You may have seen those little “accessibility” buttons at the bottom corner of a website — they often open a menu offering tools like text size changes, color adjustments, or a screen reader. These are called accessibility overlay widgets. They’re marketed as a quick, automated way to make your website ADA compliant. But here’s the problem: they don’t actually work — and worse, they can increase your chances of getting sued.
What Are Accessibility Overlay Widgets?
Overlay widgets are automated software tools that claim to find and fix accessibility issues on your website. But in reality, they only detect around 30% of the problems — and they often don’t fix them properly. These widgets add a layer of code over your website rather than correcting the actual issues in the website’s structure.
Why Are These Widgets Getting People Sued?
According to the 2024 Digital Accessibility Lawsuit Report, 25% of all accessibility-related lawsuits in the U.S. targeted websites that were using overlays. In these cases, overlays were called out as the problem, not the solution.
In early 2025, the FTC fined a major overlay company, accessiBe, $1 million for false advertising and fake reviews. This shows how serious the issue is — and how misleading these tools can be.
Common Issues with Overlays
- They don’t fix most accessibility problems. AI alone can’t make a site fully accessible.
- They interfere with assistive technologies. Many users already have tools like screen readers. Overlays often conflict with these tools, making sites harder to use.
- They can introduce new issues. We've seen overlays make websites even more confusing for users.
- They don’t work well on mobile. Many fail completely on phones or tablets.
- They open your site to security risks. Overlays inject third-party code into your site, which can be a cybersecurity concern.
- They give a false sense of safety. Business owners think they’re covered legally — but they’re not.
So What Should You Do?
There’s no shortcut to accessibility. But there is a proven process that works:
- Audit Your Website. Hire experts (like us!) to test your site using both automated tools and manual reviews by real people who use assistive technology.
- Fix the Problems. We’ll guide your developers or content team on how to make real improvements — in the actual code.
- Verify and Maintain. After fixing issues, we re-check everything and help you set up ongoing monitoring and best practices.
Accessibility Is Smart Business
- It improves SEO. Google loves accessible websites.
- It boosts usability. Everyone benefits from a better user experience — not just people with disabilities.
- It expands your reach. There are over 60 million people with disabilities in the U.S. alone, plus an aging population with similar needs.
- It protects you legally. Staying WCAG-compliant reduces your legal risks.
- It’s the right thing to do. Accessibility is about inclusion, dignity, and equity.
Bottom Line
Accessibility overlays are not a real solution — they’re a shortcut that doesn’t work. If you care about inclusion, your users, or your legal safety, don’t rely on them.
Instead, invest in real accessibility. Need help? That’s what we’re here for.
