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Lawsuits Targeting Business Websites Over ADA Violations Are On the Rise
Posted on By Author content@adaforweb.com Categories Law Firms

Lawsuits Targeting Business Websites Over ADA Violations Are On the Rise

Technology is touching every facet of our lives nowadays. From kids to senior citizens, everyone has access to the internet. And when something is being used by so many people worldwide, the question of accessibility becomes an important conversation.

Failing to match accessibility guidelines can brew serious trouble. So, this guide will be all about the web accessibility lawsuit. We will discuss what you need to know about it and more importantly what you should do if you have a website.

ADA Violations Lawsuits: What You Need to Know

In 2022, having a business website is not an optional thing. Customers are more informed nowadays than ever. And they do their research online and visit company websites. And in some cases, they will directly purchase a product, or service or get information from the company website.

To compete, you need to have a compelling website. That is a basic thing in today’s day and age. However, American law takes things a bit farther than that.

Laws like the ADA Act ensure that people with disabilities in seeing and hearing can use websites properly. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, your website needs to be easy to use and friendly.

Failing to comply with the law can result in website accessibility lawsuits. This can cause harm to your brand both in monetary terms and also its image. Moreover, having an accessible website is the right thing to do.

It allows you to reach more people. Accessible websites make for an inclusive world wide web. Most of the lawsuits are ADA Title III. It allows for a website to be accessible for people with all kinds of disabilities. You can read this article to know more.

ADA Lawsuits Are on The Site: And There is Something You Can Do About It

The thing you need to know is that these lawsuits are on the rise. And chances are they might not stop that soon. Just in 2018, there were nearly 5,000 ADA. The shocking thing? This was just in the first 6 months. Now that is not something websites and business owners would want to hear.

Florida, California, and New York have seen 85% of the federal filings in 2020. And over 8,000 lawsuits have been filed or removed just between 2017 to 2020. If you think about that, that is a staggering number.

An argument that can come up is whether or not these allegations or lawsuits are frivolous. That means are all these lawsuits legitimate or are people abusing the law here. While there is no denying that some lawsuits are indeed frivolous, some are not.

There will be some plaintiffs that are serial litigants. That is not always the case when it is legitimate. And then you need to be ready for it.

In some lawsuits, the plaintiffs did win. For example, in 2017, Juan Carlos Gill’s case went to the federal court.
He sued a supermarket chain because he could not use their website since he has a visual impairment. He won the case.
Companies now need to be extra diligent about their online presence. And inclusivity is pretty important. At the end of the day, it does not matter whether the cases were frivolous or who won.

Accessibility should be a consideration regardless. Making the web more accessible will help everyone all around and the companies will also be able to create a better brand image as well. No matter how you look at it, whether from the point of view of the law or a business perspective, ADA compliance websites are good.

Reducing Your Risk of Accessibility Lawsuits

While the number of lawsuits is rising, there are some actionable steps you can take to reduce your risk of an ADA-compliant website lawsuit. Since ADA website accessibility has guidelines, a good web consulting firm like ADAforweb can help.

Information and expert guidance are the keys to making your website user-friendly and accessible.

ADAforweb helps identify the right strategy for partners just like you. The process is designed to benefit both you and your clients. So, it is a win-win situation for all. Other than that, there are some basic steps you can take.

1. A Responsive Site is a Compliant Site
The first order of business is to have a responsive website. Responsive does not only mean that it is fast and smooth to use. It also refers to the client site device. Your website should be usable (and have the same information) on different devices like desktops and mobile.

2. Easy to Use Buttons and Forms
Any serious company website will have forms and buttons. Ensure these are designed in a user-friendly way and easy to use for the most part. The labels and all input elements should be visible. Any documents or text should be readable as well and it goes the same for forms.

3. Keyboard Navigation
One of the most overlooked features is keyboard navigation. Many websites do not incorporate proper keyboard navigation. Seniors who want to use websites and computers might prefer using a keyboard. This is where it becomes pretty necessary.

4. Color Contrast for Visually Impaired
Honestly, you could put this at the very top of the list. The first thing anyone will see when they visit your website is the design, colors, images, and layout. The color contrast needs to be designed with complementary colors. Contrast for high visibility is always recommended.

5. Conforming with WCAG 2.1 AA
You can reduce the risk of a lawsuit quite a lot by conforming to WCAG 2.1 AA standards. If you don’t know what it includes then you can click here to learn about everything you need to know.

Wrapping Up
With web accessibility lawsuits on the rise, it is now more important than ever to be compliant with ADA standards. Not only is it required by law, but it makes the web more accessible for people.

That in general is the right thing to do. You can get the critical information and expert counseling you need at ADAforweb.

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.

How ADA Compliance Can Affect Your Law Firm Website Ranking?
Posted on By Author content@adaforweb.com Categories Law Firms

How ADA Compliance Can Affect Your Law Firm Website Ranking?

The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, has become an important part of modern websites. The main purpose of the ADA is to ensure accessibility for all. And this is especially important for law firm websites in the digital era. So much so that ADA compliance can affect your website’s ranking.

ADA compliance can affect your website’s ranking. This is due to the overlap between increasing accessibility and search engine optimization. The increased accessibility results in a much better user experience and more interaction. When it comes to website ranking and SEO, increasing the interaction of your page with the user is very important, improving your ranking.

In this article, we will talk about how it affects your ranking and how our ADA compliance company can help you. We will go into more detail about web accessibility and improving your website’s ranking, as well as how your law firm’s website can benefit more from ADA compliance. So, keep reading!

