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Why accessibility overlays do not make a site accessible

An accessibility overlay is a script that adds a toolbar or "AI" layer on top of your website and promises to make it accessible. It does not change your underlying HTML, so the barriers that screen readers, keyboard users and other assistive technology run into usually remain. Real accessibility comes from fixing the site itself.

What overlays do

Most overlays add a button that opens a panel with options such as larger text, contrast modes or a reading guide, and some try to repair issues automatically in the visitor's browser — for example by guessing alt text for images or adding ARIA attributes. Many people who rely on assistive technology already have these settings in their own browser or operating system, and automated repairs at runtime can be wrong or conflict with their tools.

What regulators and courts have said

  • FTC, 2025. The US Federal Trade Commission finalised an order against accessiBe on 22 April 2025. The company had to pay $1 million and is prohibited from claiming that its automated product can make any website conform to WCAG unless it can support the claim with evidence. (FTC)
  • Lawsuits continue. According to UsableNet's 2025 year-end report, sites that used an overlay were still sued, at a rate of roughly 85 to 132 lawsuits per month in the US. An overlay is not a defence.
  • In the EU, the European Accessibility Act sets requirements for the service itself — the website, the app, the checkout — not for an add-on.

Problems people report with overlays

  • Screen reader users can get duplicated or wrong announcements when an overlay rewrites the page.
  • Keyboard focus can be trapped in the overlay panel.
  • The original problems — unlabelled form fields, low contrast, missing alt text — are still in the source code that search engines and many tools read.
  • They create a false sense of security for the business owner.

What to do instead

  1. Find the real issues. An automated scan against WCAG 2.2 AA is a good start. Ours is an automated check, not a full audit, and not legal advice.
  2. Fix them at the source. Most issues on shop sites sit in the theme, product content and checkout apps. Our reports include fixing notes for Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop and Shoptet.
  3. Test manually what automation cannot judge: keyboard navigation, focus visibility, meaningful alt text, error messages. Our WCAG 2.2 checklist helps.
  4. Monitor. Re-check every week so updates do not reintroduce issues.
  5. Publish honest information about accessibility and known limitations. See the accessibility statement guide.

Already using an overlay?

You do not have to remove it overnight, but do not rely on it. Scan your site with the overlay's script disabled if possible, fix the issues found, then decide whether the overlay adds anything for your visitors.

More background: why accessibility overlays don't work. Start with a free one-page check.

Sources

  • US Federal Trade Commission, accessiBe order (2025): https://www.ftc.gov/node/88115
  • W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, WCAG 2.2: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/