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Accessibility overlay

A third-party script added to a website that claims to fix its accessibility automatically, which it cannot do.

Also called
overlay widget, accessibility widget

An accessibility overlay is a script a site adds, usually with a floating icon that opens a panel of settings for contrast, text size, and the like, sold on the promise that it makes the site accessible or meets WCAG. It does not fix the barriers in the site’s own code: missing labels, broken keyboard handling, and bad structure are still there underneath.

The Overlay Fact Sheet, a statement signed by accessibility practitioners, says no overlay product on the market can make a website fully conform to any existing accessibility standard. In April 2025 the U.S. Federal Trade Commission finalized an order requiring the overlay vendor accessiBe to pay $1 million over claims that its widget could make any website meet WCAG. Fix the source instead.

Source

Overlay Fact Sheet

Overlay Fact Sheet, a statement signed by accessibility practitioners. Checked .

Remediation
Fixing the barriers an evaluation found, usually in order of how badly each one blocks people.
Accessibility evaluation
A structured review of how a website or app does against WCAG, done by people using assistive technology, not only a scan.
Automated testing
Software that scans a page for accessibility failures it can detect, such as missing alt text or low contrast.

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