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Post series: Don't Use Website Accessibility Overlays

Low-vision and blind screen readers users do not use accessibility overlays

A new usability study clearly shows that website overlays do not serve any needs of a significant group of people with disabilities.

Author Mark Root-WileyPosted on May 25, 2023May 23, 2023Categories Case Studies

How to make your website accessible (and not use an accessibility overlay)

Only you can make websites accessible. Don't use accessibility overlays. Test is highly stylized in bold slab-serif, highlighted by bright neon orange and yellow atop a teal background with stylized website code icon. A pixelated pointer cursor highlights the word "You" which is much bigger and is highlighted in yellow rather than orange.

There is no such thing as a cheap and easy “fix” to supporting and communicating with people with disabilities. Every single person who reads this post has a role in making websites more accessible. Yes, even you!

Author Mark Root-WileyPosted on March 23, 2023April 14, 2023Categories Best Practices

Why I won’t install an accessibility overlay on your website

A cut-out photo of an engine is crudely pasted on top of a car's hood with amusingly fake mouse-drawn duct tape affixing the engine to the car's hood. The car image behind the engine shows a gray 90s boxy Mitsubishi in a semi-open garage with a wet floor.

Anyone who knows me knows that I care a lot about making websites accessible. So it may surprise you that I won’t install a certain kind of web accessibility tool. Here’s why.

Author Mark Root-WileyPosted on March 23, 2023December 3, 2024Categories Talks & Presentations

Get to Know Me

Mark is a white man with short light brown hair and short stubble. He's wearing a collared blue shirt with a small white floral print in this formal portrait with a stark white background.

My name is Mark Root-Wiley (he/him). I design and build WordPress websites for nonprofits. About/Resume

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Free WordPress Guide for Nonprofits

Nonprofit WP

I maintain Nonprofit WP, "The Start-to-Finish WordPress Guide for Nonprofits" building DIY or low-cost websites. Visit NonprofitWP.org for time-saving tips and best practices.

Latest Blog Posts

  • A web accessibility training win with Percolator Consulting June 23, 2026
  • My shortest post yet about not using “click here” links May 18, 2026
  • Project Launch: The Life and Legacy of Efraín Arévalo Ibarra March 24, 2026
  • 26NTC Field Notes: Day 3 March 13, 2026
  • 26NTC Field Notes: Day 2 March 12, 2026

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Memberships & Certifications

Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) Member Approved Specialist - Nonprofit Resource Directory Member Washington Nonprofits Member