Accessibility overlays often fail to improve accessibility

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I would like that accessibility is the default, just there, without effort. Just fixed for all of us. But it’s not yet possible. Probably never will be. And when I try to be open minded and try to use a feature of accessibility overlay and it just fails, not one but two features, under two minutes, on an important page for people with disabilities, then I had to write about it. And even make a video of it.

As a developer I would really like that accessibility would be so simple to just include a script and – bang – everything works for everybody.

Heck, I would even use the script to generate the website, mobile application, document, video and so on. That would be supreme. I am looking forward to Large Language Models, Artificial Intelligence and Artificial General Intelligence will make all digital products accessible without the human factor.

Accessibility, built in, from the start, using best practices, using inclusive design, universal design, out of the box for everybody that is just trying to do their work. Unfortunately, only about 66 percent of population worldwide uses the internet (opens in new window), so we are still far from saying that it’s everybody.

But nevertheless all of us are somehow responsible for making things accessible. And currently it seems that 96.3% of internet has some accessibility issues (detected automatically, only on home pages, so I guess we can almost be sure all of the internet has accessibility issues).

So, again, I totally get the idea behind accessibility overlays. I understand the intention. I even see examples where overlays can really help accessibility, for example reaching conformance to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) on it’s highest level – AAA.

But there is this problem of lack of understanding, lack of awareness and lack of knowledge with some organizations (or their stakeholders) that use overlays as a fix-it-all solution, as a add-on that just takes care of accessibility issues automatically, for a monthly fee. And that is the problem. Adding an overlay to an accessible website, just to offer additional functions that may be useful to some people is one thing. Adding an overlay to a website with obvious accessibility issues and believing that overlay will make them go away is another thing.

Example of failed good intentions?

It’s almost the 3rd of December and therefore it’s almost International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). And when I searched about it to check what is going on I stumbled on a dedicated webpage for it – idpwd.org (opens in new window).

The website included the well known icon for accessibility in general, but also for accessibility overlays – the icon of a human that has legs and arms apart. I was curious what it was used for. I like the symbolism behind it and I like to believe it’s based on the Vitruvian Man from Leonardo da Vinci (opens in new window) and use it also for my logo on this blog.

But this time the icon opened a well known accessibility overlay and I just wanted to check objectively if it helps making the website more accessible and in under two minutes of testing two important features I establish that overlay doesn’t really help there.

Overlay fails to make site more accessible – twice in under two minutes

The website uses automatically progressing carousel hero image with text over it – you know – that kind of carousel that is one of the most unused components in the world (opens in new window), still much wanted by some, unfortunately. And it can’t be stopped. I even tried to set the prefers reduced motion setting on, just to check if the carousel maybe supported that, but it didn’t stop.

Then I opened the overlay and clicked the prominent “Pause animations“. And after some seconds the animation continued like before. Basically ignoring overlay feature.

Afterwards I wanted to check a form as they often have accessibility issues. I clicked on the “Bigger Text” button, several times, and the website around the form did actually get enlarged text, but the form text was still small. So that’s another overlay function that failed.

It took me under two minutes, with waiting. The video is available on YouTube and includes text description with some other details, similar to this blog post, but shorter.

Once again – I don’t want to blame or shame. I know it’s sometimes complicated, especially when people don’t have enough knowledge and awareness. Then it’s easy to fall for quick fixes just before deadlines.

Conclusion – we need even more accessibility awareness. And knowledge

It is just sad that even organizations that are otherwise doing amazing job on awareness for people with disabilities don’t know that their websites can be accessible and usable without add-ons. That they perhaps didn’t put accessibility in the requirements.

Again, I am just speculating on the why.

Maybe it’s totally innocent, maybe it’s a marketing thing, but in the end of 2023 I would really expect WCAG (as a baseline) would be considered end to end, especially on websites that are so important for people with disabilities.

I like to believe that awareness and knowledge would make this website accessible without using an overlay. Adding alternative texts, accessible names to all the buttons, using proper contrasts, good structure, proper semantics and adding a pause/play button to the carousel would cover most of issues.

Author: Bogdan Cerovac

I am IAAP certified Web Accessibility Specialist (from 2020) and was Google certified Mobile Web Specialist.

Work as digital agency co-owner web developer and accessibility lead.

Sole entrepreneur behind IDEA-lab Cerovac (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility lab) after work. Check out my Accessibility Services if you want me to help your with digital accessibility.

Also head of the expert council at Institute for Digital Accessibility A11Y.si (in Slovenian).

Living and working in Norway (🇳🇴), originally from Slovenia (🇸🇮), loves exploring the globe (🌐).

Nurturing the web from 1999, this blog from 2019.

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