216digital.
Web Accessibility

Phase 1
Web Remediation for Lawsuit Settlement & Prevention


Phase 2
Real-World Accessibility


a11y.Radar
Ongoing Monitoring and Maintenance


Consultation & Training

Is Your Website Vulnerable to Frivolous Lawsuits?
Get a Free Web Accessibility Audit to Learn Where You Stand
Find Out Today!

Web Design & Development

Marketing

PPC Management
Google & Social Media Ads


Professional SEO
Increase Organic Search Strength

Interested in Marketing?
Speak to an Expert about marketing opportunities for your brand to cultivate support and growth online.
Contact Us

About

Blog

Contact Us
  • How to Conduct Accessibility User Testing

    You can pass every automated test and still fail your users. That’s the uncomfortable truth behind many accessibility initiatives. True accessibility goes far beyond technical compliance—it’s about how people actually experience your product. Accessibility user testing isn’t a last-minute box to check; it’s a powerful way to build digital experiences that work for everyone.

    In this article, we’ll walk you through how to conduct accessibility user testing in a way that’s respectful, strategic, and truly impactful. Whether you’re a UX professional, web developer, or product manager, you’ll leave with clear, practical guidance to take your testing process from good intentions to real results.

    What Automated and Manual Testing Miss

    Accessibility tools like Google Lighthouse and WAVE are fantastic for catching code-level issues—missing alt text, low contrast, missing labels. But that’s just the surface. These tools don’t understand user intent. They can’t tell if your focus order makes sense, or if a screen reader user can actually make sense of your modal flow.

    Manual testing helps fill some of those gaps. Keyboard-only navigation, zoom testing, and screen reader simulations can uncover a lot—especially when done by experienced testers. But even this falls short of the lived experience.

    Take a modal dialog as an example. You might trap focus correctly, label everything with ARIA, and pass every automated check. But in practice? A screen reader user may still struggle because the modal doesn’t announce in the expected order or re-focus correctly on close. That’s the kind of thing only accessibility user testing with real people can reveal.

    Why User Testing with People with Disabilities Is the Game-Changer

    No simulation can match the perspective of someone who uses assistive tech every day. People who rely on screen readers, switch devices, or voice navigation uncover friction and failure points that even seasoned accessibility professionals can overlook.

    Here’s the shift: stop thinking of users with disabilities as edge cases. They’re not. They’re part of your audience—your customers, students, patients, or users. Designing for them improves your product for everyone.

    Accessibility user testing isn’t just about catching bugs. It’s a critical feedback loop that improves usability, product-market fit, and even innovation. When you integrate it early and often, you don’t just “fix accessibility”—you build better experiences from the ground up.

    Planning Your Accessibility User Testing Program

    Define Clear Objectives

    Start with real-world tasks. Instead of running a general audit, design your tests around meaningful user journeys:

    • Is it possible for a blind user to complete a purchase from start to finish?
    • Someone with low dexterity—can they successfully submit your job application form?
    • And what about users with cognitive differences—can they easily locate your support content?

    Clear, task-based goals help you focus your sessions and gather actionable insights.

    Build a Representative Participant Pool

    Many teams fall into the trap of testing only with blind screen reader users. That’s important—but not enough.

    To make your testing inclusive:

    • Include participants with motor impairments, cognitive disabilities, low vision, and voice input users.
    • Recruit from diverse sources and advocacy organizations.
    • Pay your testers. Always. Accessibility user testing is specialized work and should never rely on free labor. Follow ethical compensation practices and provide flexible scheduling and support.

    Pre-Test Logistics and Respectful Setup

    Before the session, send a tech-check checklist to participants. This might include browser compatibility, assistive tech setup, and ensuring a quiet space.

    Also, ask about accommodations in advance:

    • Do they prefer screen sharing or phone interviews?
    • Do they need additional time?
    • Would they like the questions in advance?

    Offering flexible formats—remote, hybrid, or in-person—ensures participants can engage comfortably. Respect starts with planning.

    Running Meaningful and Inclusive Testing Sessions

    Session Structure That Works

    Start with a warm-up task or small talk to ease anxiety and build trust. Remember, this isn’t a test of the participant—it’s a test with them.

    Structure your session around a few focused tasks. Example:

    • “Please use the site to find and register for a webinar.”
    • “Try to contact customer support using your preferred method.”

    Observe closely—but don’t interrupt unless necessary. Let participants narrate their thought process if they’re comfortable. This gives you insight into confusion points, workaround strategies, and breakdowns in usability.

    Accessibility user testing is about listening. Often, the most valuable insights come not from what users can or can’t do, but from the effort it takes them to do it.

    Ask Thoughtful, Open-Ended Questions

    Instead of “Did that work for you?” try:

    • “How did that process feel?”
    • “What was easy or hard about that task?”
    • “Was there anything that surprised or confused you?”

    Create space for honest feedback, and resist the urge to jump in with fixes. Your goal is to understand, not defend.

    From Feedback to Action

    Once your accessibility user testing sessions are complete, consolidate your notes into themes. What barriers kept coming up? Were there recurring moments of friction?

