• Orange County, CA
Facebook Linkedin Instagram
Schedule a call
Website Accessibility & The Law: Why Your Website Must Be Compliant
Posted on By Author content@adaforweb.com Categories Learn About Web Accessibility

Website Accessibility & The Law: Why Your Website Must Be Compliant

In this era of technology, websites are an increasingly important source of information. Unfortunately, many websites are not designed or coded in a way that enables users of all abilities to access the site’s content. As a result, many sites can be difficult or impossible to use by people with disabilities.

Website accessibility law is an emerging legal domain where websites, computer programs, and digital service providers are required to comply with a minimum set of requirements. This will enable people with disabilities access to online services.

It allows people with disabilities to access the same information as everyone else. It brings your business into compliance with important regulations and standards. This article explores the federal law that affects website accessibility and discusses its implications for website owners and operators.

Why Website Accessibility Laws Are Important
Website accessibility laws help ensure that all websites in a country are accessible by following common accessibility guidelines. Website developers must adhere to these guidelines if their website is on public property and is used by federal employees or federally funded organisations.

One of the main benefits of website accessibility laws is that they help prevent discrimination against certain groups. People with disabilities might not be able to access certain information if a website is not accessible. No laws require individuals to attempt accessing a service that does not accommodate their disability.

This can cause problems for the people who can access the information. Those who are not disabled might be able to access the same information but are denied service based on stereotypes about disabilities.

Someone with a disability might have difficulty focusing or concentrating on important things when they cannot use a website because it is not accessible. This can cause problems for the person and might also hurt a business or organization that offers online services. Website accessibility laws help prevent people from experiencing these issues.

Website Accessibility Laws

Website accessibility law has become increasingly important as more people rely on the internet and mobile services in their daily lives. The principles of website accessibility are similar to but not identical with those of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ADA compliance website is accessible to individuals who have disabilities or other barriers.

Where websites and other interactive digital services are accessible to people with disabilities, it can result in significant cost savings for businesses that serve the community. A few companies have begun to make accessibility a top business priority and have developed software tools to maximize the value of their websites and digital services.

ADA Compliance Website
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a law that prohibits, among other things, discrimination on the basis of disability in employment. But how do websites factor into this equation? The answer is straightforward: they need to be accessible to people with disabilities.

This means having features like alt texts and large fonts to accommodate people who use screen readers or have low vision. The ADA website compliance checklist makes compliance a lot easier.

The website, a one-stop shop for ADA information, includes all the necessary information businesses need to comply with applicable laws and regulations. It is divided into sections covering topics like employment, transportation and public accommodations.

These sections are further divided into 20 sub-sections that cover everything from service animals to barrier removal to undue burden in places of public accommodation.

A lot of companies have started to understand the compliance risks associated with accessibility and disability. The ADA Compliance software is a product that can be used by any company, no matter what industry, to help them become compliant.

This software not only helps with ADA website complaints but also helps large companies comply with other regulations such as OSHA and safety regulations. With this website, you are able to make sure that your company is making an effort toward becoming compliant and safe for everyone.

Advantages Of having accessible website

To help business owners understand the importance of accessibility and how to go about improving it on their website, the advantages of having an accessible websites discussed below:

More Effective For Marketing

Businesses that have an accessible website can market their products and services to a wider audience. This includes people who may not necessarily know what you do, but who are still able to find information about you and contact you through an online form or search engine. More visitors means a greater chance of success in the long run.

More Effective For The User

If you have an accessible website, your website’s users and customers will be able to access all the content they can, and it will be easier for them to find what they need. This means that your site will attract more customers as well as give you greater control over what content is being presented.

Good For SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is about your content and making it relevant for search engines so that people can find your site easily. If you have an accessible website, it shows that you have invested time and effort into the website. It is seen favorably by search engines and can help improve your own website’s SEO rankings.

Increased Traffic And Revenue

A website that is ADA compliant has all the features that are required by a standard website. It becomes user-friendly and accessible to everyone. Additionally, in order for your website or app to be considered fully ADA compliant, you need to test all possible scenarios.

