Accessibility overlays and one line fixes

What an overlay is

An accessibility overlay is a script that adds a widget to your site [2]Source 2 . It offers controls such as font size, contrast, and other tweaks.

It often claims to make a website compliant. In practice, it tends to sit on top of problems instead of fixing them [1]Source 1 [2]Source 2 .

Why people buy them

Overlays look like a quick win. They feel cheaper than proper work. They also feel like a single purchase that removes risk.

The problems users face rarely get solved by a floating button [4]Source 4 .

What overlays and shortcuts miss

Keyboard access

Many accessibility failures are not visual. They are interaction failures [5]Source 5 .

• Menus that cannot be opened, used, and closed with keyboard [5]Source 5 .
• Modals that trap focus, or lose focus on close [5]Source 5 .
• Hidden content that remains focusable [5]Source 5 .
• Focus states that are missing or too subtle to see [5]Source 5 .

Forms and error handling

Forms are where money and leads are made. They are also where accessibility issues show up fast [8]Source 8 .

• Missing labels or labels not tied to inputs [8]Source 8 .
• Required fields not explained [7]Source 7 .
• Errors that appear without guidance [7]Source 7 [9]Source 9 .
• Error messages that are not announced for assistive technology [7]Source 7 .
• Focus not moving to the error summary, leaving users lost [9]Source 9 .

Structure and semantics

Assistive technology relies on structure [5]Source 5 . Overlays do not rewrite your content structure in a safe way [3]Source 3 .

• Heading order and missing headings [5]Source 5 .
• Missing landmarks, such as main content and navigation regions [5]Source 5 .
• Links that make no sense out of context [5]Source 5 .
• Buttons built from non-button elements, with broken roles and states [5]Source 5 .

Dynamic components

Many modern interfaces rely on JavaScript behaviour. Overlays do not fix state management and announcements [6]Source 6 [3]Source 3 .

• Accordions that do not expose expanded state [5]Source 5 .
• Tabs that do not follow expected keyboard patterns [5]Source 5 .
• Carousels that fail keyboard and reduced motion expectations [5]Source 5 .
• Notifications and validation messages that are never announced [7]Source 7 .

The risk you take on

An overlay can create a false sense of safety. It can also create new problems, such as conflicts with existing UI, performance cost, and confusing experiences [3]Source 3 [10]Source 10 .

• Users still face blockers in key journeys [4]Source 4 .
• Teams postpone proper fixes because the overlay feels like a solution [1]Source 1 [2]Source 2 .
• Costs continue as a subscription, without reducing root causes.
• Your site still fails legal and procurement checks [11]Source 11 [12]Source 12 .

What works instead

Accessibility improves when you fix the site, not when you wrap it [6]Source 6 .

• Start with key journeys. Contact, donate, book, buy.
• Fix HTML structure. Headings, landmarks, lists, and link text [5]Source 5 .
• Fix interactive components. Menus, modals, tabs, accordions, carousels [6]Source 6 .
• Fix forms. Labels, instructions, errors, and focus management [8]Source 8 [7]Source 7 .
• Retest after fixes, then add a short regression checklist for releases [6]Source 6 .

What to ask a supplier

• How they test keyboard journeys [6]Source 6 .
• How they test forms and error handling [6]Source 6 .
• Whether they provide fix support and retesting.
• What artefacts you get, report, fixes, and retest notes.

Next step

If you need progress fast, start with a short audit of one key journey and the templates that power it. Fix the blockers, retest, then expand [6]Source 6 .