 

How ADA Compliance Affects Your Law Firm Website Ranking

Your page’s law firm website web ranking matters a great deal. A higher ranking means people can find it with more ease. On the other hand, a lower-ranking could lead to it being lost among the many other websites. ADA compliance can help you with your web ranking due to its overlap with search engine optimization (SEO).

Metadata

Metadata is the primary information that comes up in search listings. This data includes the meta title or title tag and the meta description. Both are very important for a good website ranking. Meta titles give those using a screen reader or other assistive tools an idea of what the site contains. As a result, the page is now more accessible to them.

This helps the user quickly tell the difference between the multiple search results just from the title. Most assistive tools read the title tags first, so having a title that represents the site makes it more accessible. Overall, this improves the user’s experience with your website.

Descriptive Alternate Text

Text alternatives to images present on a page are very important for both ADA compliance and SEO. Alternate texts are HTML attribute values that are used to describe the image. The alternate text does not mean a caption, though any assistive tool can read the caption as well as these. Alternate text is not usually visible to normal users and is attached to the image’s URL.

This feature is to help those with visual impairments understand what the image is. Their assistive device, like a screen reader, can read the descriptive text and explain it to them. As a result, you will make your website more accessible to a wider range of people.

But the alternate text also plays a vital role in website ranking. Google’s crawlers can read these texts and can relate the meaning of the image based on this description. Thus, giving Google a better idea about the contents of your website helps them rank it higher. Not to mention increasing the likelihood of the image appearing in Google search results.

Accessible Web Design

When it comes to web ranking, just having your page online is not enough. You need to get users to interact with your website. But this can prove to be difficult if you are overly complicated. One of the first things you should consider is whether your webpage is easy to navigate and makes sense.

Making your website attractive and clear greatly improves user interaction and accessibility. Have internal links on your page like HTML sitemaps, calls to action, and breadcrumbs. These can help those with disabilities interact with your site, but also makes it easier for the crawler to explore your site.

You should consider the disabilities of individuals while designing the user interface. This makes it possible for them to interact with your page even with assistive devices.

Video and Audio Transcription

Video and audio transcription are textual descriptions. This is very helpful to those with disabilities that prevent them from understanding these. But it also provides a crawler with a large amount of text to go through and improve your website’s ranking.

This not only helps people with disabilities, but also those that cannot access the audio due to being out in public. Or people in countries with very slow internet connections, giving them an alternative to watching the video. This can provide a huge boost to the engagement of your video and audio content.

Link Anchor Text

Link anchors, like title tags, play an important role in your website’s ranking and accessibility. They provide assistive devices with more information about the target page and what it is about. So, write a descriptive link anchor that gives your user a clear idea of what that page contains.

Similarly, the search engine crawler can read these link anchors as well. Thus, providing them with enough data to recommend your page more and thus improve your website’s ranking.

Heading Tag Structures

Heading tags are usually more important for search engine optimization. However, they are also very important for navigating with assistive devices like screen readers. Search engines give more priority to large-sized texts. As a result, this creates an influx of people writing keyword-rich headings, even if they are not structured properly.

But having a more structured head tag order makes your website more accessible. Being more ordered increases the likelihood that these large texts will align with the right pages. Lastly, your page will look much more structured, attracting more attention than an unstructured page.

 

Benefits Of ADA Compliance For Law Firm Website

You may be asking yourself, why your law firm should make their web page more accessible. And what can you gain by doing this? Let us look at some of the reasons your law firm should consider more ADA-compliant websites.

Better For Business

Attorneys should make their sites accessible to the disabled for more business. The main objectives of a law firm’s website are to inform, educate, and market to potential clients. Making your website more accessible to those with disabilities increases your potential clients. But moreover, this is the right thing to do.

ADA compliance makes your site more usable and understandable to individuals with disabilities. Everybody needs a lawyer, even individuals with disabilities. By not making your website more accessible, you are depriving them of the service they need. But at the same time, you are also losing prospective clients.

If you want more information, check out this article on our page about why the ADA is so important for law firms.

Reputation

Like in any other business, reputation is very important. So, if a firm is seen to be creating hurdles for an individual with disabilities to seek their service, it can severely affect their reputation. Some clients may even turn away from a law firm that acts in this manner.

On the other hand, you can gain a better reputation for being more inclusive and welcoming. Thus, attracting more customers and making a name for your firm as a responsible company.

If you want more info as to why you should make your website more ADA compliant, take a look at this article on Top reasons for ADA Compliance.

 

How We Can Help You

Above, we mentioned how ADA compliance can help your website rank. But, doing this very task on your own can prove to be difficult at times. How do you know if your website is perceivable, understandable, operable, and robust enough for everyone to use? That is where we come in.

ADA for Web can help with setting up your website to be more accessible for everyone. By downloading our Check List we can help you maintain the level of accessibility that you want for your specific website.

Tracking how accessible your website is on your own is quite a hassle. As the compliance is revised, you will need to check in on your website on a regular basis. With how often these regulations change, this would become extremely necessary and require a decent chunk of your time.

But running a law firm on its own is quite exhausting, so why not let us handle this tedious task? We are an ADA-compliant company. And as such, we can easily handle this tedious task for you. So, you can focus on your mission to bring justice to your clients.

By letting us handle your website, it will become more efficient and increase your interaction with those who visit your page.

