--- title: Frightfully Bad Accessibility Problems, Halloween Edition description: Read about 3 accessibility issues that may be significant blockers, according to our writer, a blind, screen reader user. image: https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/UsableNet_HalloweenSocialMedia%20(003).jpeg --- - [skip to menu](https://blog.usablenet.com/frightfully-bad-accessibility-problems-halloween-edition#nav) - [skip to content](https://blog.usablenet.com/frightfully-bad-accessibility-problems-halloween-edition#main-content) - [skip to footer](https://blog.usablenet.com/frightfully-bad-accessibility-problems-halloween-edition#footer) Test the accessibility of your website for free! Try UsableNet AQA. 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[Take our Quiz](https://info.usablenet.com/website-accessibility-remediation-quiz) - Resources ## Resources [E-books & Guides](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=E-books%20and%20Guides) [Case Studies](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Case%20Studies) [Reports](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Reports) [Webinars](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Webinars) [Tools](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Tools) [All Resources](https://usablenet.com/resources) ## Essential Resources [ADA accessibility lawsuit tracker](https://info.usablenet.com/ada-website-compliance-lawsuit-tracker?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) [Checklist: how to achieve and maintain digital accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/digital-website-accessibility-checklist?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) [Which remediation approach is right for me?](https://info.usablenet.com/website-accessibility-remediation-quiz?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) [A Primer on ADA and Digital Accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/a-primer-on-ada-and-digital-accessibility?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) The EAA is in Effect — Is Your Website Compliant? [Get Help with EN 301 549 Compliance](https://info.usablenet.com/eaa-en-301-549-compliance?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) - Who We Serve ## Industry [E-commerce and Consumer Goods](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-e-commerce-consumer-goods) [Food Service and Hospitality](https://info.usablenet.com/-industries-food-service-hospitality) [Banking and Financial Services](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-financial-services) [Healthcare](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-healthcare) [Technology and Business Services](https://info.usablenet.com/-industries-technology-and-business-services) [Public Sector and Education](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-public-sector-and-education) ## Compliance [Canadian Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-canada) [European Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-europe) [Other International Accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-international) [United States Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-united-states) 2026 Midyear report on digital accessibility lawsuits in the US [Download Now](https://info.usablenet.com/2026-midyear-report) - [Pricing](https://usablenet.com/pricing) - [Blog](https://blog.usablenet.com/) - [About Us](https://usablenet.com/about-us) [Get a Demo](https://info.usablenet.com/contact) # Frightfully Bad Accessibility Problems, Halloween Edition **By** [Michael Taylor](https://blog.usablenet.com/author/michael-taylor) on Oct 31, 2023 **Topics:** [Web Accessibility](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/web-accessibility), [User Experience](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/user-experience) 0 Comments - - - ![An illustration of a green monster attacking a man through a computer screen ](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/UsableNet_HalloweenSocialMedia%20(003).jpeg) Halloween is today, so it is the perfect time to talk about the top three accessibility horrors I regularly encounter when using the internet. These frightfully bad flaws often haunt my experience and spook me into abandoning my browsing session. In other words, the three issues I will discuss serve as significant blockers to the effective use of a digital product by an assistive technology dependent. As always, I will exclusively be covering screen reader accessibility in this post. ### Images Used To Digitalize Print Materials Are Terrifying One of the most frustrating and unfortunately prevalent accessibility issues that I encounter is the use of images to hold and display text-based material. This occurs in so many areas of the digital world, everywhere from restaurant menus to instruction manuals for products to calendars and schedules for sporting events and musical performances. The root cause of this problem is the practice of digitalizing print materials by taking pictures or inaccessible scans of paper documents and uploading the raw files to the site. Screen readers are unable to consistently and effectively process this sort of data. When I come across one of these inaccessible images, I am essentially blocked from utilizing the main functionality of that particular digital experience. For example, lets say I am in a restaurant with my friends or family and want to brows the menu on my phone. If that particular restaurant decided to snap photos of the same paper and plastic menu that the print readers in the restaurant are using, I am virtually blocked from enjoying that digital feature. This issue is scary in its prevalence and a genuine and solid barrier to accessibility and usability. The best way to avoid this shortcoming is to add word-based data to the site as plain text. [![→ Read how to build a complete Accessibility Testing Program in our free guide. ](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3280432/6922792a-d0e2-49cc-8b05-64deb9a47db0.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3280432/6922792a-d0e2-49cc-8b05-64deb9a47db0) ### On-screen Pop-Ups With A Ghostly Secret Everyone knows those annoying pop-ups that appear on page launches and must be dismissed to continue using the site. They are used for everything from email list sign-ups to web cookie permission prompts and dialogues. While I am sure these often uninvited bothers may be frustrating for all users, sighted individuals can simply close the window using a tiny “X” or “Dismiss” button and move on with their browsing session. Unfortunately, it is not that simple for screen reader users like myself. The main issue is that we often cannot close or dismiss the window easily and efficiently. The small “Dismiss” or “X” button may not even be recognized by the screen reader at all. Even if it is, labeling defects often make the button unreadable. The best option is to try refreshing the page in the hope that the window will disappear on its own accord. However, this only works a fraction of the time. In most other cases, I am simply forced to abandon my use of the site altogether because I cannot close the pop-up window covering the rest of the page. This problem haunts so many internet use sessions and is a significant accessibility blocker. [For more, check out this blog: Pop-up Accessibility and How to Make Pop-ups More Accessible](https://blog.usablenet.com/pop-up-accessibility-and-how-to-make-pop-ups-more-accessible) ### The Horror Of Unlabeled Buttons Try to picture a product listing page on an e-commerce site. Those colored boxes usually contain words like “Add To Cart” or “Proceed To Checkout” that appear completely blank. It suddenly becomes virtually impossible to use the site because it is thoroughly unclear what colored box performs what action. This is how I feel when I encounter a website with unlabeled buttons. Any button or action icon must have corresponding text labels in the code to be detected and announced by a screen reader. Unfortunately, many site designers neglect to include these labels, drastically reducing the site's usability. Sites with poorly labeled or completely unlabeled buttons are unnavigable because I can't know which elements on the screen will activate my desired functionality. At this point, I am usually spooked off of the site.  [For further reading, check out the blog - Web Accessible Button Design for Screen Readers](https://blog.usablenet.com/web-accessible-button-design-for-screen-readers) ### Final Thoughts on our 3 Monsters and the importance of Accessibility  These are by far the most terrifying accessibility issues that I run across regularly. While all of the problems I discuss in my blogs are important, these three could stop me in my tracks and compel me to abandon my use of a particular digital experience. If any of these three flaws are present on a site, that site is haunted by the ghosts and ghouls of bad accessibility and will most definitely bring creepy crawlies that will spook screen reader users into running for the safety of the pumpkin patch. Editor's Note: Special thanks to our Guest Contributor, Michael Taylor, for having a little Halloween fun with us in his latest post! [Read more blogs about Michael's experience as a screen reader user here. ](https://blog.usablenet.com/author/michael-taylor) If you are interested in making sure your website design brings treats with no tricks this year, check out our new webinar on November 8th at noon - [**Demystifying Accessible Design: ****How to Apply WCAG 2.2- Save your seat now!**](https://info.usablenet.com/webinar-registration-demystifying-accessible-design-wcag-2.2) [**![Blue rectangle containing two headshots of speakers and text about the webinar. The first line of text says Webinar, under this is says Demystifying Accessible Design and the next line says How to Apply WCAG 2.2. There is an orange shape at the bottom with the word register in black text, indicating that you must register to attend this free event. ](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/October%20Webinar%20Graphic.png?width=600&height=314&name=October%20Webinar%20Graphic.png)**](https://info.usablenet.com/webinar-registration-demystifying-accessible-design-wcag-2.2?__hstc=45788219.98018e8a82cf85888797f67f67589d67.1698761998693.1698761998693.1698761998693.1&__hssc=45788219.1.1698761998694&__hsfp=3165562432)   ![Michael Taylor](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Michael%20Taylor-4.jpg) ### [Michael Taylor](https://blog.usablenet.com/author/michael-taylor) I am a regular contributor to the UsableNet blog on digital accessibility. I develop, write, and edit content for the company blog related to my experiences with digital accessibility. I explore various areas of the digital world and combine my unique perspective as a screen reader user with my fun and creative writing style to deliver an informative and engaging final product. My goal is to advance the company's marketing initiatives while also raising awareness about digital accessibility and how it affects the lives of real-world assistive technology users. My work covers everything from common accessibility challenges to robust and accessible design to tutorial-like content for specific web elements. - - - - ### Related posts ![Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-check-in-and-in-stay-barriers-for-blind-guests) Jul 15, 2026 ![Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-browsing-room-options) Jul 14, 2026 ![Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Registration%20-%20Midyear%20Report.png) [Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/inside-the-2026-midyear-numbers-where-digital-accessibility-litigation-is-going) Jul 8, 2026 ![Real Estate Website Accessibility: Property Listing Pages and Screen Readers](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Real%20Estate%20Website%20Accessibility%20-%20Property%20Listing%20Pages%20and%20Screen%20Readers%201200%20x%20630.png) [Real Estate Website Accessibility: Property Listing Pages and Screen Readers](https://blog.usablenet.com/real-estate-website-accessibility-property-listing-pages-and-screen-readers) Jul 7, 2026 ### Sign Up for the UsableNet Blog ### Recent Posts ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-check-in-and-in-stay-barriers-for-blind-guests) Jul 15, 2026 ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-browsing-room-options) Jul 14, 2026 ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Registration%20-%20Midyear%20Report.png) [Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/inside-the-2026-midyear-numbers-where-digital-accessibility-litigation-is-going) Jul 8, 2026 ### Posts by Topic - [Web Accessibility (311)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/web-accessibility) - [User Experience (113)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/user-experience) - [ADA Lawsuits (45)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/ada-lawsuits) - [ADA Website Compliance (38)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/ada-website-compliance) - [European Accessibility Act (34)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/european-accessibility-act) - [Mobile Web (30)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-web) - [Mobile Apps (27)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-apps) - [Retail (27)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/retail) ![](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Consultation%20Icon.svg) Need to improve digital usability, accessibility or performance? 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Stay up-to-date on our insights, the latest tech news and digital trends. ![International Association of Accessibility Professionals logo](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SaaS%20Theme/2023%20Header%20and%20Footer/IAAP-logo.png?width=150&height=81&name=IAAP-logo.png) © 2026 UsableNet Inc. ![International Association of Accessibility Professionals logo](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SaaS%20Theme/2023%20Header%20and%20Footer/IAAP-logo.png?width=150&height=81&name=IAAP-logo.png) © 2026 UsableNet Inc. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Michael Taylor", "url" : "https://blog.usablenet.com/author/michael-taylor" }, "dateModified" : "2023-10-31T14:32:59.360Z", "datePublished" : "2023-10-31T14:08:36.000Z", "headline" : "Frightfully Bad Accessibility Problems, Halloween Edition", "image" : [ "https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/UsableNet_HalloweenSocialMedia%20(003).jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.usablenet.com/frightfully-bad-accessibility-problems-halloween-edition", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/UsableNet%20Logo_Black.png" }, "name" : "UsableNet Inc." } } ```