An accessibility overlay is a script that claims to fix accessibility issues automatically through an on-page widget, and it does not achieve genuine WCAG compliance — disability advocates, legal precedent in several jurisdictions, and the overlay industry’s own inconsistent track record all point the same way. This fix removes the overlay and replaces it with real, underlying remediation of your actual code.
This starts with removing what’s currently there, not adding to it
If you’re ordering this because you were told an overlay would make your site compliant, it’s worth knowing plainly: it won’t, and leaving it in place while believing you’re covered is arguably a worse position than having no accessibility measure at all, since it can suggest an awareness of the requirement without a genuine, defensible response to it.
Accessibility overlay removal & real remediation
An accessibility overlay removed and replaced with real fixes to the actual code.
- Full backup taken before we start
- If we can’t fix it, you get your money back
- We never ask for your own password
This or something else?
| You have an accessibility overlay installed and want it removed and replaced with real remediation | This fix covers it |
| You don’t have an overlay and want a straightforward accessibility audit and fix instead | Accessibility audit report – WCAG 2.2 AA, the natural starting point without an overlay to remove first |
| You’re specifically unsure whether what you have is an overlay or genuine accessibility work | Worth confirming with us directly — we can identify this quickly by how it’s implemented |
| You want one specific, known accessibility issue fixed, not a comprehensive remediation project | The relevant targeted fix instead, once you know your specific issues |
What you are seeing
- An overlay widget (often a small icon in a corner) claiming to adjust the site for various accessibility needs
- The underlying site’s actual code remaining unaddressed beneath the overlay
- Possibly a false sense of confidence that the site is already compliant because “something is installed”
- The overlay potentially interfering with assistive technology in ways that make the underlying experience worse, not better
Common causes
- A vendor marketing an overlay as a fast, affordable compliance solution without disclosing its real, documented limitations
- A decision made under time pressure to address legal risk without understanding what genuine compliance actually requires
- A lack of awareness that overlays are specifically and repeatedly criticised by disability advocacy organisations and referenced negatively in legal proceedings
- The overlay having been installed years ago and simply never revisited or reconsidered since
What we do
- Remove the overlay script entirely from the site
- Conduct a genuine accessibility assessment of the underlying site
- Identify the real, specific issues the overlay was papering over rather than fixing
- Remediate those issues directly in the site’s actual code
- Verify the site functions correctly and looks unaffected by the overlay’s removal
- Provide a written report of what was actually fixed, as a genuine record
What is included
- Complete removal of the accessibility overlay
- A genuine assessment of the underlying site’s actual accessibility issues
- Direct remediation of the real issues identified
- A written report as a genuine, defensible record of the work done
Not included
- Achieving full WCAG compliance in every respect within a single engagement, if the underlying issues are extensive — we’d scope and prioritise based on what’s actually found
- Legal advice on your compliance obligations or risk exposure
- Ongoing accessibility monitoring beyond this remediation project
- Guaranteeing protection from a legal complaint, since no single engagement can promise that absolutely
Questions about this fix
Wasn't the overlay supposed to fix this already?
No — overlays are widely and specifically criticised by disability advocates, and several legal proceedings have treated an overlay's presence as inadequate rather than protective, precisely because it doesn't fix the underlying code that assistive technology actually interacts with.
Why would removing it be better than just leaving it running alongside real fixes?
Overlays can actively interfere with genuine assistive technology, sometimes making the experience worse for the very users they claim to help — leaving one in place alongside real remediation risks undoing some of that real work.
How do I know if what I have is actually an overlay versus genuine accessibility work?
We can identify this quickly by how it's implemented — an overlay is typically a single script injecting a widget, distinct from actual code-level changes to your markup, styling, and interactive components.
Will this cost more than just the overlay subscription was?
Genuine remediation is real, one-time work rather than an ongoing subscription, and while the upfront cost is more involved than an overlay's monthly fee, it addresses your actual site rather than layering a script on top of unaddressed problems.
Will this guarantee I'm now fully compliant?
No single engagement can guarantee complete compliance in every respect, particularly if the underlying issues are extensive — but it moves you from a widely criticised non-solution to genuine, defensible remediation of real problems.
Related fixes
If this is the second time this year
A bad update breaking the site is a symptom of updates not being tested first. Care plans run every update on a staging clone before it reaches your live site, which is the actual fix for this happening again.
Your access, your rules
Create a separate admin account for us and delete it when we are done. For anything else, we get in touch and agree a method — never a form field on this site, never by reply to an email.
We back up first, always
Before anything is touched we take a full backup and keep it for 30 days. If a fix goes wrong, we put the site back exactly as it was.
If it is not what you bought
If the problem turns out smaller than what you ordered, we refund the difference. If it is bigger, we stop and send a quote before doing any extra work.
If we cannot fix it
You get back what we received. Diagnosis is on us — you only pay when the problem is actually solved. The payment processor takes its fee before the money reaches us, so we never hold it and it is not ours to return. That is true here as everywhere else.
If it comes back
Reply within seven days of delivery and we put it back on the bench at no cost. The fix is not finished until it holds.
What we are responsible for
If something goes wrong with a fix, our responsibility is limited to what you paid for it. We take a full backup first so mistakes can be undone, and we tell you before doing anything outside what you bought.