Law Firms – ADA for Websites

June 29, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com Law Firms

Why Is ADA Compliance Important For Law Firm Websites?

In this era of technology, it would be hard to find law firms that don’t have websites. Knowing your rights and obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act is important if you happen to own a law firm. Making your website as inclusive as possible should be one of your top concerns since a wide range of people will visit it.

Since it makes your service user-friendly and accessible to everyone, ADA compliance is more important than you might think. It is also an essential element of your marketing strategy and how you present yourself to visitors and potential clients.

The website of your law firm should be designed in a way that makes navigation easy for those with disabilities. This article will dive deep into the reasons why ADA compliance is a must for law firm websites. So, stick around till the end!

Importance Of ADA Compliance For Law Firms

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark civil rights law. The goal of the ADA is to protect people with disabilities from discrimination in State, and local government services and employment. The reason why ADA for websites is so important is that it takes away the mystery.

Accessibility
ADA Compliance is important because the law firm has legal responsibilities to its clients. Among other things, a law firm must ensure that its clients can utilize all of the firm’s services and products as needed.

Ensuring proper access allows for full access to all of a client’s legal matters, whether in-person or on an electronic device. Without accessibility, many individuals with disabilities are unable to fully participate in processes such as depositions, pleadings, and motions.

Ensures Equality
ADA Compliance is also important because it ensures that all of the firm’s clients are treated equally. One of the fundamentals of the Americans with Disabilities Act is that individuals with disabilities should be afforded the same opportunities as others.

The laws and regulations that require people with disabilities to be able to access buildings and facilities should not be ignored. It is just as important for a law firm, as any other business entity, to serve its customers effectively and efficiently.

Investment
Finally, being ADA compliant is a monetary and reputational investment. In other words, just as a law firm would not solicit clients who do not have proper documentation for legal representation. It should not also solicit clients who have physical impairments if the firm doesn’t take steps to ensure access.

The law firm should make good-faith efforts to provide physical access to all of its offices as needed by individuals with mobility impairments. If a particular office is in an inaccessible space, it should be moved or modified so that it is accessible. The law firm might also consider moving all of its offices to a more accessible location.

How To Know If Your Law Website Is ADA Compliant?
The ADA helps you understand what’s required of you as a law firm, and then you can decide how to implement these features into your website. When people visit your website, they do so with you in mind.

They would like to feel welcomed and connect with you. And when they find that yours is not an ADA compliant website, this has a negative impact on how they view you and your law firm. Here are some general ADA compliance tips that’ll help you identify whether your website is ADA compliant.

Menu Options And Menu Location
Menu options should be listed in a logical order to reduce confusion. The menu should be visible on all parts of the site, including the homepage and inner pages. The menu location has to be high enough for all users to access easily.

Menus should have a character limit long enough to list all options on the same page. Menus should be labeled with general descriptions, not with technical jargon. These general descriptions need to be in a different color and font size/style than the main text on the site.

Text Size
The text should be at least 14 points in size when displayed at 100%. The 14 point minimum is an ideal recommendation, and it’s based on what most users can comfortably read.

Text Contrast
Contrast is the difference between two contrasting colors. They need to have a difference of at least 35%. This concept applies to both images and text. If you’re using a light color for the content, you can consider using a darker color for the background. If you’re using a dark color for the content, use a lighter color to make the reading easier on your users.

Text Color
The text should be 13 to 15 shades of gray. White text on a black or dark background would be fine for your main content, but for footnotes and the like, you should use a darker color that can stand out better against the white background and make it easier to read.

You don’t have to go crazy with the color scheme you choose. For example, if you’re using a blue background with yellow text, this may not be accessible by all users because blue is something they can’t see.
Style, Size, And Location of Links

Users should be able to navigate the website without confusion. When it comes to links, you should describe what is at the other end of the link. This will create non-visual clues that indicate where the link goes.

Having a strong link color coded with the background will help you differentiate between primary content and secondary links. As an example, you can have a light-colored background that is followed by an underline to indicate that it’s clickable.

Tools For Third Party Assessments

There are many ADA compliance software out there that can be useful in evaluating your website accessibility. One thing you have to keep in mind is that they’re not all equal and there are some tools out there that are better suited for certain purposes.

