verify-information/documents-and-deadlines.
Locate the element: #box-content--3269fd380
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) 13/1138 pages · 13 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-323c5323
Pattern ID: VS-f054f4a4
Combined ID: VS-323c5323 (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://healthcare.gov/dental-plan-information
XPath / selector: <h3>
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

Description

Headings are structured hierarchically. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r53 on 13 of 1138 scanned pages (13 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://healthcare.gov/dental-plan-information.
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-r66 WCAG 2.x AAA Text has enhanced contrast (WCAG 1.4.6) 11/1138 pages · 29 instances Likely template

Bug ID: VS-77a3b501
Pattern ID: VS-646b1e0b
Combined ID: VS-77a3b501 (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.healthcare.gov/small-businesses
XPath / selector: text: "Sell SHOP health insurance to small businesses"
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

Description

Text has enhanced contrast. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r66 on 11 of 1138 scanned pages (29 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses.
Locate the element: text: "Sell SHOP health insurance to small businesses"
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 region Best Practice All page content should be contained by landmarks (WCAG criterion undetermined) 9/1138 pages · 18 instances

Bug ID: VS-7036a79f
Pattern ID: VS-f18df681
Combined ID: VS-7036a79f (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://healthcare.gov/glossary/prevention-glossary
XPath / selector: .QSIPopOver > div:nth-child(1)
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

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

<div tabindex="0" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; position: absolute; z-index: 2000000000; width: 700px; height: 453px; background-color: transparent; border-width: 0px; border-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); bor

Description

All page content should be contained by landmarks. Detected by axe-core rule region on 9 of 1138 scanned pages (18 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://healthcare.gov/glossary/prevention-glossary.
Locate the element: .QSIPopOver > div:nth-child(1)
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

Minor axe empty-heading Best Practice Headings should not be empty (WCAG criterion undetermined) 8/1138 pages · 8 instances

Bug ID: VS-2cccfa20
Pattern ID: VS-0066c67d
Combined ID: VS-2cccfa20 (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.healthcare.gov/choose-a-plan/your-total-costs
XPath / selector: .index-module--content--6c4f4 > h3
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (16 wk)

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

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Description

Headings should not be empty. Detected by axe-core rule empty-heading on 8 of 1138 scanned pages (8 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/choose-a-plan/your-total-costs.
Locate the element: .index-module--content--6c4f4 > 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) 6/1138 pages · 6 instances

Bug ID: VS-307ee99b
Pattern ID: VS-3c632d31
Combined ID: VS-307ee99b (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.healthcare.gov/choose-a-plan/your-total-costs
XPath / selector: <h3>
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (15 wk)

Description

Element has required owned roles. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r64 on 6 of 1138 scanned pages (6 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/choose-a-plan/your-total-costs.
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-r57 Undetermined Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard (WCAG criterion undetermined) 5/1138 pages · 5 instances

Bug ID: VS-6a9a1e60
Pattern ID: VS-c18be945
Combined ID: VS-6a9a1e60 (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.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/get-answers
XPath / selector: text: "TAKE OUR SURVEY"
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (14 wk)

Description

Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r57 on 5 of 1138 scanned pages (5 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/get-answers.
Locate the element: text: "TAKE OUR SURVEY"
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-r2 WCAG 2.0 A Image has accessible name (WCAG 1.1.1) 3/1138 pages · 6 instances

Bug ID: VS-6e3d5edb
Pattern ID: VS-a24eaa8c
Combined ID: VS-6e3d5edb (pattern VS-a24eaa8c) — 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: Siteimprove Alfa — Image has accessible name [sia-r2]
Example URL: https://healthcare.gov/exemption-form-instructions
XPath / selector: <img src="https://gov1.qualtrics.com/WRQualtricsSiteIntercept/Graphic.php?IM=IM_brriXYMu68CEU3s" style="width: 700px; height: 453px;">
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (14 wk)

Description

Image has accessible name. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r2 on 3 of 1138 scanned pages (6 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://healthcare.gov/exemption-form-instructions.
Locate the element: <img src="https://gov1.qualtrics.com/WRQualtricsSiteIntercept/Graphic.php?IM=IM_brriXYMu68CEU3s" style="width: 700px; height: 453px;">
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r2 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

Testing environment

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

Suggested fix

How to fix: Give every <img> an accessible name (alt text), or alt="" if purely decorative.

