Do Accessibility Overlays Actually Work?
I was speaking with a potential client recently, and they asked me, “Why can’t we just install UserWay for $50 a month instead of paying you to audit and fix our site’s accessibility?”
Fair question. The numerous accessibility overlay companies promise instant compliance. One line of code, automated fixes, and legal protection. All for a monthly subscription cheaper than a pizza.
I’ve had this conversation countless times, and I’ve never once recommended an overlay.
The Proposal That Changed How I See Overlays
A while back, I was putting together a redesign proposal for a client. Part of my process is running accessibility scans to understand what we’re working with, so we know what “not to do” with their brand.
I opened WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool) and started scanning the homepage. There were errors everywhere, color contrast failures, and structural issues. None of these surprised me, but then something strange happened.
The page loaded an accessibility overlay, I hadn’t seen the little button when I opened up the page. It was weird, it took a couple seconds to activate, and when it did, WAVE glitched. I’ve never seen something like it.
Every single score on WAVE went to zero.
Errors: 0. Contrast Errors: 0. Alerts: 0. Features: 0. Structure: 0. ARIA: 0.
It was almost like someone had installed the overlay at that moment, but I refreshed and tried it again later with the same result. The overlay had tricked the scanner into thinking the site was perfect, but nothing had actually been fixed. The underlying code was still broken, the color contrast was still failing, and the heading structure was still a mess. Automated scanners miss a lot of accessibility problems, and overlays are designed to exploit those gaps.
I called this out in my proposal, and we won the project and rebuilt the site properly from the ground up.
That moment showed me exactly what overlays are: theater. They perform accessibility for scanners while leaving the actual problems untouched.
What Happens When Real People Try to Use Overlay-Equipped Sites
I don’t just run automated scans. At SANscript, we test with actual screen readers.
When we’ve tested sites using NVDA and JAWS, and there is an overlay plugin, it becomes nearly impossible to navigate. I couldn’t tab through the content. The overlay intercepts and overrides the assistive technology people already have on their devices. This is counterintuitive to the exact issue overlays are supposed to be fixing.
Unless you have a disability or know someone who struggles with non-accessible sites, most people don’t understand the struggle. This includes some web designers, developers, and marketing pros. People with low vision, like our CEO, AJ Niehaus, may use screen readers and/or on-page magnification tools. And she has customized settings that work for her specific needs.
An accessibility overlay just doesn’t help them, instead it gets in the way. It’s like installing a second steering wheel on someone’s car while they’re driving. They already have control – you’re just adding interference.
Accessibility is Not a One-Size-Fits-All Issue
Another client of mine has dyslexia and I was discussing how one of the overlays has a “dyslexia mode” that adjusts fonts. They told me it actually made things harder to read and that the dyslexia community doesn’t like overlays. This is telling.
I think of it this way, disabilities exist on a spectrum. What helps one person with dyslexia might not help someone with low vision. What works for one screen reader user might break the workflow of someone else. Overlays try to solve everyone’s needs with a single widget, and it just doesn’t work.
You can’t fix accessibility with a one-size-fits-all solution. You fix it by building the structure correctly from the start.
The Question Every Prospect Asks
“Okay, we need an accessible site, why can’t we just use an overlay?” When someone asks this question, their hearts are usually in the right place. They want to do right by users with disabilities. The problem is that they’ve been pitched a solution that sounds simple and affordable. People making the purchasing decision typically aren’t the people using assistive technology.
When I explain what overlays actually do—and don’t do—I’ve never had a single prospect push back. They didn’t know, and nobody told any of this:
- Overlays don’t fix the underlying code.
- Screen reader users already have better tools.
- Overlays can make navigation worse, not better.
- Automated compliance claims are misleading.
The disability community actively opposes these tools. I send prospects to the Overlay Fact Sheet (overlayfactsheet.com) and Overlay False Claims (overlayfalseclaims.com) for further education. Both are maintained by accessibility professionals documenting the problems with these tools. After reading those, the overlay conversation ends.