 

Conclusion

In this article, we covered the interesting topic of ADA compliance for website ranking. We talked about how ADA compliance can affect your website ranking. As well as some other benefits it has and how our ADA compliance company can help you.  Get in touch with us to begin integrating ADA compliance into your website.

Do Law Firm Websites Need To Be ADA Compliant By Law?
Posted on By Author content@adaforweb.com Categories Law Firms

Do Law Firm Websites Need To Be ADA Compliant By Law?

As a law firm owner, a fast and functional website is all you need to reach your clients more efficiently. Many even implement SEO techniques by hiring SEO experts to stay on top of their game. What many law firm sites don’t pay heed to is ADA compliance, which could be game-changing.

While websites fall under ADA restrictions, there aren’t specific laws for law firm sites. There are many reasons for that. However, that doesn’t mean you should make your site ADA compliant. And this also doesn’t mean that if your site isn’t ADA compliant, you won’t get into any trouble.

There’s a lot to explore about ADA compliance websites. There are specific criteria for making a site ADA compliant. WCAG plays an important role in the process. Also, the confusion between Section 508 and the ADA is very common. In this article, we will shed light on all of the topics, so let’s go.

 

What Is ADA Compliance?

“ADA” stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is a civil rights law that ensures indiscrimination for individuals with disabilities. The goal of this law is to ensure equal rights and opportunities for disabled individuals in all areas of public life.

Such areas are not limited to jobs, schools, transportation, telecommunications, commercial facilities, etc. only. The ADA law came into force in 1990, when websites and the internet weren’t a thing. So there’s a gray area as to whether this law applies to websites or not.

There are five titles in this law covering all instances of civil life. Title II of the ADA law states nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in state and local government services. Title III of the law states nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in public accommodations and commercial facilities.

The ADA law applies to both the public and private sectors. The ADA compliance eligibility of your law firm office and your law firm website falls under two different categories. While your office must be ADA compliant, there hasn’t been any clear injunction regarding law firm sites.

 

Laws Regarding ADA Compliance Of Law Firm Websites

As I’ve already mentioned above, there isn’t any specific law regarding ADA compliance of law firm websites. So, if you do not make your website ADA compliant, you won’t be breaking any laws. ADA compliance only applies if a business has fifteen or more employees, or if a business operates more than twenty weeks a year.

While law firms operate for way more than twenty weeks, the fifteen employee clause doesn’t fit with law firms. Lawyers working in a law firm aren’t considered employees. Also, support staff like cleaners, office assistants, etc. are part-time workers, so that also doesn’t fulfill the criteria of fifteen employees either.

So, it’s safe to assume that law firm websites don’t have to abide by ADA compliance rules. However, there have been incidents of lawsuits regarding ADA compliance websites. The most notable one in recent times is the Robles vs Domino’s pizza.

In most lawsuits, the defendant has to compensate the plaintiff by paying money. It is a big reason why a sudden lawsuit filing has become a popular practice these days. In recent times, there has been an increase in ADA website accessibility lawsuits.

As a law firm owner, you might have to pay a handsome amount as compensation or fine. So, although there is no specific law regarding this matter, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Plus, making an ADA-compliant website doesn’t take much.

 

ADA vs Section 508

Many confuse the ADA with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. While they are very close to each other, section 508 doesn’t concern general people. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act is a federal law that states that all federal agencies have to maintain their information and communication technology so that people with disabilities can access them with ease.

It applies to federal agencies and departments and their websites. Your law firm site is a privately owned business, not a federal agency, so you shouldn’t worry about section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Here is a detailed discussion of the ADA, section 508, and WCAG.

 

WCAG For Law Firm Websites

WCAG stands for web content accessibility guidelines. It is a series of web accessibility guidelines published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It has four principles. Following these principles is the first step towards making your website ADA compliant. Let’s take a look at them:

Perceivable: The content of your website has to be perceivable by users. While it’s not a problem for general users, people with hearing or visual disabilities can’t perceive the content.

You’ll have to make sure that visitors to your site can easily see or hear the content regardless of their disabilities. When using assistive devices or technologies, the contents must not lose their meaning.

Operable: Operable means the components of your website must be accessible by users using any type of input device. Many people can’t use a mouse, especially the elderly with Parkinson’s disease. So, enabling keyboard access is essential. You’ll also have to make sure that users get to interact with the website’s content.

Understandable: The contents of your site have to be easily understandable. Users can readily understand the meaning, and assistive technology can translate or read the content without any trouble.

Robust: Robust means your content must be rich. The interpretation should be reliable and compatible with all the latest devices, browsers, or assistive software. The law firm website is not a blog site, so this principle shouldn’t be much of an issue for you, hopefully.

You can find more details about WCAG principles and guidelines here.

 

Why Is ADA Compliance Necessary?

Besides avoiding potential lawsuits, making your website ADA compliant can bring tons of benefits to your business. Here is why ADA compliance is so crucial for law firm websites:

  1. Increase Clients

If your law firm website isn’t ADA compliant, that means people with disabilities can’t navigate your site to its fullest. They won’t be able to access all the services you offer. Those clients will look for another firm that is more inclusive to disabled people.

Thus, you will lose so many potential clients. So naturally, making an ADA-compliant website will retain those clients for your law firm which is great for business.

  1. Improves SEO

Websites are all about SEO. Your website’s SEO has to be top-notch to reach your clients faster and before any of your competitors. Making your website ADA compliant also improves search engine optimization.

Better usability is a metric that Google takes seriously. Once you implement the necessary measures for ADA compliance, it achieves more functionality and automatically ups the SEO game.

