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Accessible overlays aren’t accessible

You can’t solve accessibility with a single line of code. Overlays are deceitful and undermine inclusive design practices.

Camryn Manker
UX Collective
8 min readJun 29, 2023

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iPhone with a big lock on the screen
Photo by Franck on Unsplash

Step right up, everyone! Have you ever wanted to make your product fully accessible in just a single line of code? Worried about a lawsuit, but you just don’t have the time? Check out this extremely fast and cost-effective way that we can use AI-powered processes to transform your site! (Oooo, AI!)

Accessibility in an instant? It almost sounds too good to be true!

…because it is.

In an increasingly digital world, web accessibility has become a crucial part of ensuring equal access and inclusion for everyone, regardless of their abilities.

Unfortunately, some organizations have turned to accessibility overlays as a quick fix to make their websites compliant.

Example of an accessibility overlay featuring preset settings for ADHD, low vision, epilepsy, and cognition. As well as darker and brighter contrast settings.
Image Credit: Silktide

Alright, well, what exactly are overlays?

Overlays are third-party tools or plugins designed to be added to existing websites with the aim of enhancing accessibility. They typically appear as a button in the…

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Written by Camryn Manker

I'm a UX designer who is always looking to learn more and eat too much chocolate.

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