Conclusion
To provide and ensure service for the handicapped, ADA compliance for your website is a must. Now that you are aware of the significance of ADA compliance for law firm websites, don’t waste any time and focus on making your website ADA compliant right away!

June 29, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com 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.

June 22, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com 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.

June 22, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com 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.

June 22, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com 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.

June 22, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com 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.

March 23, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com 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.

March 16, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com 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:

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.

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.

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

January 31, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com Law Firms

Digital Accessibility for Law Firms: Why Lawyers Need to Prioritize Accessibility?

Digital accessibility is an important issue that all law firms need to be aware of. By making your website and other digital assets accessible to all, you can ensure that everyone has equal access to the information and services you provide.

This blog post will explore why making your firm’s digital content accessible is important and provide some tips on how you can get started.

Why Do Lawyers Need to Prioritize Digital Accessibility?

According to the latest research from Nielsen, the average U.S. adult spends more than 11 hours each day consuming media, with that number rising around the world.

One of your top priorities as a law firm should be reaching potential clients and customers where they are, and that means through digital channels like websites, email campaigns, social media posts, and mobile apps.

Unfortunately, some people don’t have equal access to these mediums because of their physical or cognitive abilities. This includes people who are blind or have low vision, blindness or low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, deafness or hard-of-hearing, people with learning disabilities.

Low literacy, blind or have low vision, people with physical disabilities, and even college students in classrooms that rely on digital presentations.

Once you understand how many potential customers your law firm is missing out on when you don’t prioritize accessibility, it will be clear why this issue is so important.

Digital Accessibility Benefits for Law Firms

There are several benefits of digital accessibility for law firms beyond ensuring that all clients can access their services. By focusing on these issues early in the design process, every user will enjoy a much better experience than if they were left behind in favor of aesthetics or personal preference.

For example, whether you’re building your website or app using WordPress or another platform, you can take advantage of several plugins that will help ensure the content is accessible to all.

WordPress Accessibility Plugins, several free WordPress plugins can automatically check your website’s code for issues and tell you if anything needs to be fixed. This ensures that your website is always compliant with web standards.

A plugin like Color Contrast Analyzer, for example, will highlight any potential color contrast issues so they can be addressed before users with visual disabilities try to access your site or app. The video below provides an overview of the plugin’s features:

You can also use tools like Google Analytics to track real-time analytics about how users are using your site so you can make improvements where necessary.

Another WordPress plugin, Accessibility Team, can better communicate with your clients about their needs and provide regular updates on the progress being made toward making accessibility a priority.

Accessibility is also important when it comes to mobile apps. A new study from Nielsen found that more than 80% of Americans now own smartphones, and that number continues to grow every day.

However, not everyone can enjoy these benefits. For example, advanced technology has allowed individuals who are blind or have low vision to use smartphones in ways that weren’t possible even a few years ago. They still face some significant challenges when it comes to accessing mobile apps.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance found that many popular mobile apps are completely inaccessible to people with sight loss.

Taking steps like adding alternative text to your images and including alt tags on your buttons can greatly impact users of all abilities.

Remember, not everyone owns the latest smartphone or has access to Wi-Fi 24/7, so they may be using apps you’ve created on slower networks and older devices that don’t have as much functionality as today’s top-of-the-line models.

That’s why it’s important to test how these features perform across various devices and browsers.

Don’t forget about email campaigns as well. There are some easy ways to ensure those messages aren’t falling on deaf ears, such as using links instead of buttons, which is one of the most common mistakes brands make.

In the meantime, have a review of your business’s website and app from an accessibility standpoint with a “digital disability lens” to address any issues you find early on in the planning stages.

There are several benefits digital accessibility can offer a law firm, from saving time and money to better serving their clients.

Does CCPA apply to law firms?

Not very likely. The majority of law firms are not required to follow this legislation. Unlike other privacy legislation, the CCPA was written so that only a limited number of firms are required to follow it.

What does digital accessibility mean?

Digit accessibility means that websites are designed to be usable by people with disabilities. You’ve already done lots of work by having this website use clean, large fonts and high-contrast colors in their design.

Does SEO work for law firms?

Yes, SEO can work for law firms. Law firms have a few unique considerations that make SEO an especially effective strategy.

