[ATcoord] When you see an overlay, it's best to run the other way!

[Monica Olsson]

Hi all,

I had a couple of folks reach out to me with questions about Overlays/Widgets wanting more information about why we cannot trust these options to provide true web accessibility. Here is more information for your review.

  1.  3 Minute YouTube video of Haben Girma warning us about the danger of quick-fix solutions<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R12Z1Sp-u4U&t=17s>. (Posted May 5th, 2021)
  2.
  3.  Overlayfactsheet.com<https://overlayfactsheet.com/>
  4.
  5.  Do Accessibility Overlays and Widgets Provide 'Full and Equal Access' as Required Under the ADA's General Rule?<https://www.levelaccess.com/do-accessibility-overlays-and-widgets-provide-full-and-equal-access%E2%80%8B-as-required-under-the-adas-general-rule/> by Level Access.


[Title: SBCTC logo - Description: Compass]

Monica M. Olsson (she/her/hers)

Policy Associate – Accessible IT Coordinator

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

molsson at sbctc.edu<mailto:molsson at sbctc.edu> • o: 360-704-3922 • c: 206-914-7187

sbctc.edu<https://www.sbctc.edu/> • Twitter: @SBCTCWashington<https://twitter.com/SBCTCWashington> • Facebook: @WASBCTC<https://www.facebook.com/wasbctc/>

________________________________
From: ATcoord <atcoord-bounces at lists.ctc.edu> on behalf of Monica Olsson via ATcoord <atcoord at lists.ctc.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2022 8:58 PM
To: atcoord at lists.ctc.edu <atcoord at lists.ctc.edu>
Cc: Monica Olsson <molsson at sbctc.edu>
Subject: [ATcoord] When you see an overlay, it's best to run the other way!

Hi AT Coords!

Accessibility.com published its 2021 Web Accessibility Lawsuit Recap Report, which is attached. In the report, overlays are specifically called out as problematic. I have included an excerpt below.

"In September 2020, Disability Rights Advocates filed a lawsuit against Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP), representing the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired of San Francisco and individuals Erin Lauridsen and Frank Welte. In December 2021, Disability Rights Advocates published a statement announcing that a settlement had been reached, along with a copy of the settlement agreement.

In the agreement is a definition of “accessible,” as follows: “Accessible” (or “Accessibility” or “Access”) means that blind and low vision individuals have independent access to the same information and equivalent ease of use of functionalities available to sighted individuals via the Website or Mobile Apps. For the purpose of this Agreement, “overlay” solutions such as those currently provided by companies such as AudioEye and AccessiBe will not suffice to achieve Accessibility."
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