Honest comparison

A real audit vs an overlay widget

Accessibility overlays promise instant compliance from a single line of JavaScript. Courts and the disability community disagree - overlays have been named in hundreds of lawsuits because they do not fix the code underneath. A real audit finds the issues and writes the fixes you actually apply.

FeatureReportiv auditOverlay widget

Fixes the underlying codeProduces corrected markup, ARIA, alt text and contrast CSS to paste into the codebaseLayers a script on top; the source code stays inaccessible

Legal standingHelps work towards WCAG 2.1 AA / EAA conformance by fixing the real issuesNamed in hundreds of US accessibility lawsuits; widgets are not a defense

Who does the workYour developer pastes a one-time fix; the page is genuinely betterAn automated script tries to patch at runtime, often breaking screen readers

Ongoing costAudit on a subscription; fixes are permanent once appliedRecurring per-domain fee forever, or the patch disappears

Client deliverableWhite-label PDF report your agency resells under its own brandA third-party badge on the client's site

Honest about limitsClearly states it is automated + AI-assisted, not a legal certificationOften marketed as instant compliance - the core of the lawsuits

Performance impactNone - fixes are static code changesAdds a render-blocking script to every page load

What overlays are good for

A few user-facing preference toggles (font size, contrast theme) are a genuinely nice convenience. The problem is selling that script as legal compliance - it does not fix the underlying barriers, and regulators and courts have said so repeatedly.

What an audit gives you

A prioritized list of the real barriers, written for a business owner, plus ready-to-paste corrected markup, ARIA, alt text and contrast CSS - in a white-label PDF you resell. Fix it once, in the code, and it stays fixed.

Audit a site against WCAG 2.1 AA.

Run a free audit - no credit card, a client-ready accessibility PDF in about five minutes.

Run a free audit

Overlay vendors (accessiBe, UserWay, AudioEye and others) are trademarks of their respective owners; Reportiv is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them. This page reflects widely reported litigation and accessibility-community guidance as of June 2026. Reportiv provides automated and AI-assisted analysis, not a legal conformity assessment or certification.