Accessibility widgets don't make your site accessible. Here's what does.
Overlay widgets promise ADA compliance with one line of code. It's an appealing pitch for a busy owner. Unfortunately, the people who rely on assistive technology, and the courts, generally don't agree.
The short answer
No. Overlays sit on top of your site and can't reliably fix missing image descriptions, broken headings, unlabeled forms, or menus a keyboard can't open. In 2025 the FTC ordered accessiBe to pay $1 million over claims that its tool could make websites compliant.
What overlays actually do
An overlay is a script that adds a toolbar to your site, with options like bigger text or higher contrast, and tries to patch some problems automatically as the page loads. People who use screen readers and keyboards usually already have those settings in their own devices, and the automatic patches are hit-and-miss.
On sites we've audited, overlays added invisible stops to the keyboard tab order, sat on top of cookie-banner buttons, and left every underlying issue in place.
Why they can increase risk
- Lawsuits regularly name sites that have overlays installed, and some plaintiffs' firms look for them
- The FTC's 2025 order against accessiBe found its compliance claims were deceptive
- Hundreds of accessibility professionals and disabled users have signed the public Overlay Fact Sheet asking businesses not to use them
- They create a false sense of 'done' while the real barriers stay in the code
How we replace an overlay
- Audit the site with the overlay off, so we see what real visitors run into
- Fix the underlying issues in your site's code and content
- Remove the overlay script and its subscription
- Publish an accessibility statement with a phone number and email for anyone who hits a barrier
- Re-test and document the result
From the owners we work with.
“Albert didn't just hand us a report. The fixes went right into our Squarespace site, we saw every before and after, and we got documentation we could hand to anyone who asked. When questions came up afterward, Albert was on the call with us. Albert is the first person I call about anything on the website now.”
Common questions.
- Not before you've talked to us or your attorney. If you're in the middle of a legal matter, removal should be coordinated. Otherwise, the right order is audit, fix, then remove, so nothing gets worse in between.
Keep reading
- Accessibility auditA hands-on WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility audit of your website: automated scans, keyboard and screen-reader testing, and a plain-English report ranked by severity.Read
- RemediationWe fix WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility issues directly in your existing website, then re-test and document every change. No rebuild, no overlay widget, nothing new to learn.Read
- Got a demand letter?A calm, practical guide for owners who just received an ADA website accessibility demand letter or lawsuit: what to do first, what to avoid, and how an audit and fixes support your attorney.Read
Find out where your site stands.
Send us your website and we'll personally check your home page and one key page (menu, booking, or contact) with the same keyboard, screen-reader, and contrast tests we use in a full audit. You'll get a short, plain-English summary of what we found.
- · Checked by a person, not an automated report
- · No obligation and no sales sequence
- · Works for Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, Shopify, and custom sites
Rather talk it through first?
Book a free 30-minute call. We'll look at your site together, tell you honestly where it stands, and what it would take to fix, whether you hire us or not.