cnn.com Accessibility Report

Accessibility audit of cnn.com — scanned on Feb 20, 2026

News & Media
0 /100
F Critical Issues

7 issues found across 2 categories

3 Critical 4 Major

WCAG Compliance Overview

Perceivable 2 issues
Operable 4 issues
Understandable 0 issues
Robust 1 issues

Issues Found

Links missing accessible name

Critical

Links must have discernible text so screen reader users understand their purpose.

WCAG 2.4.4
7 element(s) affected
  • <a href="#">
  • <a href="#">
  • <a href="https://www.cnn.com/watch">
  • <a href="https://www.cnn.com/watch">
  • <a href="#">
How to fix

Add text content, aria-label, or aria-labelledby to links. Avoid empty <a> tags.

Form inputs missing labels

Critical

Form elements must have associated labels so users know what information to enter.

WCAG 1.3.1
12 element(s) affected
  • <input type="checkbox" name="issues">
  • <input type="checkbox" name="issues">
  • <input type="checkbox" name="issues">
  • <input type="checkbox" name="issues">
  • <input type="checkbox" name="issues">
How to fix

Add <label> elements with matching for attributes, or use aria-label.

Videos missing captions

Critical

Video content must have captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing users.

WCAG 1.2.2
6 element(s) affected
  • <video> "(inline)"
  • <video> "(inline)"
  • <video> "(inline)"
  • <video> "(inline)"
  • <video> "(inline)"
How to fix

Add closed captions or subtitles to all video content.

Frames missing title

Major

Iframes must have title attributes describing their content.

WCAG 2.4.1
1 element(s) affected
  • <iframe src="//healthguides.cnn.com/ucms/rss/cnn-hp-health-link-1?renderer=html">
How to fix

Add descriptive title attributes to all <iframe> elements.

Duplicate element IDs

Major

Element IDs must be unique to ensure correct assistive technology behavior.

WCAG 4.1.1
51 element(s) affected
  • id="livetype"
  • id="_Group_"
  • id="_Group_2"
  • id="_Group_3"
  • id="_Path_"
How to fix

Make each id attribute value unique within the page.

No skip navigation link

Major

Pages should have a mechanism to bypass repeated navigation blocks.

WCAG 2.4.1
1 element(s) affected
  • No skip navigation link found
How to fix

Add a 'Skip to main content' link as the first focusable element on the page.

Generic link text

Major

Links must have descriptive text that indicates their purpose. Generic text like 'click here' or 'read more' does not help screen reader users understand where the link goes.

WCAG 2.4.4
1 element(s) affected
  • <a href="(no href)">more</a>
How to fix

Replace generic link text with descriptive text, e.g., 'Read our accessibility guide' instead of 'Read more'.

Top Priority Fixes

Here are the most impactful changes cnn.com should make to improve accessibility:

  1. #1
    Form inputs missing labels Critical

    Add <label> elements with matching for attributes, or use aria-label.

  2. #2
    Links missing accessible name Critical

    Add text content, aria-label, or aria-labelledby to links. Avoid empty <a> tags.

  3. #3
    Videos missing captions Critical

    Add closed captions or subtitles to all video content.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cnn.com accessible?

cnn.com scored 23/100 (grade F) on our accessibility audit. This score reflects automated checks against WCAG 2.1 Level AA criteria.

Is cnn.com WCAG compliant?

Our scan found 7 accessibility issues on cnn.com. Full WCAG compliance requires addressing all critical and major issues identified above.

Is cnn.com EAA compliant?

The European Accessibility Act requires websites to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Check the detailed report above to see cnn.com's compliance status.

What accessibility issues does cnn.com have?

See the full issue list above with severity levels, affected elements, and recommended fixes for cnn.com.

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