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Web accessibility in 2025: regulatory obligation or competitive advantage?
In 2025, ensuring website accessibility will no longer be optional—it will be both a legal requirement and a competitive differentiator. The European Accessibility Act sets stringent standards, and non-compliance exposes organizations to legal penalties and reputational damage.
In this scenario, companies typically face three main choices:
- Overlay solutions that promise automated accessibility improvements
- Automated tools that identify technical issues
- User testing with real users, validating actual accessibility and usability
But which approach truly makes your website accessible and compliant in 2025?
Overlay tools: the false promise of automatic accessibility
Overlay solutions appear to offer a quick and low-cost fix—simply add a snippet of code to improve accessibility and achieve compliance. Features such as adjustable contrast, text magnification, and text-to-speech may seem to solve all accessibility issues immediately.
But appearances can be misleading. Overlays do not fix underlying code issues, often interfere with assistive technologies, and fail to fully meet WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).
According to the GAAD Overlay Report, 80% of sites using overlays still present significant legal risks. Moreover, overlays don't provide usable evidence for your accessibility statements, leaving companies vulnerable.
Automated analysis tools: useful but insufficient
Tools like Lighthouse, WAVE, or AXE are valuable for quickly identifying obvious issues such as poor contrast, missing labels, or incorrect semantic structure. They're easy to implement and helpful for initial audits.
However, these tools only scratch the surface. They can't evaluate genuine usability or accurately predict the experiences of real users interacting with screen readers, voice commands, or keyboard navigation.
The risk? False confidence. Your website could "pass" automated tests yet remain inaccessible in practice.
Testing with real users: concrete, measurable accessibility
The only reliable way to truly assess and ensure accessibility is through testing with real users—particularly, accessibility specialists navigating your website in authentic scenarios.
This kind of user testing approach:
- Detects barriers that automated tools cannot find
- Improves actual accessibility and real-world user experience
- Provides certifiable evidence for compliance declarations
- Supports your development teams with targeted recommendations for improvement
Accessibility Testing with UNGUESS: your expert accessibility partner
UNGUESS provides comprehensive accessibility testing through a consultative approach that ensures measurable and tangible results. Our accessibility experts help you evaluate your website or mobile app by:
- Conducting tests in real-life contexts using real devices
- Validating the actual user experience through expert analysis
- Delivering comprehensive reports with clear and actionable recommendations
- Identifying exact WCAG violations and how to fix them efficiently
Key benefits of choosing UNGUESS over overlays or automated tools:
✔ Personalized, expert-led testing
✔ Regulatory compliance support
✔ Actionable insights and clear recommendations
✔ Concrete improvements in user experience
✔ Measurable ROI in terms of reputation, SEO, and performance
overlay, automated tools or real-user testing: strategic comparison
| Parameter |
Overlay Solutions |
Automated Tools |
Real-User Testing (UNGUESS) |
| Implementation |
Quick via code snippet |
Immediate, online tools |
Starts within 48h; results in a few days |
| Effectiveness |
Limited; doesn't modify underlying code |
Partial; identifies only technical issues |
High; comprehensive and targeted evaluation |
| User Experience |
Often negatively impacts usability |
Not assessed |
Tangibly improves UX, validated by real users |
| Regulatory Compliance |
Not guaranteed |
Partial |
Fully supports compliance statements |
| SEO & Ranking Impact |
Potentially negative |
Neutral |
Positive; improves usability and organic ranking |
| Legal Risk |
High |
Medium |
Minimal, thanks to documented evidence |
what will companies choose in 2025?
Many companies initially opt for overlays or automated tools, only to realize later these methods are insufficient. Appearing accessible is not the same as being truly accessible.
Organizations choosing real-user testing methods proactively ensure regulatory compliance, build customer loyalty, and stand out through genuine inclusivity. In a digital environment where accessibility defines brand reputation, UNGUESS’s expert consultative testing approach is the clear choice for sustainable, measurable outcomes.
Accessibility can't be simulated. It must be achieved.
In 2025, companies will be increasingly evaluated on digital accessibility. Overlays and automated tools have their place but cannot replace thorough testing and evaluation with real users.
💡 Want your website to be truly accessible?
Contact UNGUESS and discover how our expert-led accessibility testing services can concretely improve your site's accessibility today.