  1. Save your Reputation

When people have a question, the first place they go is to the website. The website makes an initial impression of your company. If your law firm’s website isn’t accessible to disabled people, they’ll assume your firm isn’t inclusive to everyone.

It is enough to tarnish your reputation in the special-needs community. Making your site ADA compliant can save you from disrepute.

 

How To Make A Website ADA Compliant?

There are specific criteria to make your website ADA compliant. It is a massive topic but we will cover the basics here. Let’s go:

  • Keyboard navigation should be a very basic feature for any site but many often forget about this. Elderly people have a hard time browsing websites using a mouse or touchpad on By enabling keyboard navigation on your law firm website, you are getting one step closer to ADA compliance.
  • Your website has to include alt tags. It is also known as “alt attribute” or “alt description.” This feature adds text descriptions to pictures or videos that can be read by screen readers. It is a very important feature for visually impaired visitors.
  • A text transcript is kind of the opposite of alt tags. It is a transcription of audio or video files for individuals with hearing impairment. Hearing problems are very common so you must strongly consider this feature.
  • Color contrast is for people who have a hard time distinguishing between colors. If the text and the background color are close to each other, it can be unreadable to colorblind people. So, make sure all the colors used on your site contrast with each other so that they can be easily identified.

We have our very own ADA compliance checklist to help law firms determine whether they’re website adheres to all the ADA compliance regulations. Click here to download.

 

Conclusion

The laws regarding ADA compliance of law firm websites are vague. The problem is that there’s no guarantee that you won’t be subjected to legal trouble regarding this matter. It’s very unpredictable.

The good news is that making your website ADA compliant doesn’t take much. It is highly beneficial for your business and reputation, and can even save you from losing your hard-earned money. So, you shouldn’t miss out on this. If you need any help optimizing your website with ADA compliance guidelines, contact us today

Posted on By Author content@adaforweb.com Categories Articles

5 Common ADA Compliance Issues with Law Firm Websites

Most websites and organizations struggle with ADA compliance due to the many rules and regulations there are to cover. However, it’s a critical part of website development that helps to increase its level of accessibility for everyone. Since law firms want to be accessible and available to everyone, it’s crucial to avoid common ADA compliance issues with law firm websites.

The Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA is a federal law that has been effective since 1990 and helps to ensure equal treatment towards people with any form of disability. However, as ADA doesn’t have a clear guideline for websites most developers rely on WCAG or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. So websites can commonly face ADA compliance issues.

In the United States, one out of every four people lives with some form of disability. So you must be concerned about whether your law firm website has any ADA compliance issues or not. In the rest of the article, we have shared the most common ADA compliance issues your law firm website may be facing and much more. Without further ado, let’s get right to it!

 

 

Why Should Law Firms Have ADA Compliant Websites?

ADA compliance can be a headache for most websites and businesses out there. With too many rules and aspects of ADA compliance to navigate through, many law firms may completely disregard it when developing their website. Many law firms also believe that making their website ADA compliant can be too expensive and a time-consuming process.

But the truth is that having an ADA-compliant website is crucial for law firms because of a multitude of reasons. They are –

 

  1. Helps to Reach a Larger Audience

One of the most important marketing tools law firms have at their disposal is their official website. But when a large portion of your audience cannot access it, it can be a huge problem.

In the United States, one in every four people live their lives with a disability and they can access only ten percent of the internet. A research conducted by the Association of People Supporting Employment First or ASPE, clients that have disabilities, their families, and friends make up a $3 trillion market area that you might be overlooking.

 

  1. Social Responsibility

Firms, companies, and organizations must not only be socially responsible but also openly display their values in today’s market. Being inclusive to everybody has become extremely important.

Potential clients do their research to find firms that share their values of inclusivity. When you develop an ADA-compliant website, it is a great approach to show those who are just learning more about the law firm that you care about all of your potential clients.

 

  1. Avoid Fines and Penalties

The ADA regulations were originally formulated back in 1990 when internet technology wasn’t as widely used as now. So the law did not include any websites. However, nowadays, almost everyone uses or has a website of their own. So it is crucial to make sure web content is available and accessible to all – regardless of the past rulings.

In recent years, several law firms have gotten sued before the guidelines were officially released. A “safe harbor” clause allows current content generated before July 18, 2018, to stay unchanged. After that date, any new pages or changes to existing pages should be compliant.

Any modified pages on your website must comply with at least grade A standards, with AAA being the highest. If you want to avoid the legal troubles that can come from not being ADA-compliant, it’s best to make changes to your website now.

 

Most Common ADA Compliance Issues Law Firm Websites Should Avoid

In a nutshell, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil law that ensures equal rights for disabled people. When your law firm’s website design is accessible to everyone with disabilities, it can reach nearly 40 million people in the United States. A good web design for your law company not only complies with the law but also promotes your brand.

ADA compliant websites provide a better user experience for both disabled and non-disabled clients. So let’s take a look at the most common ADA compliance issues your website may face so you can avoid them –

 

  1. Issues with Color Contrasting

For those with visual impairments, low-contrast background and text can be an extremely common problem. When there’s insufficient color contrast, it can pose a great challenge for older people and those with eye disease, and someone suffering from temporary eye strain. These people find it extremely difficult to decipher texts from the background and the graphics.

So it is highly recommended that you always use ADA-compliant colors during the starting phase on the website of your law firm. The least contrast should be of 4:5:1 with a solid background required by the WCAG 2.0 level requirements.

