Lintel / Overlay vs code fixes
Accessibility overlay or code fix? What's the difference.
A widget on your store and a fix in your theme can look alike from the outside. They work very differently. Not legal advice.
What an overlay does
An overlay is a script added to your pages. It tries to adjust the page in the visitor's browser, for example with a toolbar for text size and contrast, and some products add automatic fixes. Your theme's own code is not changed, so if the script is removed or fails to load, the underlying problems are still there.
What a code fix does
A code fix changes the theme itself: an image gets its alt text, an icon button gets a name, a form field gets a label. Every visitor and every assistive tool gets the improved page, and the change stays after you cancel any service.
| Overlay widget | Code fix | |
|---|---|---|
| Changes your theme's code | No, works on top of it | Yes |
| Still there if you cancel | Usually not | Yes |
| Effort | Add a script | Someone edits the theme, ideally with your approval |
| Typical price | Often $5–$500 a month | Often more, or a one-off project |
What the FTC said
In 2025 the US Federal Trade Commission approved a final order requiring accessiBe to pay $1 million. It said the company had falsely claimed its automated product could make any website compliant with WCAG, and had presented some reviews as independent when they were not. The order concerns one company's marketing claims, and it does not mean every overlay is useless for every visitor. It does show why "install a widget and you're done" is not a claim a store should rely on.
What tends to help more
- Scan your key pages and read the actual problems, not a score.
- Fix the highest-impact ones first: image descriptions, form labels, button and link names, contrast, and keyboard access to menu, cart and checkout.
- Test checkout by keyboard from start to finish.
- Publish an accessibility statement with a way to report problems.
- Re-test after theme or app changes.
Lintel is an early-stage service. It scans a page and reports problems today, and code-level fixes for store themes are still being built. Automated scanning finds only part of the problems on a page, and Lintel does not guarantee compliance with any law. See what a scan checks.