New And Old Accessibility Issues Found On The Recently Updated Houston Home Journal’s Website

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Dear Houston Home Journal,

I’m currently on your website right now, and I’ve noticed changes to this website. I’m writing to you regarding some new and old accessibility issues that I came across on the updated website.

As you may be aware, I use assistive technology in order to operate my device. Some examples of assistive technology may include, but not limited to screen-reading software (JAWS For Windows, NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access, VoiceOver for iOS/Mac, and so on).
Here’s what I’ve found so far with my accessibility testing since the website was updated:

  1. No Skip Links: I’ve noticed that there’s no (no) skip links in the recent website update. If my memory is correct, there was a skip link located at the top of each page before this recent update. You can learn more about skip links by visiting https://webaim.org/techniques/skipnav.
  2. Unlabeled Share Buttons + A New Unlabeled Link To Copy To Clipboard: On every news article, you’ll find six (6) share buttons below the author, located after the title of an article, along with the date that it was published. I both tested this on my iPhone and on my computer, and it both tested with different outcomes.
    • A. When I tested on my iPhone, VoiceOver outright says, “Link, link, link, ….”
    • B. On the other hand, NVDA says the following, “sharer u=https%3A%2F%2Fhhjonli…, tweet text=Houston%20Home%20Jo…, shareArticle mini=true&url=htt…, ….” There’s now an additional unlabeled link that is labeled “void(0);” that NVDA says. After clicking that link, it copies the link to the article to your device’s clipboard.
    • The links should tell the user where they can share the story. For example, one should be labeled, “Share to Facebook.”
  3. Unlabeled Link And No Menu At The Top (On Mobile Devices): Here’s where I’ll try my best to explain this as best as I can.
    • I’ve noticed that one of the links located at the top of the page isn’t labeled at all. After copying/pasting the link to the address bar, it has the author information. This link can be copied if you’re only in an article. I cannot copy the unlabeled link on the home page.
    • There’s a menu at the top, in which, unfortunately, it doesn’t activate when you press enter on your keyboard. This menu shows up when you use a desktop computer. I used my Windows computer to test this out with NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access) with Firefox.
    • For mobile devices, it’s a different story. There’s no (no) menu at the top of the page. All I see is a Houston Home Journal Logo that doesn’t have alt text, along with a “Subscribe” link.

These are all of the accessibility issues that I came across so far in this update. Like I said before, I’d be happy to come to your office in the future to demonstrate on how I use technology as a blind individual in the Houston County community.

If you have any questions, please let me know by replying to this email. You can also give me a call at (Phone Number Removed).

Respectfully,
Armando Vias

Last Updated: Monday, October 27th, 2025 @ 7:54 am

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Disclaimer

The letter above that was sent to companies and/or government agencies and is also posted to armandovias.com has been written with the sole purpose of advocating for and promoting equal access and inclusion of people with disabilities. The goal of these letters is to raise awareness about accessibility barriers that I face when navigating websites or out in the community and to encourage companies/government agencies to meet or exceed accessibility standards, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web-Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

These letters are posted on this website for documentation, educational, informational, and transparency purposes only, and these letters does not constitute legal advice.

These letters are intended as constructive feedback to assist companies/government agencies to identify and fix accessibility issue(s). They’re not designed to defame, disparage, or cause any harm to individual(s) or entities. My motivation of posting these letters is to foster a more inclusive environment for everyone.

While I strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information in these letters, the content(s) in each letter is based on my analysis and observations at the time of writing. I cannot guarantee the absolute accuracy/completeness of all information, and mistakes and omissions may occur.

The posting of these letters does not constitute a formal legal complaint, nor does it guarantee any specific legal action(s) or outcome. My objective is to encourage compliance and improvement(s) for providing equal access for all individuals.

My website (armandovias.com) and the views expressed in each letter are independent and do not represent any official legal or governmental authority. I encourage companies and/or government agencies to review my feedback carefully and to take proactive steps to ensure equal access for everyone. I believe that inclusion for all is a fundamental right for all companies and government agencies.

If you have any questions, or if you’d like to discuss the contents of a letter that’s posted on armandovias.com, contact me by replying directly to the email that the letter was sent from or call me by using the phone number that’s provided in the email.

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