With ADA compliance software, you will see increased traffic because of the increased accessibility for everyone.

Conclusion

Web accessibility is on the demand. With more and more companies understanding the benefits of providing their services in an accessible way, many sites still fail to comply. If you are thinking about launching a new website or even creating a new product that will be used by people with disabilities, consider making an ADA compliance website.

Web Content Accessibility: What It Is & Why Your Law Firm Should Care
Posted on By Author content@adaforweb.com Categories Law Firms

Web Content Accessibility: What It Is & Why Your Law Firm Should Care

When it comes to digital content, accessibility refers to the design and development that enables people with disabilities to access and use mobile applications, websites, and other digital technology. With as many as 25% of adults in the United States living with some form of disability, ensuring your law firm websites are accessible to everyone is vital.

People living with disabilities tend to process data and information differently. Accessibility makes sure that users with disabilities have a similar experience to those who navigate the website using point-and-click and keyboard-based methods. All visitors should be able to access your entire website, from submitting a consultation request to making payment.

With 25% of the adults in the United States disabled, a fourth of your audience cannot use your law firm’s website effectively. Thus, it’s your responsibility to take all the necessary steps to ensure that the site is effectively accessible to all. Fortunately, web content accessibility is nothing complicated. In this article, we discuss how you can make your site accessible to everyone.

What Is Web Content Accessibility?

In a simple sense, we can define web content accessibility as all the strategies you use to develop a website’s design and make it easier for people with disabilities. The W3C or World Wide Web Consortium established a set of guidelines called the “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0” or WCAG 2.0 back in 2008.

The WCAG 2.0 provides a clear standard for web developers to ensure that a website is accessible to those living with disabilities. It includes different compliance levels ranging from A (the lowest) to AAA (the highest). This guideline seeks to enhance a site’s accessibility in four areas –

1. Perceivable: Perceivable refers to providing information in such a way that all users can understand. For example, providing alternative texts that users can convert into speech, large print, symbols, speech, or simple language
2. Understandable: Web designers must ensure that all information and features on a website are understandable. They should assist users in avoiding and correcting errors and ensure that web pages are consistent in their operation and appearance.
3. Operable: All features of a website should be accessible via a keyboard. Furthermore, all the content must be designed so that the users have enough time to read them. The site’s navigation design should be simple as well.
4. Robust: Websites should be robust enough to be compatible with different user agents such as assistive technologies.

Why Web Content Accessibility Matters For Your Law Firm’s Website

Web content accessibility ensures that everyone can access the web content regardless of their abilities or limitations. Ensuring web content accessibility isn’t only a moral obligation and financially advantageous for your practice. When your law firm’s website is accessible to everyone, it demonstrates that you care about everyone in the community.

Thus, you create an inclusive environment that stands against any discrimination people with disabilities face. In addition, you won’t have to worry about users with hearing or visual impairments facing any hindrances when navigating through your website. This way, you increase your law firm’s ability to attract more clients.

Your website ADA compliance is also important to maintain social responsibility and improve accessibility. Even as a moral obligation, your website should ensure accessibility to all as it brings us closer to a user’s experience. One of the most vital reasons for prioritizing accessibility is to provide a friendly user experience to website visitors.

Every visitor should find the website appealing, and there shouldn’t be any differences in the content or user experience based on their level of vision or hearing. Improving accessibility also benefits older people who can’t see well and those with slow internet access.

Ways To Make Your Law Firm’s Website Accessible For The Disabled
Let’s take a look at all the easiest ways you can make your website accessible to the people with disabilities –

1. Ensure That All CTAs And Forms Are Easily Accessible
Online forms are the primary key to your website’s lead generation. So it’s important to have forms that are both functional and accessible to ensure that more users can input their information. You can make forms and CTAs easily accessible on your site through –
1. Adding short and clear instructions.
2. Labeling all the form fields appropriately.
3. Make all the button instructions clear, like – “Submit consultation request” rather than “Submit.”
4. Check that all the forms are entirely operable through a keyboard.

