Making your website accessible is important—but it’s not always quick or easy. (If it were, we’d all have perfectly accessible websites already!)
That’s why many nonprofits turn to “accessibility overlays” or widgets that promise a fast fix. These are tools, like AccessiBe or UserWay, that you add on top of your site to control things like text resizing, color changes, or screen magnification, often through a floating button or menu.
On the surface, they seem helpful. You can see them working. You can click the buttons and watch the page change. It feels like progress, especially when time and budget are limited.
But there’s a big problem with them: nonprofit website accessibility overlays often don’t help the people they’re meant to serve. They often make things worse.
Most people with disabilities don’t rely on these tools at all. Instead, they use built-in browser features or assistive technologies like screen readers. When overlays override or conflict with these tools, they can break functionality that users depend on. For example, some overlays interfere with screen readers or keyboard navigation, making it harder, or even impossible, to move through a page.
So instead of improving access, overlays can create new barriers.
There’s also a common assumption that adding an overlay helps with legal ADA compliance. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. In some cases, overlays have even been cited in accessibility lawsuits, because they don’t address the underlying issues. It turns out there isn’t a one-click shortcut for compliance, no matter how convincing the sales page sounds.
And maybe most importantly, overlays can create a false sense of progress. They make you feel like accessibility has been “handled,” which can delay the real work your site needs.
If your website isn’t very accessible yet, a better path is to focus on foundational improvements:
- Add alt text to images so users with low bandwidth or screen readers can understand them
- Write descriptive link text so people know where they’re going
- Use readable text sizes (generally 16px or larger for body text)
- Check color contrast to ensure text is easy to read
- Choose an accessible theme if you’re redesigning or updating your site
These changes aren’t flashy, but they’re what actually improve access.
Accessibility isn’t something you can layer on top. It needs to be built into how your website works. And it doesn’t have to happen all at once. Small, steady improvements can remove real barriers for visitors who rely on your site the most.
Deep Dive
Overlay Fact Sheet from Prominent Experts | A set of prominent experts
A more in-depth (but readable!) breakdown of the problems inherent in accessible overlays, including a lot of quotes from site visitors with disabilities. See the list of signatories at the bottom–it includes lots of well known usability and accessibility experts.
The Accessibility Menu, a Friend to Forgo? | Luxembourg Digital Accessibility Portal
Beyond simple accessibility overlays, a Luxembourg government analysis showed any site that had any kind of popup menu was actually likely to have more accessibility issues rather than less.
Introduction to Web Accessibility | WebAIM
A guide from one of the most trusted names in accessibility. This is a great read on why accessibility is important and the key principles to keep in mind.