See remediation guidance: https://alfa.siteimprove.com/rules/sia-r2

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r14 WCAG 2.1 A Accessible name of link or button matches visible label (WCAG 2.5.3) 3/1138 pages · 4 instances

Bug ID: VS-80c02608
Pattern ID: VS-f7dba940
Combined ID: VS-80c02608 (pattern VS-f7dba940) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.1 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 2.5.3 Label in Name (Level A, WCAG 2.1)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — Accessible name of link or button matches visible label [sia-r14]
Example URL: https://healthcare.gov/shop-calculators-fte
XPath / selector: <button type="button" aria-label="Label describing the subject of the tooltip" aria-describedby="tooltip-trigger--1" class="ds-c-tooltip__trigger ds-c-tooltip__trigger-icon ds-u-display--inline">
History: first seen 2026-W26, last seen 2026-W39 (9 wk)

Description

Accessible name of link or button matches visible label. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r14 on 3 of 1138 scanned pages (4 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://healthcare.gov/shop-calculators-fte.
Locate the element: <button type="button" aria-label="Label describing the subject of the tooltip" aria-describedby="tooltip-trigger--1" class="ds-c-tooltip__trigger ds-c-tooltip__trigger-icon ds-u-display--inline">
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r14 against WCAG 2.5.3 Label in Name.

Impact

Affects Without vision (1.0%), Without speech (0.5%).

Without vision — 1.0% of population
Without speech — 0.5% 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-r14

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r17 WCAG 2.0 A aria-hidden element does not contain focusable elements (WCAG 4.1.2) 2/1138 pages · 6 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-05f49a25
Pattern ID: VS-f6cf30ff
Combined ID: VS-05f49a25 (pattern VS-f6cf30ff) — use this format in JIRA/spreadsheets to filter by instance or pattern
WCAG category: WCAG 2.0 A
Obligation: required
Handling: review
WCAG SC: 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
Rule: Siteimprove Alfa — aria-hidden element does not contain focusable elements [sia-r17]
Example URL: https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/get-answers
XPath / selector: <div aria-labelledby="employers" aria-hidden="true" class="ds-c-tabs__panel fourTab-module--content--b9237" id="employers">
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (14 wk)

Description

aria-hidden element does not contain focusable elements. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r17 on 2 of 1138 scanned pages (6 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/get-answers.
Locate the element: <div aria-labelledby="employers" aria-hidden="true" class="ds-c-tabs__panel fourTab-module--content--b9237" id="employers">
Confirm the Siteimprove Alfa finding for rule sia-r17 against WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value.

Impact

Affects Without vision (1.0%), Limited vision (2.4%), Limited manipulation/strength (13.0%).

Without vision — 1.0% of population
Limited vision — 2.4% of population
Limited manipulation/strength — 13.0% 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-r17

Triage status Notes

Moderate alfa sia-r78 Undetermined Table header has scope (WCAG criterion undetermined) 2/1138 pages · 2 instances Likely content

Bug ID: VS-8e0c525e
Pattern ID: VS-2cd767ca
Combined ID: VS-8e0c525e (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://healthcare.gov/sitemap
XPath / selector: <h3>
History: first seen 2026-W24, last seen 2026-W39 (13 wk)

Description

Table header has scope. Detected by Siteimprove Alfa rule sia-r78 on 2 of 1138 scanned pages (2 instances).

Steps to reproduce

Open https://healthcare.gov/sitemap.
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