    Tag issues by severity and impact. Some will be quick fixes—labeling buttons, adjusting tab order. Others may require bigger design shifts. Either way, track them in your product backlog and prioritize them alongside other critical bugs.

    Also, share findings with your team. Make video clips or quotes part of your sprint reviews or design critiques. Seeing real users struggle—or succeed—can be a powerful motivator for accessibility buy-in across your organization.

    Make It Part of Your Process

    Accessibility user testing isn’t a one-off effort. Integrate it into every major phase of development:

    • Early design prototypes
    • Beta versions before release
    • Major feature updates

    The earlier you involve users, the more you catch—and the less expensive it is to fix. Consider building an accessibility testing panel you can tap into regularly. Make it part of your QA cycle, not just a compliance afterthought.

    User-Tested, People-Approved

    Automated tools and manual audits are important—but they only take you so far. To build truly inclusive experiences, you need to go deeper. Accessibility user testing gives you something no tool ever will: real human insight.

    By listening to and designing with people with disabilities, you move from compliance to compassion. From checking boxes to opening doors. From good enough to genuinely excellent. And that’s not just better accessibility—it’s better UX, period.

    If you’re ready to elevate your accessibility strategy with meaningful user feedback, 216digital can help. Schedule an ADA briefing with our accessibility team to discuss how user testing fits into a comprehensive, long-term solution. Together, we’ll help you build experiences that work for everyone—starting now.

    Greg McNeil

    June 13, 2025
    Testing & Remediation, Uncategorized
    Accessibility testing, Manual Testing, User Experience, user testing, Users experience, Web Accessibility Remediation
  • Are Web Accessibility Overlays Hurting Users?

    When it comes to making websites accessible, many businesses turn to web accessibility overlays, believing they’re a simple and quick fix. These tools promise to enhance usability for people with disabilities by adding features like text size adjustments or color contrast options. However, beneath this shiny exterior lies a troubling reality. Far too often, overlays create more problems than they solve, leaving users frustrated and excluded.

    Instead of providing real solutions, these overlays can break essential functions on a website, making it even harder for people to navigate. Imagine a visually impaired user trying to read a page only to find that the overlay has garbled the text or made buttons unclickable. This isn’t just a minor inconvenience; it’s a barrier that undermines the very purpose of accessibility. With countless users reporting negative experiences, the reliance on overlays is more than just misguided—it can be harmful.

    In this article, we’ll explore why web accessibility overlays often fall short of their promises and what businesses can do to truly support all users. Let’s take a closer look at the pitfalls of these quick fixes and uncover the importance of genuine web accessibility.

    What Are Web Accessibility Overlays?

    Web accessibility overlays are tools or widgets that website owners can add to their sites to enhance accessibility. They typically involve inserting a small JavaScript code snippet into your site, which then adds a floating button or widget. When users interact with this button, they can adjust various aspects of the site’s appearance and functionality—like changing text size, altering color contrasts, or enabling screen reader compatibility.

    The appeal of these overlays is their promise of quick, low-cost accessibility improvements. They offer an attractive option for businesses looking to make their sites more inclusive without undergoing a major redesign. However, while the intention behind these tools is good, the reality often falls far short.

    Overlay’s Intended Purpose

    The goal of web accessibility overlays is to make websites more accessible to people with disabilities. For instance:

    • Visual Impairments: Users who have difficulty seeing might benefit from high-contrast modes or text enlargement.
    • Motor Impairments: Customizable interface elements can help users navigate the site using alternative input methods.
    • Cognitive Impairments: Simplified navigation and text-to-speech features can make content more understandable.

    In theory, these overlays should help users interact with a website more effectively by allowing them to tailor the site to their needs.

    The Reality: Why Overlays Often Fall Short

    Despite their good intentions, web accessibility overlays often fail to deliver on their promises. Here’s a closer look at why:

    Broken Functionality

    Many users with disabilities find that these overlays break essential website functions. For example, after activating an overlay’s high-contrast mode, a screen reader might start reading out garbled or irrelevant text. Interactive elements like forms or buttons may become unusable or misaligned. This can make the website even less accessible than it was before the overlay was applied.

    Limited Customization

    While overlays offer some level of customization, they usually fall short of addressing all accessibility needs. For instance, they allow users to change text size but do nothing to improve keyboard navigation or fix structural issues. This limited scope can be frustrating for users who need more comprehensive adjustments to navigate the site effectively.

    Disruptive Presence

    The floating button or widget that overlays add can sometimes interfere with the user experience. For example, it might obscure important content or navigation options. Users who rely on screen readers or keyboard navigation may find the overlay itself to be a barrier rather than a help.

    Overlay’s Provide a False Sense of Security

    Relying on overlays can give website owners a misleading sense of security. Just because an overlay provides some accessibility features doesn’t mean your site is fully accessible. True accessibility involves more than just adding a few features—it requires thoughtful design and regular testing to ensure that all users can interact with your site effectively.

