Why I Think Some Accessibility Widgets Are Actually Good Accessibility widgets are one of the hottest debates in the accessibility community right now. Are they helpful, or do they just make things worse? Here’s my perspective as both a founder of GetWCAG.com and someone living with a vision impairment. The Problem with Widgets There are countless accessibility widgets out there. Many of them claim “WCAG 2.1 compliance” or even “EAA-ready.” The problem? Most of these tools manipulate the DOM , inserting extra blocks or overlays that interfere with screen readers and other assistive technologies. In other words: instead of solving accessibility, they hide the problem . And since accessibility is about fixing the underlying code, no widget (AI or not) can magically make a website compliant today. When Widgets Have Real Value But not all widgets are bad. Some can actually provide real value when designed with restraint. As someone with a vision impairment, I often st...