2. Text Explanations For Audio And Video Content
In recent years, infographics have become hugely popular for a proper reason. However, they can make information inaccessible to people with visual disabilities.
So it’s important to use visual aids in your websites like labeled tables, detailed alternative titles, tags, and numbered or bulleted lists. Adding Image alt text can benefit both SEO and web content accessibility.

3. Enable Keyboard Navigation For Your Website
Many disabled internet users may be unable to navigate using a mouse. Such people tend to rely on a keyboard or various other input devices. Unfortunately, keyboard navigation may be frequently overlooked.
You can improve ADA website accessibility by keeping the most common keyboard navigation tools on your website. For example, –the ‘Enter’ key to access dropdown menus, the ‘Esc’ key to close the menu, and the ‘Tab’ key to alternate between web pages.

4. Remove Or Modify Time-constrained Elements
Individuals who use pointers or keyboard navigation often take longer to navigate a website. Unfortunately, many websites have timed elements, especially during the checkout process.
If your customers don’t get enough time to navigate the website, they may be timed out and lose their data. You should take proper steps to ensure no data is lost, even when an automatic time-out should occur.

5. Pay Attention To Usability Across Platforms And Technologies
According to current guidelines, websites need to evolve with the times. You may want to keep your website strong, but you should also ensure its content is valuable and serves a purpose.
Developing a user-friendly website is probably the most critical aspect to consider when making changes to your site. Check your site’s performance across devices and platforms regularly to ensure it remains high.

Conclusion
Making your law firm’s website content more accessible and usable ensures lead generation, SEO, and all visitors to your site have a positive experience, including disabled people. This article explains what web content accessibility is, why it’s crucial for your law firm websites, and how you can make them ADA compliant.

To remind you, website accessibility lawsuits are very real and it could really affect the image of your law firm if it gets one when you yourself deal with the lwa. We hope it was helpful, and thanks for reading till now.

Law Firm Website Accessibility And ADA Compliance
Posted on By Author content@adaforweb.com Categories Law Firms

Law Firm Website Accessibility And ADA Compliance

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a law put into effect in 1990 with the aim of aiding millions of Americans living with a disability. It is an internet law that covers a wide range of websites and web portals. One of the most prominent of them is the law firm websites. Accessibility and ADA compliance go hand in hand when it comes to law firm websites.

ADA compliance is essential to ensure that people with disabilities are not being discriminated against and to maintain the ease of accessibility. Small businesses, firms, and organizations must follow this predefined set of criteria. It serves the purpose of standardizing cyber accessibility and ease of functionality for the masses.
Law firms, businesses, and corporations can ensure that the vast population of differently-abled people have the same access to services and facilities from their websites as the general public. For this reason, the websites must be accessible and maintain ADA compliance guidelines. It is a feature that is beneficial for both the users and the firm.

What Does It Mean To Be An ADA Compliant Website?
Law firm websites need to be ADA compliant― but how can a firm understand what it means to be ADA compliant? Simply said, your website, as well as all electronic information and technology, must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. It is a civil law that requires all users, regardless of their disability, to be included and treated equally.

Short for the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design, ADA compliance is a predetermined set of regulations, guidelines, and checklists that the website must follow. In this way, the website can be easily accessible to the general people and become highly helpful to people who are disabled. ADA compliance websites can ensure to meet this aim.

Disability comes in a wide range of forms. When web designers work on formulating a website often, it is possible that the website and its services may not be accessed by people with cognitive impairments, auditory impairments, visual and mobility impairments, epilepsy, sensitivity to light flashes, etc.

These constraints deprive millions of people of the website accessibility and service it promises to provide. Especially for law firm websites, which is an imperative service-oriented establishment, they must be ADA compliant. Being ADA compliant not only ensures a better user experience but also boosts the performance of the firm’s website.
So, being ADA compliant is a government-mandated proactive effort that ensures inclusiveness and ease of accessibility to all people, irrespective of their limitations. Firms, corporations, and organizations can grow proactively. They must be aware of the ADA-compliant standards. Implementing these guidelines on their websites can ensure equality for all users.