Deque axe-core findings

Rule-level axe-core summary (11 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
ARIA attributes must conform to valid values [aria-valid-attr-value]	critical	1102	1102	/agent-privacy-act-statement /glossary/tax-filing-requirement /glossary/vision-or-vision-coverage	all 1102 pages (CSV)
Heading levels should only increase by one [heading-order]	moderate	24	24	/dental-plan-information /small-businesses/get-answers /health-plan-information	all 24 pages (CSV)
Landmarks should have a unique role or role/label/title (i.e. accessible name) combination [landmark-unique]	moderate	22	22	/verify-information/documents-and-deadlines /have-job-based-coverage/change-to-marketplace-plan /preventive-care-women	all 22 pages (CSV)
Elements must meet minimum color contrast ratio thresholds [color-contrast]	serious	10	10	/small-businesses/get-answers /contact-us /get-answers	all 10 pages (CSV)
Images must have alternative text [image-alt]	critical	9	18	/glossary/prevention-glossary /exemption-form-instructions /taxes/no-health-coverage	all 9 pages (CSV)
All page content should be contained by landmarks [region]	moderate	9	18	/glossary/prevention-glossary /exemption-form-instructions /taxes/no-health-coverage	all 9 pages (CSV)
Headings should not be empty [empty-heading]	minor	8	8	/choose-a-plan/your-total-costs /taxes-2023/no-health-coverage /taxes-2023/other-health-coverage	all 8 pages (CSV)
<dl> elements must only directly contain properly-ordered <dt> and <dd> groups, <script>, <template> or <div> elements [definition-list]	serious	4	8	/medicaid-chip/getting-medicaid-chip /medicaid-chip /medicaid-chip/getting-medicaid-chip	all 4 pages (CSV)
Table cell headers attributes must refer to other <th> elements in the same table [td-headers-attr]	serious	2	2	/small-businesses/learn-more/hra-guide /small-businesses/learn-more/hra-guide	all 2 pages (CSV)
Links must be distinguishable without relying on color [link-in-text-block]	serious	2	2	/see-plans /see-plans	all 2 pages (CSV)
<ul> and <ol> must only directly contain <li>, <script> or <template> elements [list]	serious	2	2	/glossary /glossary	all 2 pages (CSV)

Siteimprove Alfa findings

Rule-level Alfa summary (14 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	588	24755	/agent-privacy-act-statement /choose-a-plan/your-total-costs /glossary/generic-drugs	all 588 pages (CSV)
Text has minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 [sia-r73]	n/a	588	3564	/agent-privacy-act-statement /choose-a-plan/your-total-costs /glossary/generic-drugs	all 588 pages (CSV)
aria attribute is permitted for element role [sia-r18]	n/a	570	570	/agent-privacy-act-statement /choose-a-plan/your-total-costs /glossary/generic-drugs	all 570 pages (CSV)
Form field label is visible [sia-r61]	n/a	570	570	/agent-privacy-act-statement /choose-a-plan/your-total-costs /glossary/generic-drugs	all 570 pages (CSV)
Target size is at least 24×24 CSS pixels or has spacing (Minimum) [sia-r113]	n/a	100	100	/glossary/generic-drugs /glossary/tty /glossary/state-continuation-coverage	all 100 pages (CSV)
Headings are structured hierarchically [sia-r53]	n/a	13	13	/dental-plan-information /small-businesses/get-answers /health-plan-information	all 13 pages (CSV)
Text has enhanced contrast [sia-r66]	n/a	11	29	/small-businesses /small-businesses/get-answers /get-answers	all 11 pages (CSV)
Text has sufficient color contrast (Enhanced) [sia-r69]	n/a	11	29	/small-businesses /small-businesses/get-answers /get-answers	all 11 pages (CSV)
Element has required owned roles [sia-r64]	n/a	6	6	/choose-a-plan/your-total-costs /taxes-2023/no-health-coverage /taxes-2023/other-health-coverage	all 6 pages (CSV)
Scrolling content can be accessed by keyboard [sia-r57]	n/a	5	5	/small-businesses/get-answers /get-answers /topics	all 5 pages (CSV)
Image has accessible name [sia-r2]	n/a	3	6	/exemption-form-instructions /taxes/no-health-coverage /tax-tool	all 3 pages (CSV)
Accessible name of link or button matches visible label [sia-r14]	n/a	3	4	/shop-calculators-fte /shop-calculators-fte /shop-calculators-taxcredit	all 3 pages (CSV)
aria-hidden element does not contain focusable elements [sia-r17]	n/a	2	6	/small-businesses/get-answers /get-answers	all 2 pages (CSV)
Table header has scope [sia-r78]	n/a	2	2	/sitemap /marketplace-appeals/getting-help	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 (3666 raw engine findings → 3657 unique).

Unique issues (rule × page): 3657
Caught by both engines: 9 highest confidence
axe only: 1185
Alfa only: 2463

2 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
Images must have alternative text	9	axe image-alt · Alfa sia-r2 · ACT 23a2a8
Headings should not be empty	8	axe empty-heading · Alfa sia-r64 · ACT ffd0e9