 

  1. Small Font Sizes

People with visual disabilities are quite common, especially among elder people. For them, font size can be a concern as well.

Most web browsers offer keyboard shortcuts, such as “ctrl” – “+,” that lets a user magnify the text on the screen. Even so, the website’s design should take into account the need for larger font sizes.

 

  1. Mobility-Related Issues

There are many individuals out there who are unable to operate a mouse or a computer keyboard. Many face challenges seeing or focusing on the mouse cursor as well. Not taking these issues into account can pose a great challenge for those with mobility issues.

An ADA-compliant web design should be able to access and move between buttons, links, forms, and other controls by using alternative keystrokes. If possible, having an option to let users operate the website through the keyboard can take away some of these mobility-related issues.

 

  1. Missing Alt Text for Image Files

Images can be essential for creating a visually appealing law firm website design. However, when it comes to ADA compliance, problems can occur if there’s no screen reading technology. For people with visual disabilities, Alt text provides context or a description of an image.

If there’s no alt text, the image is regarded as broken. To minimize these challenges for them, every graphic image on a law firm website should have its alt text, which should sufficiently describe the image.

 

  1. Issues with Video and Audio Files

One of the most important aspects of developing a website and making it more accessible to people is providing media assets. For visually challenged people, images can pose a great challenge so audio and video files provide an alternate mode of access. However, for people with hearing issues, this works to their disadvantage.

By adding video and audio files with no consideration to those with hearing problems, you are disregarding a significant portion of your consumer. But this problem is easy to solve simply by adding subtitles to video files. For audio files, a written description can be useful. Subtitles can be a crucial addition to your website. You may also provide subs in multiple languages to reach a wider audience.

 

What Is the Optimal Level of ADA Compliance?

For most websites, the optimal level of ADA compliance is the AA level. There are three levels of ADA and WCAG compliance – A, AA, and AAA.Each level boost means a higher-tier website accessibility standard. These levels also offer websites more flexibility.

Only small business websites work fine with a lesser compliance level than government information-related websites.  For the most part, an AA rating works best for regular websites. AAA-level compliance is required only for the highly necessary ones.

However, it’s recommended to not stay in the A zone. There are far too many loopholes at this level. While it may appear to be fine, many disabled persons cannot use or navigate through the website properly. This can result in lengthy legal battles.

The accessibility standards for the AA level are a lot stricter. It gives great importance to color contrast, so it covers most of the vision disability issues. Comparatively, level A is too lax and becomes a trap for your law firm website. Vision disability is far too common. So the optimal level of ADA compliance is to at least stick to the AA level for a valid web accessibility solution.

The AAA level is far stricter than the other two. It’s so rigorous that it’s difficult to apply it all across your website As a result, most websites only use this standard partially. In most cases, incomplete implementation involves particularly important content.

 

Conclusion

Being ADA-compliant has several benefits for your law firm’s website, whereas failing to follow the requirements can result in a damaged reputation, lost leads, and legal bills. So you might be looking into the most common ADA compliance issues with law firm websites so you can avoid them.

In this article, we address the most common ADA compliance issues faced by law firm websites and the optimal level of standard you should stay within. We hope the article has helped you identify any ADA compliance issues with your website. And if you do, don’t be shy to contact us as we can fully optimize your website with ADA guidelines.

Ultimate Attorney Client Guide to Website Accessibility and ADA
Posted on By Author content@adaforweb.com Categories Articles

Ultimate Attorney Client Guide to Website Accessibility and ADA

As an attorney, it is important to be aware of website accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

This guide will provide you with all the information you need to know about both topics, including what they are, how they affect your business, and what steps you can take to ensure your website is compliant. Keep reading to learn more!

What is website accessibility?

Accessibility refers to the ability of a person with a disability to use a product, service, or facility.

Making your website accessible means making it usable by people who are disabled, whether that be someone who is blind, deaf, in a wheelchair, limited manual dexterity, limited literacy skills (i.e., dyslexic), colorblind, etc.

The following are some examples of ways you can make your site more accessible for people with disabilities:

  • Captions on videos and photos
  • No autoplay for videos
  • Alternate text descriptions on photos
  • Easy navigation for screen readers
  • Text in shapes instead of pictures only (make sure they have alt-text)
  • Keyboard navigation for those with limited use of their hands or difficulty using a mouse
  • High contrast color scheme (black text on white background), especially for colorblind.

ADA and Section 508 Compliance Legal Summary for Websites and Mobile Apps

It’s become critical that websites and mobile apps comply with Title III of the Americans With Disabilities Act (commercial) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (government) – as well as some state laws.

These regulations ensure that everyone, regardless of their physical or mental abilities, has access to traditional and digital public places. The WCAG has been designated as the official ADA standard by the DOJ despite slow progress informally making it so, and provision 508 explicitly makes Section 508 the legal standard for accessibility.

ACCORDING TO THE COURTS, the WCAG has served as the de facto standard in providing digital accessibility in numerous circumstances.

The WCAG was established by and is administered by the W3C, the global governing body for web technology. WCAG 2.1 is the most recent version, and it has three degrees: A, AA, and AAA, with A being the minimum requirement to avoid problems. AAA criteria are intended as best practices that are frequently unattainable.

Website ADA Compliance Guide: 

Websites are not always accessible without a specific design to enable Assistive Technology. This means that unless a website’s developer has fulfilled their obligation in building an accessible site.

