theguardian.com Accessibility Report

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

News & Media
0 /100
D Poor

5 issues found across 3 categories

2 Critical 2 Major 1 Minor

WCAG Compliance Overview

Perceivable 3 issues
Operable 1 issues
Understandable 0 issues
Robust 1 issues

Issues Found

Images missing alt text

Critical

Images must have alternative text to convey their meaning to screen reader users.

WCAG 1.1.1
1 element(s) affected
  • <img src="https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=6035250&cv=2.0&cj=1&cs_ucfr=0&comscor">
How to fix

Add descriptive alt attributes to all <img> elements. Use alt="" for decorative images.

Videos missing captions

Critical

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

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

Add closed captions or subtitles to all video content.

Duplicate element IDs

Major

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

WCAG 4.1.1
1 element(s) affected
  • id="gu-search"
How to fix

Make each id attribute value unique within 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="https://www.theguardian.com/info/2024/feb/28/what-is-the-dee">learn more</a>
How to fix

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

Incorrect list structure

Minor

List items must be contained within <ul>, <ol>, or <dl> elements.

WCAG 1.3.1
1 element(s) affected
  • <li> inside <span>
How to fix

Ensure <li> elements are direct children of <ul> or <ol>.

Top Priority Fixes

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

  1. #1
    Videos missing captions Critical

    Add closed captions or subtitles to all video content.

  2. #2
    Images missing alt text Critical

    Add descriptive alt attributes to all <img> elements. Use alt="" for decorative images.

  3. #3
    Duplicate element IDs Major

    Make each id attribute value unique within the page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is theguardian.com accessible?

theguardian.com scored 51/100 (grade D) on our accessibility audit. This score reflects automated checks against WCAG 2.1 Level AA criteria.

Is theguardian.com WCAG compliant?

Our scan found 5 accessibility issues on theguardian.com. Full WCAG compliance requires addressing all critical and major issues identified above.

Is theguardian.com EAA compliant?

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

What accessibility issues does theguardian.com have?

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

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