Things you should know about Accessibility Overlays

Things you should know about Accessibility Overlays

September 10, 2021 Off By Joe

Recently, website accessibility overlays have become a popular topic. There are a lot of vendors that assures to give one-click compliance with accessibility overlay tools. Yet, if it sounds too good to be true, that is because it is. A standard inclusive web experience needs just as much investment. As any other outward-facing field of a business.

Organizations are looking for low-cost accessibility and quick compliance solutions. To escape litigation and make sure their website follows the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Certainly, ADA-related lawsuits in-app, video, web accessibility have grown by 23% in 2020. The trend is expected to keep going. With the electronic advancement that is present during the pandemic. A lot of organizations are acknowledging the urgent need for inclusive electronic experiences. Both for employees and users.

What are accessibility overlays?

 Accessibility overlay tools are electronic software solutions. That claim to fix and detect web accessibility issues. Overlay tools perform by changing the code of a web page. With a  scrap of Javascript, it normally comes in the form of a widget. Also in plugin, toolbar, or app. It is necessary to note, yet that overlays don’t commonly make any changes to the website’s source code.

Rather, they can identify some basic accessibility issues. Such as text size and color contrast. Some custom overlay solutions are specially made overlays. That ensures to address the shortcomings of your publishing system better. Compared to the usual overlay tools. These customs solutions are particular to your site’s code. Yet, still does not affect the source code.

Two Types of Accessibility Overlays:

  • Temporary bandage solutions
  • Temporary bandage solutions have been existing for a while. It is used by many professional accessibility auditing companies as a stopgap estimate. The overlay acts as a temporary measure. It is created to be used to tentatively fix specific. Until the web app code can be updated. Bandage overlays mostly have a process to state when their code should be eliminated.
  • Permanent Plugins
  • Permanent plugins are a current phenomenon. Permanent plugins, unlike temporary bandage solutions. That is created to be a determined presence on the web app or inaccessible website. Examples of permanent plugins are AudioEye and accessiBe. There are so many issues with permanent plugins. To found on the bandage metaphor. A permanent plugin left on a web app or website for too long will create the underlying experience to rot.

Below are some of the overlays that have strengths. You can check any of these if an overlay is correct before you make any decision.

  • Alchemy by Level Access
  • Amaze by Deque Systems
  • Sentinel by Tenon
  • Reachdeck by TextHelp
  • Read speaker
  • AudioEye
  • EqualWeb
  • Purple Lens
  • Userway

These are just some examples of web accessibility that benefit different users. Everyone benefits from accessibility sometimes in their lives.