If you’re responsible for an LMS/website, chances are you’ve encountered accessibility overlays. These tools, often packaged as plugins, apps, widgets, or pop-up menus, promise a fast track to compliance. One click and you’ve got larger fonts, high-contrast modes, or screen reader “support.” It sounds convenient, even responsible.
But here’s the truth: overlays are not a shortcut to digital accessibility, and they often create more problems than they solve.
What Are Accessibility Overlays?
Overlays are third-party tools that attempt to layer accessibility features on top of existing web content. Most are activated by a button that opens an “accessibility menu” offering options like:
- Adjustable font sizes
- Color contrast toggles
- Keyboard navigation helpers
- Screen reader modes
While these features sound helpful, they don’t address the root of the problem. Overlays leave the underlying website code untouched, and that’s where actual accessibility lives or dies.
Why Overlays Fail
Here’s what overlays don’t do:
- Add alt text for images
- Provide captions or audio descriptions for media
- Fix poor heading structure or navigation issues
- Make forms usable with assistive tech
- Pass WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) criteria in meaningful ways
According to UseableNet, websites using overlays can and have had lawsuits filed against them. In fact, many users with disabilities report that overlays interfere with their assistive technologies or introduce new barriers. For screen reader users, overlays can hijack keyboard focus. For people using voice commands, they may obscure navigation. For all users, they can lead to a false sense of compliance.
The “Quick Fix” Myth
Overlays are often marketed as a “temporary” fix or a step toward progress. But in practice, they’re a detour, one that diverts resources away from meaningful, lasting change.
Compliance isn’t a feature you can toggle on. It’s a process rooted in inclusive design, expert implementation, and user testing with real people who have disabilities.
Want a Real-World Accessibility Review?
Tilak Learning Group offers limited 30-minute consultations for teams that want quick, actionable guidance.
Let’s move beyond the illusion of accessibility, and make the web better for everyone.
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