TL;DR: No. AI accessibility overlays don't work, AI agents can't replace human expertise, and courts don't accept "we used an AI tool" as a defense. With 95% of AI business deployments providing zero value, accessibility is too important—and too legally risky—to trust to automation alone.

You've seen the ads: "Make your website ADA compliant in 5 minutes!" or "AI-powered accessibility—install one line of code!"

Sounds great, right? Just add some JavaScript, let AI handle it, and avoid those $50,000 lawsuits.

Here's the problem: it doesn't work.

And now there's evidence.

The AI Hype Bubble is Bursting

A recent MIT study found that 95% of businesses that deployed generative AI have gotten no value from it. Zero ROI. Just wasted money and broken promises.

AI accessibility tools fall into this same trap. They promise to automatically fix your site's accessibility issues using artificial intelligence. But when tested by actual disabled users—or worse, when challenged in court—they fail spectacularly.

Why AI Can't Fix Accessibility (Yet)

1. Accessibility Requires Understanding Context

AI can detect that an image is missing alt text. But it can't write meaningful alt text without understanding:

What the image shows
Why it's on the page
What information it conveys
How it relates to surrounding content

Example:

An AI tool sees a product image and generates: alt="blue shoe"

A human accessibility expert writes: alt="Nike Air Max 270 running shoe in royal blue, size 10, side view showing mesh upper and visible Air cushioning"

The first one passes an automated scan. The second one actually helps blind users.

2. Overlays Break Screen Readers

Most AI accessibility tools work by injecting JavaScript that tries to "fix" your site on the fly. This overlay approach has a fundamental problem: it often breaks the very assistive technology it's trying to support.

Screen readers navigate using your site's actual HTML structure. When an overlay dynamically changes that structure, screen readers get confused. Buttons disappear. Navigation breaks. Forms become unusable.

The result? Your site becomes less accessible, not more.

3. Courts Reject Overlay Defenses

Multiple lawsuits have proceeded against companies using AI accessibility overlays. Judges aren't impressed by "but we installed an AI widget!"

Why? Because the widget didn't actually fix the underlying code. It just put a band-aid over violations that still exist in your HTML.

When a blind plaintiff shows the court that they still can't use your site (even with the overlay), your $50/month AI subscription becomes exhibit A in the plaintiff's case.

What the Data Shows

From the MIT study on AI deployments:

95% of businesses got no value from AI tools
Companies are abandoning AI replacement strategies
The focus is shifting back to human expertise with AI assistance

From accessibility lawsuit data:

Over 4,000 federal lawsuits filed in 2023
Sites using overlay tools still get sued
Settlements range from $5,000-$75,000
Legal fees add another $20,000-$50,000

From actual disabled users:

Overlay tools frequently break screen reader navigation
Auto-generated alt text is often useless or misleading
AI can't understand semantic meaning or context
Real people need real fixes, not JavaScript patches

"But My Developer Said We Could Use AI..."

Your developer isn't wrong that AI can help with accessibility. The mistake is thinking AI can replace human expertise.

AI is good at:

Finding obvious violations (missing alt text, color contrast)
Running repetitive tests across hundreds of pages
Flagging potential issues for review
Assisting experts with faster audits

AI is terrible at:

Understanding what makes alt text meaningful
Determining if form labels are clear
Testing whether keyboard navigation makes logical sense
Knowing if dynamic content announces correctly to screen readers
Understanding semantic HTML structure
Making judgment calls about edge cases

What Actually Works

After 10+ years remediating accessibility violations for enterprise sites like Ashley Furniture and Tractor Supply, here's what I've learned:

The right approach uses AI as a tool, not a solution:

1. AI-Assisted Auditing Use automated scanners (like Google Lighthouse) to find obvious violations quickly. This catches 30-40% of issues.

2. Human Expert Testing Have an accessibility specialist manually review your site with screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, and assistive technology. This catches the other 60-70%.

3. Code-Level Fixes Actually fix your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—don't just overlay bandaids. This ensures assistive technology works correctly.