    Common Issues with Overlays

    To better understand the real-world impact, let’s explore some common issues faced by users with disabilities when dealing with web accessibility overlays:

    1. Navigation Problems: Overlays often disrupt keyboard navigation. For users who rely on keyboards instead of mice, this can make it challenging to move through the site or interact with elements. Buttons and links might become unreachable or behave unpredictably.
    2. Inconsistent Text Appearance: Overlays might change text size or color, but they often don’t adjust all text elements uniformly. This inconsistency can make reading difficult, especially for users with low vision who rely on specific text settings.
    3. Broken Links and Forms: Features like forms and links can become broken or non-functional when an overlay is applied. This issue can prevent users from completing actions like submitting information or navigating through pages, leading to frustration and abandonment of the site.
    4. Visual Overlaps: High-contrast modes or other visual changes introduced by overlays can sometimes cause elements to overlap or become misaligned. This can make content harder to read and interact with, defeating the purpose of the accessibility improvements.

    Firsthand User Experiences

    As highlighted in the New York Times article, For Blind Internet Users, the Fix Can Be Worse Than the Flaws,  and echoed by accessibility advocates, overlays often complicate rather than simplify website navigation.

    Patrick Perdue, a 38-year-old blind user from Queens, sums it up well: “I’ve not yet found a single one that makes my life better.” Many like him find themselves spending more time navigating around these overlays than actually using websites effectively.

    Last year, over 862 advocates and developers urged organizations to reconsider their use of overlays, citing practical ineffectiveness and potential accessibility flaws in an open letter. Even the National Federation of the Blind has condemned these tools, describing them as inadequate solutions.

    Brian Moore, a 55-year-old blind user  from Toronto, raises a critical question: “If you can’t fix the basic issues, what value are you adding?”

    Why Overlays Are Seen as a “Quick Fix”

    Web accessibility overlays are often chosen as a quick fix because they appear to offer a fast, cost-effective solution. For businesses, especially those with limited budgets or technical resources, these tools seem like an easy way to address accessibility concerns without a full site overhaul.

    However, this approach is problematic for several reasons:

    Superficial Solutions

    Overlays generally provide superficial solutions rather than addressing underlying accessibility issues. Real accessibility involves more than just adding features—it requires a deep understanding of diverse user needs and thoughtful site design.

    Potential for Increased Barriers

    As highlighted by user experiences, overlays can sometimes introduce new barriers or exacerbate existing ones. This can lead to increased frustration and exclusion for users who rely on accessibility features.

    Legal and Ethical Concerns

    Relying on overlays alone may not meet legal standards for accessibility under regulations like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A genuine commitment to accessibility involves more than just using tools—it requires ensuring that your site is fully accessible to all users.

    The Path to Genuine Accessibility

    So, what should you do instead of relying on overlays? Here are some steps to take:

    1. Invest in Design: Start by designing your website with accessibility in mind. This includes using proper HTML semantics, ensuring good color contrast, and creating keyboard-friendly navigation.
    2. Conduct Regular Testing: Test your site with real users who have disabilities to identify and address issues. This helps ensure that your site performs well in real-world scenarios.
    3. Seek Professional Advice: Consider consulting with accessibility experts like 216digital, who can guide you through the process of making your site truly accessible. They can provide valuable insights and help you implement best practices.
    4. Commit to Continuous Improvement: Accessibility is an ongoing process. Regularly review and update your site to address new challenges and improve the user experience.

    Take the Next Step Towards Accessibility

    If you’re serious about making your website accessible to everyone, don’t settle for quick fixes like overlays. Instead, invest in long-term solutions that truly improve the user experience for people with disabilities. At 216digital, we specialize in helping businesses achieve genuine web accessibility and stay compliant with ADA requirements.

    To learn more about how you can make your site more inclusive and avoid the pitfalls of web overlays, schedule an ADA briefing with 216digital today. Our experts will guide you through the steps needed to ensure your website not only meets legal standards but also serves all users effectively. Let’s work together to create a web that’s accessible to everyone!

    Kayla Laganiere

    September 17, 2024
    Legal Compliance
    ADA Compliance, Overlay widgets, Overlays, screen overlays, Users experience, Widgets
216digital Scanning Tool

Audit Your Website for Free

Find Out if Your Website is WCAG & ADA Compliant













    216digital Logo

    Our team is full of expert professionals in Web Accessibility Remediation, eCommerce Design & Development, and Marketing – ready to help you reach your goals and thrive in a competitive marketplace. 

    216 Digital, Inc. BBB Business Review

    Get in Touch

    2208 E Enterprise Pkwy
    Twinsburg, OH 44087
    216.505.4400
    info@216digital.com

    Support

    Support Desk
    Acceptable Use Policy
    Accessibility Policy
    Privacy Policy

    Web Accessibility

    Settlement & Risk Mitigation
    WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA Compliance
    Monitoring Service by a11y.Radar

    Development & Marketing

    eCommerce Development
    PPC Marketing
    Professional SEO

    About

    About Us
    Contact

    Copyright 2024 216digital. All Rights Reserved.