Then you will have trouble using it with any disability. This can be prevented by either designing from scratch or having another party handle the development process altogether, which results in more control over what parts get implemented onto your page!

What should your client do to make their website ADA compliant and avoid continued legal hassles?

Your client will be presented with two options: maintaining the existing site or starting afresh. The time and money it takes to repair the old location may equal, if not surpass, that of starting from scratch.

Because the front-side code is restricted on some closed/hosted platforms such as Wix or Weebly, certain websites built on these platforms may not be capable of achieving compliance.

Building A New WCAG Compliant Website:

It is always best to start with good quality content and good design when building a website. Once you have created your website, there are certain standards that all websites must meet if they want to be accessible to those who reside in the United States.

Not only does this improve your site’s ranking on search engines like Google or Bing (for example, for the search term “ADA attorney”), but it also ensures that those visiting your site can read and understand what you need them to take action on.

One of the most important things to remember about creating an ADA-compliant website is descriptive titles and headings. Someone using a screen reader will know what each section contains and where they are at any given time, and how much more content they have to read.

For WCAG compliance, redesigning a website begins with training the in-house staff for web accessibility or outsourcing to a competent web developer specializing in 508/ADA compliance. The following are some of the most important stages:

  • During the design process, we check for color and contrast usage.
  • During the development phase, increments of unit testing are performed.
  • A thorough 3-factor audit of the entire website after development is finished and loaded content. To follow are details on what a “3-factor audit” entails.
  • Our approach allows you to set up automated tools that perform periodic audits until any substantial changes are made, which would necessitate a full 3-factor audit.

Making an Existing Website WCAG Compliant:

This two-step procedure starts with an assessment to reveal WCAG concerns, followed by repair.

WCAG Website Auditing for ADA & 508 Compliance:

It’s strongly encouraged to start with a 3-factor audit (color contrast, size, and spacing) as it provides the most accessible results for users on desktop or mobile devices. From there, you can do a full audit of all WCAG checkpoints.

Each result is detailed with suggestions on how to make your website compliant.

The WCAG2Guidelines are published by The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the same organization that maintains HTML5 and CSS3 standards.

There are 12 guidelines in total, each with varying degrees of accessibility. They are outlined below:

  1. Predictable & Controllable: Uses technologies that allow people to control their own experience, including assistive technology like screen readers.
  2. Understandable: Includes text that’s easy to understand, content hierarchy & labeling.
  3. Input Assistance: Includes instructions for users with slower or limited response times, keyboard shortcuts, and accessible error messages.
  4. Robust: Supports mainstream and alternative devices to help accessibility grow with technology.
  5. Compatible: Builds compatibility into the design by removing barriers due to using incompatible technologies or outdated standards.
  6. Interoperable: Allows other technologies (such as assistive technology) access to content, control over functionality, and access to metadata about documents.
  7. Language of Page: From interface text to page structure, text must be present in a logical order for screen readers.
  8. Time-based Media: Supports people experiencing the effects of flashing images or sounds.
  9. Proprietary App Interfaces: Include accessibility consideration for app interfaces, including compatibility with mainstream assistive technology.
  10. Externally Linked Contents: Dynamically loaded content must be fully accessible to avoid losing its place in the current document.
  11. Inter-page Relationships: Documents using navigation elements must have consistent relationships, including heading structure and link text.
  12. Language of Parts: Inconsistently labelled Modules will cause problems for screen readers where they might not associate it to a meaningful full label in context. This is particularly important when modules are reused and use different labels.

How Much Will a 3-Factor Audit Cost?

On the low end, a simple marketing website will cost between $7K and $15K. For more sophisticated and eCommerce sites, anticipate expenditure to top $20K or perhaps more.

WCAG Accessibility Website Remediation

Your client’s development team will be well equipped to fix any issues that arise with solid audit results, including remediation guidance.

We recommend executing the existing strategy by default and avoiding mistakes in future projects if possible. However, it can always call on our expertise should they need help to catch up or understand WCAG compliance more clearly than their internal teams do now!

Mobile App ADA Compliance Guide:

The 9th Circuit affirmed in the Robles v. Dominos case that ADA Title III applies to websites and mobile apps, as previously ruled by the 6th Circuit.

Domino’s sought to appeal the decision, but the Supreme Court rejected the request, allowing the 9th Circuit’s decision to stand.

WCAG Mobile App Auditing:

However, auditing a mobile app is a unique situation. There are several automated testing tools for Android and IOS, and however, most are still immature and unreliable. We conduct manual testing and provide analysis that identifies problems and suggested solutions.

WCAG Mobile App Remediation:

In the meantime, without website recommendations, the current mobile app development team should undertake the cleanup. A thorough audit with comprehensive remedy instructions can help you avoid a lot of time and money in both cases.

Regardless of whether your client’s mobile app or website has generated the lawsuit, you should advise against shortcuts. This is a new expense of doing business, and biting the bullet early will assist them in resolving the current problem without creating any more legal difficulties.

Conclusion:

This article is a comprehensive guide on website accessibility and ADA compliance. We hope this post will serve as an introduction for business owners who are just beginning their journey to understand how the law impacts them and provide basic tips that you can use right away!

But if you need more information or want help getting your site compliant with these laws, please reach out to us. Our team of experts would love the opportunity to work with you to make our websites accessible to everyone and stay within legal limits at the same time.

How to Ensure Your Law Firm Website Is ADA Compliant?
Posted on By Author content@adaforweb.com Categories Articles

How to Ensure Your Law Firm Website Is ADA Compliant?

