A11yMate vs overlays
An honest explainer. Overlays are the opposite of what we build, so we think you should know why.
What an overlay is
An accessibility overlay is a script you add to your site. It shows a small icon and a panel of options, and it tries to detect and repair problems in the browser as the page loads. Vendors often sell it as a one-line route to compliance.
Why it does not work
- It does not fix the source. The broken markup is still there. Screen readers, search engines and other tools still see it.
- It cannot judge meaning. No script can tell whether alt text is accurate, whether a heading structure makes sense or whether a form is understandable.
- It can get in the way. Many disabled people already have their own tools set up exactly how they like them. A second layer fighting with those can make a page harder to use.
- The claims have been challenged. Accessibility professionals have widely criticised overlays, and in April 2025 the US Federal Trade Commission finalised an order requiring one overlay vendor to pay $1 million over claims that its product could make any website WCAG-compliant.
What A11yMate does instead
A11yMate scans your own site, shows you the real problems in plain English, and tells you how to fix each one in the theme, the content or the settings, where the fix belongs. It applies only the fixes that are safe to automate, and each is a switch you control. And it is honest about its limits: automated checks find roughly a third to a half of WCAG issues, and it marks the ones a person must judge.
| Question | Typical overlay | A11yMate |
|---|---|---|
| Where does it work? | In the visitor's browser, on top of your page | In your site and its settings |
| Does it fix the real markup? | No, it patches the rendered page | It shows you the fix, and applies safe ones to what your site outputs |
| What does it promise? | Often compliance in one step | Help working towards WCAG 2.2 AA. No guarantees |
| Is it honest about limits? | Rarely | Marks every rule that needs a human |
| Where does your data go? | Usually a third-party service | Nowhere. Every check runs on your site |
| Do you learn anything? | No | Every issue explains why it matters and how to fix it |
| Does it keep new problems out? | No | The Editor Assistant checks content as it is written |
The Visitor Toolbar
A11yMate has an optional Visitor Toolbar. It lets visitors change text size, spacing, contrast and more, and it remembers their choices in their own browser. It is off by default, it is properly built (dialog semantics, keyboard support, focus return) and the settings screen says plainly that it is a convenience for visitors, not a compliance fix. If you switch it on, keep fixing the site.
Questions
What is an accessibility overlay?
A piece of JavaScript, usually loaded from a third party, that adds a widget to your site and tries to detect and patch accessibility problems in the browser. Vendors often claim it makes a site compliant.
Is the A11yMate Visitor Toolbar an overlay?
It is an optional preferences panel for visitors (text size, spacing, contrast and similar), it is off by default and it runs from your own server. We describe it as a convenience for visitors. We never present it as a way to make a site compliant, and you still need to fix the underlying site.
Can I use A11yMate and an overlay together?
You can, but we would not recommend an overlay. A11yMate will report real issues whether or not an overlay is present, and fixing them in the site is what helps people.