Benefits Of Law Firm Website Accessibility With ADA Compliance

According to studies by Bloomberg Law, making your websites ADA compliant is an integral way of making the website business ready. For law firms, it is pivotal to follow and implement the guidelines as directed by the government. There are multiple benefits for the law firm and the clients of the firm when their website is ADA compliant. These benefits include-

Projecting A Disability-Friendly Brand Presence

The underlying aim of ADA compliance is to ensure inclusiveness and equality for all people. As many people can find it challenging to access different services and facilities of the website because of their constraints and limitations, it is high time for the business and firm owners to take a proactive step. ADA compliance makes the platform friendly for all users.

When the law firm’s website follows the ADA compliance guidelines, it is also projecting that the platform is disability-friendly. It ensures inclusivity for the people suffering from different physical or mental constraints. Therefore, ADA compliance is vital and highly beneficial for the law firm’s website accessibility and brand presence.

Enhancing Your Digital Customer Experience

ADA compliance ensures a high-quality user experience. Not only does a brand platform become disability friendly, but it also becomes reputable for its enhanced digital customer experience.
The customers can quickly access the service, facilities, and information they are looking for. This process can become complicated and complex to navigate without maintaining the guidelines of ADA compliance. So, maintaining ADA compliance is pivotal to ensuring an enhanced digital customer experience.

Qualifying For A Tax Credit Available

One of the critical advantages of following ADA compliance guidelines is that it will allow the law firm and the other firms following the checklist to qualify for a tax credit available. The tax credit enables the taxpayers or the tax-paying firm to directly subtract from their taxes the amount they owe.
ADA compliance makes the business eligible to access and qualify for a tax credit. The value of the tax credit naturally depends on various correlative factors of the business and its income. However, the bottom line is that ADA compliance plays a significant role in making your law firm qualify for a tax credit when the guidelines are followed.

Complying With The Civil Law

Ensuring that the websites and digital platforms are ADA compliant is a civil law mandated by the government to ensure equality in services for all. In the 2019 Supreme Court decision, a company, law firm, or corporation can face lawsuits against their websites if they do not follow the ADA compliance checklist.
So, ADA compliance is now more than just a tool for easy accessibility on websites. It is the protection of equality and inclusivity for millions of people who suffer from disabilities and constraints. Hence, it is pivotal that law firm websites follow ADA compliance. In this way, the firm can ensure compliance with the law and protect the civil rights of the masses.

Conclusion

ADA compliance is highly significant for law firm websites to follow. It allows ease of accessibility and numerous other benefits that are crucial for the firm. This task can become effective and simultaneously efficient by using ADA compliance software.

Contact us to learn more about ADA compliance and ensure that your websites are following the necessary guidelines.

Four Principles Of Web Accessibility
Posted on By Author content@adaforweb.com Categories Law Firms

Four Principles Of Web Accessibility

When we need assistance gathering information, we frequently use the internet to access websites. You will have fewer visitors on your website if it is difficult to access. So, what is it that makes your website accessible? Well, to sum it up, there are four principles of web accessibility.

The four principles of web accessibility are robust, perceivable, understandable, and operable. They are referred to as POUR. These principles break down the four main aspects that are needed to access databases over the web.

WCAG is widely accepted as a set of standards for websites and is the optimum way to achieve accessibility. It is also referenced in web accessibility lawsuits. Let us continue reading to learn more about WCAG.

Four Principles Of Web Accessibility

Information on websites must be presented to users so that they can easily understand and access them. Users often have to scroll through to find specific information for which they have clicked on your website. It should not take them long for them to get irritated and try out other websites.

Let us read in detail about how the four principles of web accessibility help make it easy for users to gather information from your website. Here is an introduction to POUR.