Are you concerned about your law firm website’s ADA compliance? Do you know what to do to make sure your website is accessible for all users?

In this blog post, we’ll discuss some tips on making your website ADA compliant.

We’ll also provide a few resources that can help you get started. So, if you’re ready to learn more, keep reading!

How to Ensure Your Law Firm Website Is ADA Compliant?

Here are three tips on How to Ensure Your Law Firm Website Is ADA Compliant:

Make Sure Your Site Is Fully Responsive 

According to the US Department of Justice, it’s best if websites do not contain information that is only accessible through certain technologies.

For this reason, you should make sure your site is fully responsive, so it can be viewed on any platform using any device.

This means your site should support and adapt to different screen sizes, resolutions, and user interactions.

Use High-Quality Images With Captions 

According to the US Department of Justice, for images that contain text, all information on the image should also appear in another form (e.g., as text (when possible), in captions, in the audio description of the video-based text, or sign language interpretation).

For this reason, you should make sure that your images are high-quality and contain descriptive captions. You can use some simple HTML to add a caption to an image.

Ensure All Forms and Buttons Are Easy to Use 

According to the US Department of Justice, a form’s labels should be visually distinct from its input elements. For this reason, you should make sure all documents and buttons are easy to identify and use.

You can do this by using CSS styling for your form fields and ensuring they have enough spacing between them.

Resources on Making Your Site ADA Compliant 

ADA Compliance checklist & guide by WA State – This checklist is intended to help businesses comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.

It includes important compliance steps and examples of best business practices for website accessibility. 

ADA Website Compliance Law

If you run a law firm, you are legally required to make sure your website is accessible to everyone, and this means ensuring that your website is ADA compliant.

You can do many things to make your site more ADA compliant, from making sure all images have alt text and adding captions to videos to ensuring all forms and buttons are easy to use. Make sure your site is fully compliant by following these tips!

Using Images with Alt Text

Make sure that any images on your site have alt text. Add descriptive text to the alt attribute of every image on your website, so screen reader users can get more information about what’s in each picture.

For example, if you have an image of a person doing yoga on your homepage, the alt text should be something like “woman performing tree pose.” You can write this yourself or use tools like FreeImageText.com to generate it automatically.

Alt-text is also important for SEO, as search engines pick up keywords from these descriptions and display them on their search results pages. This increases traffic to your website!

Video Captions and Descriptions

People who are blind or visually impaired cannot enjoy the whole experience of your new video content. Ensure that you add captions and descriptions to all videos on your website so that they can follow along with the dialogue in the clips.

Video captions should be 100% accurate; do not edit or paraphrase them unless necessary. You can use tools like CaptionTube to caption videos for free automatically!

This is important for SEO too!

Making Buttons and Links Accessible

All web forms must contain an email input field, as this is used by most contact forms out there. A contact form should never be a “Submit” button because some screen readers will read “Submit” when someone presses enter on it.

Instead, use a standard button element with a value attribute that links to your email address. It would help if you also labeled the button so screen reader users can tell what it’ll do.

An example of an accessible form with a custom label

All navigation menus must be keyboard-accessible, allowing people to navigate without using a mouse. This means that every item in the menu should have child items that are part of the same parent element, and each sub-menu or dropdown link should contain at least one h3 heading piece.

If you aren’t sure what this means, check out this guide. Each heading level represents a different section of your website content, useful for site visitors who cannot see the page’s visual design. This way, they know where they are on your site!

Make sure to add many “skip” links within your content, where possible. For example, if you have a blog post over 2000 words long, consider adding a “skip to navigation” link at the top and bottom.

This allows users who cannot scroll through your entire article to navigate directly to the parts they want to read!

These steps will ensure that anybody can access your site content and use it fully. You’ll also increase search engine traffic and improve the user experience for screen reader users – which is excellent for marketing and SEO!

Make sure you check out this guide on making your website ADA compliant. It has more detailed instructions about doing everything mentioned above, so you should check it out before launching new pages or video content!

FAQ:

Q. I have a law firm website. Does it have to be ADA compliant?

Yes, being ADA compliant is important for all businesses, especially for law firms, who are legally required to ensure that their website is accessible to everyone.

Q. What is the ADA Compliance Act? 

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 to protect people with disabilities from discrimination, and title III protects individuals from discrimination based on disability in public accommodations.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that those who create, develop, maintain or use electronic, and information technology (EIT) must be compatible with assistive technologies such as screen readers.

Q. Does my website need to be ADA compliant?

Yes. If your website is available for public use, it should meet minimum standards set by Section 508. This means it must be accessible to blind or visually impaired individuals and others who have difficulty reading images and text on a screen due to a disability or cognitive impairment like dyslexia. You can check whether your site meets this standard using the Web Page Accessibility Checker.

Q. How do I make sure my law firm website is ADA compliant? You can do many things to make your site more ADA compliant, from ensuring that all images have alt text and adding captions to videos to making sure all forms and buttons are easy to use.

Q. What happens if your website is not ADA compliant?

You could face a lawsuit if a person with a disability claims they cannot access your website. You might endure legal fees, a possible settlement, a potential public relations problem, and the cost of rebuilding your website so that it complies with the ADA.

Conclusion:

That’s it for today. I hope you know How to Ensure Your Law Firm Website Is ADA Compliant. If you need help making your website ADA compliant, contact a web developer who specializes in creating accessible websites.

Thank you for reading this post! I hope you found these tips helpful, and don’t forget to share.