What Overlays Don’t Fix
So, besides not working and the accessibility community opposing them, what can an accessibility overlay actually do? I think the better question is what an accessibility overlay can’t do:
They can’t fix the broken heading hierarchy. If your site has seven H1 tags on one page, the overlay doesn’t restructure them. It might hide them from scanners, but screen readers still encounter the mess.
They can’t add meaningful alt text. Overlays can’t write descriptive alt text for your images. At best, they use AI to guess. At worst, they mark images as decorative when they’re not.
They can’t make forms actually work. If your form fields don’t have proper labels, an overlay can’t create them. It can only add a layer on top that might trick a scanner.
It can’t improve semantic HTML. If you’re using divs and spans instead of semantic elements like nav, main, and article, the overlay doesn’t fix the underlying structure.
It can’t make keyboard navigation logical. Overlays often break existing keyboard navigation patterns rather than improve them.
These are the actual accessibility problems, and overlays don’t solve them. Instead, they paper over them.
What to Do Instead
I’m guessing you’re thinking, “Great, overlays aren’t the right solution, so what do I do, exactly?” The site needs to be built right from the ground up or audited and remediated. We recommend hiring professionals who are trained to do this. (Like SANscript!)
Here is what a professional will do to make your site accessible.
They will start with proper heading structure. One H1 per page. Logical H2 and H3 hierarchy. Use headings for structure, not just styling.
They will write actual alt text. Describe what’s in the image, make it meaningful, and don’t stuff it with keywords.
They will use semantic HTML. Nav elements for navigation, Main for main content, and Article for articles. The code needs to explain itself.
They will make sure your forms are labeled correctly. Every input field needs a label that’s programmatically associated with it.
They will test with a keyboard. Can you navigate the entire site using only Tab and Enter? If not, it needs to be fixed.
They will ask you to add an accessibility statement to your site.. You need to explain your commitment. Provide contact information for people who encounter barriers. Show you’re doing the actual work. If you want to create one yourself, here is an accessibility statement generator provided by the W3C, the governing body of web accessibility.
As you can see, this is more work than installing a widget. Yes, it costs more, it takes longer, but it also actually works.
The One Exception (Kind Of)
AudioEye has started offering manual audits alongside their overlay tool. This isn’t replacing their tool outright, but at least they are attempting to meet people halfway by combining automated tools with actual human testing. SANscript does not use or recommend using AudioEye, but I’ve recently noticed they have been changing their approach to accessibility.
I wouldn’t recommend relying on any overlays. Having a professional audit and remediate your site is best practice. An even better practice is building the right way from the jump.
Why Does Accessibility Matter for B2B Companies?
The most difficult part of my job is addressing accessibility to those who don’t think they need it, are adverse to spending money on it, and don’t have a mandate to do so. This includes mostly manufacturing companies, professional services firms, and B2B businesses serving enterprise clients.
But you can’t afford to have accessibility be theater. There are legal ramifications for not having an accessible site, or, at a minimum, a way to report your site’s issues. And if you are looking to acquire government contracts, I have witnessed, first hand, clients being audited by the federal government for inaccessible sites.
Overlays won’t pass those reviews. It might trick an automated scanner, but it won’t trick a manual audit. The business cost of inaccessible websites goes far beyond legal risk, you’re losing actual customers.
If you’re serious about accessibility, and I believe everyone should be, just build it right. If you’re committed, add an accessibility statement acknowledging where you are and commit to improvement.
Final Thoughts
Every time a prospect asks about overlays, I explain what they actually do. I show them the documented problems and I walk them through the reality of how these tools work and don’t work. Nobody has pushed back after seeing the evidence.
The disability community has been clear that overlays are not a solution and that they’re often part of the problem.
So, if you want to make your site accessible, do the work. Build proper structure, test with real assistive technology, and hire people who know how to do this correctly.
Don’t install a widget and call it compliance. Your users, and possibly your legal team, will thank you.