● Perceivable
Information presented on a website must be able to be processed by the user. You should present information in a processable format, or else it will not be accessible. This also indicates you are to provide texts for those who have a disability of hearing or are deaf. It has to comply with ADA web accessibility.
Your website should also have alternative texts for contexts so that they can be changed by users according to needs such as symbols, speech, language, etc. You may also add different times for people accessing your website from different time zones. Your content must match the site’s information. Pictures and videos must be relatable to the data being presented.

You also need to keep in mind that many users may also be blind and would need audio assistance. You don’t have to create audios for every piece of content up on your website, but those which are crucial for assistive technologies and voiceovers. Your websites require sight or hearing, or else they will not pass the permeability test.

● Operable
You should design your website in a user-friendly manner so that it is easily operable by the users. If the website is easy to access, it will gather more traffic on your site than websites or businesses providing similar services.
Users, upon looking at your website, must know where to click to get information. There should be tabs and drop-downs that help users navigate information and help them determine where to find content.

Your website should give enough time for users to find what they are looking for. Use domains that have more uptime and will load images larger in size faster. You should not keep users waiting for your page to load. Remember, they already have more tabs open looking for similar information from other sites.
Users who have cognitive disabilities must also be considered when setting up websites. Use media and animations that can be controlled and accessed by them as well.

● Understandable
A website that is easily perceivable and easy to operate can still be hard to understand for users. Your website should use concise language and be clear with links and tabs. You should also make your websites appear predictable and operational.

Make sure it is easy to comprehend for your users. If your user is clicking on a piece of information, then the result should be obvious and not seem like clickbait.
Your web interface must follow a logical flow of data and have different sections dividing information instead of jumbling it altogether. Your ads must also be organized and not block users from accessing information.

● Robust
Users usually select their technological mix. You should construct a website that runs smoothly across other platforms and browsers. It should also be accessible by different devices and not make users zoom in and out constantly on your website to collect information.

The best way to achieve website robustness is by following standards of development and conventions. Use codes that are as clean as possible. This makes the website more consumable, accessible, and robust across all platforms. Try to combine different technologies on your website so users are drawn more to your site and find it interesting.

In general, to make a website robust, it should be reliable by providing a wide variety of supporting technologies to user agents. Try to add tools or widgets to your website. This will allow users on your site to interact more. You may add chat rooms or surveys that help them get real-time information or also have relatable content presented to them.

Importance Of Accessibility

POUR needs to be presented for website accessibility. It improves the quality of your page while also helping users access information on the website faster. This is the primary concern for both users with and without disabilities. It also determines if users will continue to use your site for gathering information in the future.

By adapting POUR for accessibility, you pass the permeability test. This will aid users with and without disabilities in obtaining information from your website. It also keeps your codes clean, making the website look more organized. Users seek out websites with appealing visuals in addition to the information they need.

With so many websites out there, there is a need for your website to be presentable and have information that will be helpful to users. POUR helps users from other platforms to reach your site. It also gives you reference to ADA compliance website lawsuits and ADA web accessibility.

Conclusion

The four principles of web accessibility are robust, perceivable, understandable, and operable. It improves the quality of your page while also helping users access information on the website faster. POUR helps determine whether your website is easy to understand and accessible for users on your website.

Digital Accessibility For Law Firms: Why Lawyers Need To Prioritize Accessibility
Posted on By Author content@adaforweb.com Categories Law Firms

Digital Accessibility For Law Firms: Why Lawyers Need To Prioritize Accessibility

Law firm websites are some of the most common service websites for the more significant population. When these websites are inaccessible to a large population, the firms are bound to face the consequences. If your law firm has an inaccessible website, you may face website accessibility or ADA-compliant website lawsuits.

Since law firm websites give help-seekers a chance to get information regarding the law – everyone would visit them. But having your website be inaccessible to disabled people can violate ADA regulations. Not only that – having an accessible website can help your firm in many ways other than avoiding lawsuits. So, let’s check out why accessibility should be a priority.

How Does Website Accessibility Help Law Firms?

