Last updated on February 6, 2026
This applies to browser behavior as well. I’ve been encountering a significant number of sites recently where the site tries to offer the user ways to make the site more accessible. Sometimes these are part of an overlay or widget providing accessibility “fixes” and sometimes they are part of the core code. In both cases they are taking the wrong approach to implementing help. Let me explain why.
I’m going to split people into two groups: disabled and newly disabled. The first is someone who has spent some time adjusting to life with their disability. The newly disabled are people who have been disabled within the last couple of months and have no real experience adjusting.
Types of Fixes
So what kinds of things are being implemented in sites and apps for accessibility? We often see an alternative color scheme, font sizing, font selection, contrast, cursor size as well as a few more odds and ends.
Why Shouldn’t We Add These?
We shouldn’t add these as they have an equivalent in the OS or browser already. For example, using the Control/Command key with the plus key (+) will zoom the browser window. While this is happening, the font gets larger. If a user gets to your site and your text is too small to read, they’ll likely use this method to increase the size. However, if they aren’t newly disabled, they likely have already adjusted their monitor resolution and or the base font size. Your on-site adjustments are just going to amplify those adjustments and not always with good consequences.
Let’s start with font size. WCAG says we need to be able to increase the font size to 200% without loss of content or functionality. As a user I can do several things if I need to zoom to 200%. The first adjustment would be to decrease my monitor resolution. So a 1080p screen would now be 540p, or said another way, my 1024×1280 monitor is showing me 512×640. Alternatively, I could increase my base font from 100% to 200%. In both cases my font will be doubled. I could adjust it with my browser as well. Lastly, if I needed something more, I could use a screen magnifier like ZoomText to increase my font. If this adjustment is needed regularly enough, the disabled user will make them permanent and every site or app they use will automatically adjust.
This does not always apply to the newly disabled.
With 3 ways plus assistive technology creating permanent methods of adjusting text size, why would I use the text resizer for one site? It doesn’t carry over changes to the next site I visit. But my permanent fixes do.
Newly Disabled
I will admit this group of people will likely use the tools you present on your site at first. But as soon as they start to understand their needs, they will switch to permanent system wide options. Providing these site specific patches will actually slow this user down from making those permanent changes.
What Happens If We Do Add Them?
In my case I have my font set to 150%. So instead of a base font of 16 pixels, I have 24 pixels. If I visit a site that sets their base font in pixels this will override my settings and I’m reading a smaller font than I’m comfortable with. I’ll use browser zoom to make it larger. But after I’m done with that site I will need to go and fix my browser settings back to normal. This isn’t difficult to do, but it is annoying. And if I visit the site frequently, I question whether I need it at all. If the base font is set in a relative sizing like EM, REM, or percent, then my font settings take over and everything adjusts to have a pleasant reading experience.
If the user has set their monitor to a smaller resolution, that OS font adjustment gets added after. If I’m viewing 800×600 on a 24 inch monitor my font will be really large. If I add 150% font sizing, it is even bigger.
TL;DR
Disabled individuals have customized their devices to work for them. Implementing features that replicate the OS or browser features only wastes your time and money. Those who need the tools have them, and those who don’t have them need to learn how to use the correct tools in their devices.
Update 2/6/2026
Chrome Canary recently released a new feature for text scaling. Adrian Roselli breaks it down really well, but why I bring up here is that it reinforces what I discuss above. For this new feature in Canary, you need to establish that the root is what the OS setting is.
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