4. Ongoing Maintenance Accessibility isn't one-and-done. Train your team to maintain compliance as content changes.

The Houston Web Compliance Approach

When we audit a site, we use AI tools to accelerate the discovery process. Google Lighthouse scans thousands of elements in seconds, flagging color contrast issues, missing alt text, and form label problems.

But then the real work begins:

We manually test with NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver screen readers
We navigate entire user flows using only a keyboard
We review every auto-generated finding to confirm it's actually a problem
We write meaningful alt text that provides real value to blind users
We fix the underlying code, not just overlay JavaScript
We test with actual assistive technology to verify fixes work

This takes longer than clicking "install AI widget." But it actually works. And more importantly, it holds up in court.

The Legal Reality

When you receive an ADA demand letter, the plaintiff's attorney will test your site with screen readers. If it doesn't work, you're liable—regardless of what AI tools you installed.

"But we use AccessiBe/AudioEye/UserWay!" isn't a legal defense. It's just evidence you knew about the problem but chose the cheapest possible band-aid instead of actually fixing it.

Courts expect you to make your site actually accessible, not just claim it's accessible because you installed a widget.

The Cost Comparison

AI Overlay Service:

Cost: $500-$2,000/year
Result: Surface-level fixes that often break screen readers
Legal protection: None (lawsuits proceed anyway)
Long-term value: You're paying forever for a band-aid

Professional Remediation:

Cost: $2,000-$8,000 one-time (most sites)
Result: Code-level fixes that actually work
Legal protection: Actual compliance reduces lawsuit risk
Long-term value: Site stays accessible for years

Getting Sued:

Settlement: $5,000-$75,000
Legal fees: $20,000-$50,000
Court-ordered monitoring: $5,000-$10,000/year for 2-3 years
Reputation damage: Incalculable

So Should You Use AI at All?

Yes—but as a tool, not a replacement.

AI scanners are excellent for:

Finding low-hanging fruit quickly
Running regular compliance checks
Catching regressions before they go live
Helping developers learn what to look for

But you still need human expertise to:

Understand context and meaning
Write effective alt text
Test with actual assistive technology
Make judgment calls on complex interactions
Ensure semantic HTML structure
Verify fixes actually work for disabled users

The Bottom Line

The AI hype bubble is bursting. Companies that tried to replace humans with AI agents are discovering their mistake. A 95% failure rate isn't a rounding error—it's a fundamental problem.

Accessibility is too important—and too legally risky—to trust to automation alone.

Your website needs:

Real code fixes, not JavaScript overlays
Meaningful alt text, not auto-generated descriptions
Human expertise, not just automated scans
Actual testing with assistive technology, not algorithmic guesses

Can AI help? Absolutely. We use it every day to accelerate audits and catch obvious issues.

Can AI replace human expertise? Not even close. And the 95% failure rate proves it.

What You Should Do

If you're using an AI overlay tool:

Test your site with a real screen reader (NVDA is free)
Navigate your site using only your keyboard
Ask yourself: does this actually work, or does it just pass an automated scan?

If you received a demand letter:

Don't assume your overlay tool protected you (it didn't)
Get a real accessibility audit from a human expert
Fix your actual code, not just your JavaScript band-aids

If you're starting fresh:

Skip the overlay tools entirely
Get professional remediation that fixes underlying code
Use AI tools to maintain compliance, not create it

Want to know what's actually broken on your site?

Run our free accessibility scanner. Unlike AI overlay tools, we'll tell you what's wrong and how to actually fix it—with real code changes, not JavaScript patches.

Scan Your Website - Free

About Houston Web Compliance

We've spent 10+ years fixing accessibility violations on enterprise e-commerce sites, complex web applications, and professional service websites. We use AI tools to accelerate audits, but we trust human expertise to get it right. Based in Houston, Texas, serving businesses nationwide.

Not a lawyer? Neither are we. This post provides technical information about website accessibility, not legal advice. If you're facing legal action, consult an attorney who specializes in ADA defense.

Should You Trust AI to Fix Your Website's Accessibility Issues?