The One-Click Accessibility Myth

If your house was broken into you may consider it's time to look at some security systems. You look for a professional with experience and all they do is put up a sign and install one blink camera from Amazon. Are you impressed? What if they are very charismatic and tell you all your problems are solved, maybe they show you some flashy looking graph. You would see through the sales pitch I'm sure but with more complex systems it can be easier to swindle.

This is exactly how many businesses approach digital accessibility, by slapping on an overlay by so-called reputable companies and assuming the problem is solved. Sold my promises of accessibility when just a moment on google would show what the accessibility community thinks of these overlays. The logic doesn’t hold up, and neither do these so-called solutions.

Best-Case Scenario

Overlays are software solutions that claim to make websites accessible at the press of a button. They typically work by injecting code to modify a website’s front end, adding features like:

• Adjustable text sizes and contrast settings

• Screen reader-friendly labels (where they can guess correctly)

• Keyboard navigation enhancements

• Automated alt text generation for images

• On-screen virtual keyboards for alternative input methods

On the surface, this sounds fantastic. A simple, cost-effective way to bring a site into compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) without rebuilding anything. If only that were true. Is it cost-effective if you don't actually meet the goal at all?

In the best-case scenario, overlays may help users with mild visual impairments by providing basic tools such as contrast adjustments and font resizing. They may also improve navigation for some users by enabling keyboard shortcuts or attempting to insert missing ARIA labels. But these benefits are superficial and do not solve deeper accessibility barriers.

Overlays also rely on AI-driven solutions to fill in gaps. For example, they may auto-generate alt text for images, but this is often inaccurate. A generated description like “person standing” is useless if the image is meant to convey an important message in context. Similarly, automated adjustments to navigation structure may conflict with custom screen reader settings, frustrating users who rely on consistent interaction patterns.

Where Overlays Miss the Mark

While overlays can offer minor improvements, they don’t and can’t fix fundamental accessibility issues. Here’s where they fail:

1. They Can’t Change the Underlying Code – Accessibility is about how a website is built, not just how it looks. If the code isn’t designed with accessibility in mind, an overlay is just putting a sticking plaster over a broken bone. Structural issues like improper HTML semantics, missing landmarks, or incorrect form labels cannot be addressed through an overlay.

2. They Introduce New Barriers – Many users with disabilities actively disable overlays because they interfere with assistive technologies. Some overlays hijack keyboard navigation, making it harder, not easier, to use a site. Worse, many overlays create a conflicting experience with screen readers, where duplicated or incorrect labels result in confusing navigation.

3. They Don’t Address Compliance Requirements – No major regulatory body considers overlays a valid solution to digital accessibility compliance. Simply having an overlay does not mean a site meets legal obligations. Many organisations using overlays have still been taken to court or faced complaints due to their inaccessible websites.

4. They Fail to Detect Complex Issues – Automated tools cannot accurately assess the usability of a site for people with cognitive disabilities, neurological conditions, or motor impairments. Overlays often ignore issues like poorly designed interactive elements, incorrect error messaging on forms, or non-intuitive workflows that cause confusion.

5. They Promote a False Sense of Security – Overlays create an illusion of compliance without real accessibility improvements. Businesses relying on them assume they’ve met their obligations when, in reality, their websites remain inaccessible to many users. This false confidence can lead to reputational damage when customers or regulators highlight ongoing accessibility failures.

The Hard Data

Recent studies have shown that automated accessibility solutions, including overlays, fail to detect and fix the vast majority of accessibility issues. According to WebAIM’s 2023 accessibility report, a staggering 96.3% of the top one million websites have detectable WCAG failures. Overlays, at best, can only resolve around 30% of accessibility issues, leaving 70% of barriers completely unaddressed.

Further research from the National Federation of the Blind found that even after implementing an overlay, over 60% of common accessibility issues remained unresolved. These include missing alternative text, incorrect heading structures, and inaccessible forms, all of which require human intervention to be fixed properly.

Overlays are often marketed as a cheap alternative to proper accessibility work. But in reality, businesses end up paying high fees for software that doesn’t deliver. Worse, these costs can spiral when:

• They receive legal complaints because their site still isn’t accessible

• Customers abandon their site due to persistent barriers

• They eventually have to invest in real accessibility work

And let’s not forget, accessibility isn’t just about compliance, It’s about usability. If an overlay makes a site technically compliant but still frustrating or impossible for disabled users to navigate, it’s failed at its most important job.

That is not to mention overlays often come with ongoing licensing fees, locking businesses into a cycle of spending money without achieving real results. The alternative? Investing in a one-time, properly implemented accessibility overhaul, which delivers permanent, effective results and can serve as education for your development team.

The Future of Overlays – Always a Band-Aid, Never a Solution

The technology behind overlays will improve, but they will never be a complete solution. Why? Because accessibility isn’t something that can be retrofitted with automation alone. True digital accessibility comes from:

• Proper coding practices from the start

• Regular usability testing with disabled people

• A long-term commitment to inclusive design

Overlays give the illusion of accessibility while leaving the fundamental problems untouched. The only real solution is to build accessibility into the foundations of digital experiences because no one wants to be locked out by bad design choices, no matter how fancy the padlock looks.

Businesses looking for a quick fix to accessibility are being sold a false promise. Overlays don’t work in any meaningful way, and the statistics back this up. If your website relies on one, you’re likely paying for software that creates more issues than it resolves. The only way forward is to prioritise accessibility from the start, with real audits, real fixes, and real consideration for disabled users.

If your business is serious about inclusion, don’t fall for the overlay trap. Invest in real accessibility work – because everyone deserves equal access to the digital world.

If you wish to learn more about the nearly one thousand accessibility professionals who have signed their name to saying no to overlays, click the link below.

https://overlayfactsheet.com/en/