An accessible website can improve the experience for any website visitor by a wide margin. Since law firm websites are public service sites, they should be accessible to everybody. Since making your website accessible can give you legal and financial benefits, law firms also have something to gain from website accessibility.
Improved User Experience For All Users
Whether your user base requires additional aid to use law firm sites, accessibility can ensure they have a better experience. Your website should be able to cater to most of the population, including people with disabilities. Only about one in five people in the USA have a disability.

Fortunately, adding accessibility tools such as alt text can also help abled users in times of need. Overall, ensuring your website is accessible can bring in more visitors crediting to its easy user experience.
Complying With ADA Regulations – Avoid Lawsuits
Website accessibility lawsuits are more common than you think. In 2017, the USA saw around 814 cases directed toward websites that the masses could not access. The suits result from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)’s Title III.

The ADA’s Title III protects people with disabilities from discrimination in a place of public accommodation. Since law firm websites are a place of help and information, one could easily consider them a place of public accommodation – even a court judge.

Therefore, per the ADA regulations, your website requires tools for accessibility. Not only does it ensure upholding civil rights, but it also helps your firm avoid any additional legal battles.
Boosting SEO Advantages
When you make your website more accessible, search engines pick up on it. Leading search engines like Google are more likely to put accessible websites to the forefront – boosting SEO for your firm.

The programs that decide which websites get more hits tend to pick up on better visual information and accessibility options. So, as you improve user experience – you can ultimately enjoy SEO benefits for the site.
Financial Returns
Accessible websites do not directly benefit financially from accessibility tools. It is more of a result of all the efforts. Since your website’s accessibility options bring in more visitors, you can earn better from the website over time.

Additionally, lawsuits are common for accessibility concerns on law firm websites. By providing users with an accessible experience, you can avoid the legal expenses of handling a case. Therefore, accessibility will also favor you financially.

What Is An ADA Compliant Website Accessibility Lawsuit – And How Can It Affect You?

The ADA-compliant website accessibility lawsuit holds websites accountable for not complying with ADA guidelines. Suppose your law firm’s website does not provide accessibility tools for every user. In that case, a disadvantaged user can issue a lawsuit against you. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)’s Title III protects the right to accessibility in spaces like public info websites.

Title III protects the right of people with disabilities to have proper access to any public domain as an able-bodied person. While the grounds are unclear whether it is okay to consider a public domain website, perspectives are changing. It is more than likely that a civil judge will consider a law firm’s website as public domain.

Therefore, if your website does not employ tools to help every user equally, it can risk a lawsuit. From then on, not only will your law firm website be liable for losing a part of your client demographic – you can potentially lose money as well.

Ways To Prioritize Website Accessibility For Your Law Firm

As a lawyer, there are methods to ensure your law firm’s website passes accessibility checks on all grounds. It must follow accessibility guidelines – and then you can make sure to check it using evaluation tools.

Comply With Accessibility Guidelines
The existing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) can make your job more manageable.

1. The user interface must be designed so that every user can perceive the components of the website.
2. Every user should be able to navigate parts of the site, and every feature should be operable universally.
3. The information on the site should be presented in a way that every user can understand.
4. The website should be dynamic and well-built with accessibility tools. Assistive technology should complement the website’s structure so users can have the whole experience.

Within WCAG standards, there are levels to ensure how well your website can help the overall population. The classes are named A through AAA, where AAA is the highest standard of digital accessibility.
Evaluate Your Website
Currently, it is easy to check whether your website follows ADA-approved guidelines. Online tools are less reliable but easy to use in the evaluation process. And in case you want a more reliable evaluation, you can look up services built by experts to check your site.

Make Your Website More Disability Inclusive

At ADAforweb, we have created an informed solution to make digital accessibility more manageable than ever. We can evaluate your website to look for digital accessibility compliance, deliver accessibility statements, and provide remediation services.

Our goal is to create a more disability-friendly digital space. If your website needs some touch-up on accessibility – or you are simply worried about it being accessible enough, schedule a call with us.

Conclusion

If not for simply avoiding ADA-compliant website accessibility lawsuits, an accessible site can open the door of information for many of the population. So while you build a public service website, check all the boxes to ensure everyone can receive help from it.

0