How does ADA compliance impact the websites of law firms?
Posted on By Author content@adaforweb.com Categories Articles

How does ADA compliance impact the websites of law firms?

ADA compliance is an important topic for law firms, as it impacts how they can legally present their websites to the public.

While there are many requirements to meet ADA compliance, making your website accessible to all can be a great way to improve your online presence and reach more potential clients.

Most people think of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as legislation that protects the rights of individuals with disabilities in the physical world.

However, ADA compliance is also important for law firms that have websites. This blog post will discuss how ADA compliance affects website design and some tips to make your website more accessible. Let’s get started!

What is ADA Compliance?

ADA compliance focuses on making sure that websites are accessible to all users, including people with disabilities.

According to the ADA Business Technical Assistance Manual, “the term ‘disability’ means, with respect to an individual–(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; (B) a record of such an impairment; or (C) being regarded as having such an impairment.”

For law firms, this can include individuals who have difficulty using computer programs due to vision problems, cognitive challenges, and motor skill issues.

When creating your site, it’s not just about meeting specific requirements- it’s also about building a better online experience for all of your website visitors.

What does it take to be ADA compliant?

Law firms must make sure their websites are accessible to everyone, regardless of disability, with specific standards and regulations.

In general, your website should have the following:

A way to enlarge content using a browser or other software- not just on mobile devices

For example, using an “expand” icon in place of a long sentence that says “click here to see full text.” Fonts that can be resized without losing quality A simple layout with minimal scrolling Text that is easy to read and understand Keyboard shortcuts.

Wherever possible – use standard file formats instead of proprietary ones Links that open new windows only when the user requests them Search functions that return the most relevant results Tools to make browsing easier for those with disabilities.

How does ADA compliance impact the websites of law firms?

Here are some steps to ADA compliance impact the websites of law firms:

Understand the ADA: 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed in 1990. It aimed to prohibit discrimination against those with disabilities in all areas of public life, including employment, education, transportation, and access to public services and accommodations. One area that the ADA applies to is websites.

Make Your Website Accessible:

All businesses must make their websites accessible to those with disabilities, including law firms. There are several ways to do this, and it’s essential to make sure that your website is compliant. Some ways to make your website more accessible include:

-Using clear and concise language

-Make sure all images and videos have accompanying text

-Using headings and subheadings to break up content

-Eliminating clutter from the page to improve readability

-Testing for color blindness

-Providing text alternatives to pictures

-Using keyboard shortcuts, where possible/appropriate

Be aware of ADA compliance rules:

As a business owner, there are some things you need to be aware of when it comes to ADA compliance. Here are just a few things that may come into play when it comes to your website:

-Be sure that all forms can be completed online, and if this is not possible, print versions should also be available upon request.

-Keyword density should meet industry standards (2%-3% keyword density) and include keywords in H1s, H2s, alt text, page titles, and meta descriptions.

-All interactive elements should be labeled (for example, buttons should have ‘submit’ or ‘continue’ after them).

-If an image is used on your website with text in it, the text must be readable, and there cannot be a color difference between the text and background. For example, if you use a colored logo for your law firm and the logo’s background doesn’t change when clicked upon, this violates ADA rules because it would make reading the words impossible for someone with color blindness.

-Content must stay relevant; you can’t add content to pages to get around not having information about disabilities because if people who need it don’t find what they’re looking for on your website, you risk violating the ADA.

Show Some Love:

When it comes to your website and ensuring that it is truly accessible for everyone, paying attention to detail can make all the difference. You want people with disabilities (and without) to enjoy visiting your site. To show some love, here are a few things you can do on your website:

-Make sure forms are easy to find- if they’re not prominently displayed on every page, consider adding them, so visitors know they are available.

-If there’s text in an image or video, be sure it’s accompanied by descriptive text so those who cannot see the image know what’s happening.

-Allow keyboard shortcuts where possible/appropriate.

-Add an FAQ about your website and how it’s accessible.

-If you use a particular font on your website, be sure there’s a way for users to change their default browser font (significant if the fonts are tiny and difficult to read). Consider using larger fonts or headings throughout the site if this can’t be done.

Show Your Support:

Having accessible content is not enough- you need to show that you genuinely care about making your website accessible to everyone by offering support.

Some ways include sharing affirmations with your team members, adding accessibility information in your social media bios, adding links to articles that highlight the importance of ADA compliance on websites.

Referring clients who need help with their website and being a member of the industry associations focused on accessibility.

And there you have it! Spending the time to make sure your website is ADA compliant can protect you from lawsuits- but it goes well beyond that.

The more accessible your site, the better chance you will be successful in gaining clients who need law firm services, including those with disabilities- and that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.

Do these apply to all websites?

The short answer is no. However, if you want your law firm’s website to be accessible and ADA compliant, it’s important that you consider these guidelines as you build or redesign your site.

If you need some help getting started, contact us. We’re happy to guide you through this process!

Law firms should always keep ADA compliance in mind when designing their websites- not only because they want their sites to be more accessible and because it protects them from potential lawsuits.

While there are many requirements for being ADA compliant, making sure that your site works well for everyone can strengthen your online presence and make your law firm more competitive.

Conclusion:

In this blog, we’ve discussed how ADA compliance impacts the websites of law firms. We hope you found our tips helpful as your website evolves to be more compliant with federal laws.

If you want help implementing these principles, contact us today! Our team is happy to assist in creating a stellar web design or marketing strategy that meets current accessibility standards and protects your business from potential lawsuits down the road.

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