Why are Web Accessibility Overlays
Critical for Disabled Individuals?

Web accessibility overlays are an important tool for disabled users to navigate the web. They are also important for designers who want to make sure that their website is accessible and inclusive. In 2019, 59.6% of USA’s disabled population had access to the internet.

This shows just how important web accessibility overlays can be for organizations looking to increase their “web market share.” The concept of web accessibility overlays is not entirely new, but has become more popular in recent years due to increased awareness of inclusivity and accessibility on the internet.

In this article, we will take a closer look at some important facts about accessibility overlays to understand just how critical they can be for disabled individuals.

The Importance of Web Accessibility Overlays

Web accessibility overlays are also called AO or Accessibility Overlays, and they work by providing a layer on top of a web page that lets you see what an assistive technology sees when it reads the page.

They help disabled individuals in a number of ways:

• Color contrast adjustments: This is when a user can adjust the color brightness and contrast to make a page easier to read.
• Voice control: This allows users to interact with websites using their voice instead of using a mouse or keyboard.
• Text enlargement features: This is useful for those who have vision impairments as they can increase the text size on web pages, making them easier to read.
• Customizable navigation: This allows users to customize how they navigate websites, giving them more control and making it easier for them to use the website.
• Keyboard- and action-navigation tools: This is useful for those who have physical disabilities that prevent them from using a mouse.

By making these features available, web accessibility overlays can help to ensure that disabled individuals can access and use websites just like everyone else.

Instances Where Web Accessibility Overlays Are of Critical Importance

Consider an individual with cerebral palsy or autism, for instance. These people may not be able to use a mouse to navigate the web, but they can benefit from the ability to use their voice to access websites.

Two other examples to consider here are:

• Individuals with dyslexia. Dyslexia is when a person has difficulty reading and understanding written text, which can make it difficult to access the web. With an accessibility overlay, dyslexia sufferers can adjust settings like font size and color, making it easier for them to read text on websites.
• Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Many websites do not always include captions on videos or sound effects, making it difficult for these individuals to access the information. With an accessibility overlay, they can activate caption settings and adjust the volume of sound effects to make it easier for them to understand what is being said.

Furthermore, there are countless benefits that web accessibility overlays offer businesses themselves as well, as discussed in our previous articles.

Equal Opportunities

These tools can be crucial for people with impairments, including those suffering from visual or auditory conditions such as blindness, low vision, color blindness, hearing loss, and dyslexia. They also help disabled individuals access content more easily than they could before.

By providing these additional tools to disabled users, an accessibility overlay can make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to experience the internet in the same way. This promotes digital inclusion for all users.

Furthermore, by providing a layer of protection between the user and the website’s codebase, accessibility overlays avoid legal issues. Websites must obey the regulations set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other similar regulations, or else face potential legal action from disabled individuals.

Conclusion

Web accessibility overlays are an essential tool for disabled individuals to have a more enjoyable browsing experience on the internet. They provide tools to make navigating websites easier, promote digital inclusion, and protect websites from potential legal issues related to disabilities.

Organizations looking to increase their “web market share” should consider incorporating accessibility overlays into their website designs. This will ensure that everyone has access to the same experiences on their websites, regardless of any impairments they may have.