Why overlay widgets don't fix websites
An overlay is a script you paste into your site that adds an accessibility toolbar and tries to patch problems automatically. It sounds like a shortcut. It usually isn't one.
What overlays can do
Some offer text-size or contrast buttons. Those can be handy, but browsers and phones already have better versions built in, and people who rely on them have them set up the way they like.
What they can't do
- Write accurate descriptions of your photos. Automatic guesses are often wrong.
- Fix a form that's built badly underneath.
- Reliably repair keyboard traps, confusing headings or missing captions.
Many screen reader users report that overlays interfere with their own tools. Hundreds of accessibility professionals and advocates have signed the Overlay Fact Sheet asking site owners not to rely on them.
What the FTC said
In 2025 the Federal Trade Commission finalized an order against accessiBe, a major overlay vendor, requiring it to pay $1 million over claims that its tool could make any website compliant, and over reviews presented as independent. The lesson for every business: be wary of any product that promises compliance from one line of code.
What to do instead
- Find the real issues with a scan and a short manual test.
- Fix them in the site itself.
- Re-check when the site changes, and keep a record.