Accessibility audit or overlay widget: which do you need?
An accessibility audit and an overlay widget are often sold as answers to the same question: is our website accessible? They are different things. This page explains what each one does, so you can decide what you need.
The short answer
An audit tells you what is wrong with your website, so it can be fixed for everyone. An overlay widget adds a layer of options on top of your website for the visitors who choose to use it. One is an assessment. The other is an add-on.
Side by side
| Question | Accessibility audit | Overlay widget |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | An assessment of your site against WCAG 2.2, with a written report. | A script added to your site that shows a toolbar or changes how pages are displayed. |
| What does it change? | Nothing by itself. It tells you what to change in the site. | How the page looks or behaves for a visitor who turns it on. The site underneath stays the same. |
| Who benefits? | Every visitor, once the fixes are made, including people who use their own assistive technology. | Visitors who find the widget, open it and like its options. |
| What do you end up with? | A signed report and a fix-first list you can act on and show to others. | A feature on your site. |
What an overlay widget cannot add
Some barriers live in your content and your code. A layer on top cannot supply them:
- captions and transcripts for your videos
- meaningful descriptions for your images
- forms with clear labels and error messages
- a page structure that makes sense when read aloud
- documents, such as PDFs, that a screen reader can read.
Many people with disability already use their own tools, such as a screen reader, magnification or voice control. A widget that changes how the page behaves can get in the way of those tools. What helps those visitors most is a site that is built properly underneath.
When a layer on top is useful
Giving visitors choices can help. A switch for larger text, higher contrast or simpler words is useful to people who do not have their own tools.
We make one of these ourselves. aXread gives readers an Easy Read option. It works alongside an accessible site, as an extra layer for readers who want simpler words.
A fair test for any add-on: would your site still work for a keyboard user or a screen reader user if the add-on were switched off? If the answer is no, the site needs fixing first.
How to decide
- If a funder, tender or policy asks whether you meet WCAG 2.2, you need an audit. A widget does not answer that question.
- If you have had complaints, or people cannot finish a form or a payment, you need an audit and fixes.
- If your site is already in good shape and you want to offer readers more choice, an optional layer such as Easy Read can be worth adding.
Our WCAG accessibility audits come with a report signed by our founder, who holds a Diploma of Access Consulting, and a fixed written quote.
Why aXai
aXai is a disability-led AI, software and accessibility company. We build AI systems, software, and concepts and prototypes ready to scale, and we deliver them through AI-supported work: skilled people with disability in real, properly paid roles, working to clear quality standards, with AI removing the barriers and people keeping the accountability.
Every project runs on our own infrastructure, the Decision Bus and Project Layer, so each step is planned, signed off by a person and on the record. That is our operating advantage. Read how it works.
Questions
Does an overlay widget make a website meet WCAG?
Adding a widget does not change the content and code that WCAG is assessed against. The way to find out whether a site meets WCAG 2.2 is to assess the site.
We already pay for a widget. Should we remove it?
Not necessarily. Find out first what state the site underneath is in. After an audit you can decide whether the widget is helping, doing nothing or getting in the way.
Find out where your site stands
Tell us your web address and what you need to know. We will reply by email with a fixed written quote for an audit. Prefer to talk? Contact us.