What are the CCPA requirements?

The CCPA also demands that businesses have privacy policies that address consumers’ rights and how to exercise them, including the Right to Know, the Right to Remove Content, the Right to Opt-Out of a Sale, and the Right to Non-Discrimination.

What is a digital accessibility policy?

A digital accessibility policy is a document that outlines how your organization will make digital content accessible to people with disabilities.

It can include how you will test and design your content, how you will train employees, and what tools and technologies you will use. A digital accessibility policy is an important step in creating an inclusive organization.

What is digital accessibility testing?

Digital accessibility testing is the process of verifying that a digital product or service meets accessibility requirements. The goal of digital accessibility testing is to ensure that people with disabilities can use the product or service as intended.

Do law firms use Google Docs?

Law firms often use cloud-based applications to serve their clients better and save time. Google Docs is one of these tools that users can use with various devices, including tablets and phones, meaning they can make changes remotely; it also synchronizes every document across all devices.

Conclusion:

Making your law firm accessible to all clients, regardless of their ability level, is the right thing to do and offers several benefits. By prioritizing accessibility, you can save time and money, better serve your clients, and even make your firm more competitive.

There are many ways to make your law firm more accessible, from making sure all documents are available in alternate formats to ensuring that all tech tools are fully compliant. If you’re looking for more tips or want help making your firm more inclusive, contact us – we’d be happy to help!

January 21, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com Law Firms

15 Important Things to Include on Your Law Firm’s Website

Do you have a website for your law firm? If not, you’re missing out on a big opportunity to reach potential clients.

A website is the first place people will learn more about your firm and what you can offer them.

Did you know that 96 per cent of individuals looking for legal counsel are used search engines? You want to make sure your legal practice’s website is set up for success and ranks high in search results when potential clients are conducting online research.

So, what should you include on your website? Let’s See.

15 Important Things to Include on Your Law Firm’s Website:

Here are the 12 important things to include on your law firm’s website:

Dedicated Pages for Each Practice Area:

The first step is to set up a separate page for each practice area you want to work in. For example, if you’re a personal injury lawyer, dedicate an entire page of your website to that specific practice area and include case studies and testimonials from past clients.

Staff Profiles:

Don’t just list the names of your employees under the heading “Our Team.” Add photos and give biographical information about all your employees, including legal assistants and paralegals.

Provide short bios with their specialties and qualifications so potential clients can easily identify who they’d like to speak with when requesting information or setting up an appointment.

Law Firm Blog:

By adding a blog to your law firm’s website, you can showcase your unique expertise in both its depth and breadth.

Not only will this help serve as another resource for site visitors who want more information on certain legal topics related specifically to what they are experiencing at their practice areas, but it also ranks higher.

When put into search engines like Google or Bing, blogs are indexed directly by these companies rather than having websites do so separately.

This means there’s no need to spend time advertising through other channels if we have all of our bases covered straightaway!

Create a blog to publish articles about current legal issues, updates in your practice areas, and any interesting news related to your law firm. This gives potential clients another way to connect with you outside of phone calls or consultations.

Blog-based websites have 434% more search engine-indexed pages than non-blogger websites.

Mobile-Friendly Functionality:

More than half of all internet users access the web using their mobile devices.

So, make sure your website is mobile-friendly by checking out how it looks on phones and tablets before you launch it. Also, make sure to include social media links so people can contact you through Facebook or Twitter if they prefer.

Video Testimonials:

If possible, film video testimonials from clients about the services you provided to them (and why they’re satisfied). Place these videos on individual pages dedicated to each practice area that needs more exposure because this allows consumers to see real people talking about working with your law firm in that particular field – not just words or screenshots on a page.

A Call to Action on Every Page:

A call to action is a way for site visitors to get in touch with you, whether by phone, email, or by sending an online inquiry.

The call to action button should be prominently displayed on every page of your website so potential clients can find the contact information they need quickly and easily.

Live Chat Functionality:

Let site visitors chat directly with you through the live chat function on your website! This is one of the easiest ways for people to ask questions about cases they may have or inquire about how much certain services cost – even if it’s just good old-fashioned curiosity that drives them.

SSL Security:

SSL security adds an extra layer of protection for your site visitors. It means that all information they provide to you is encrypted and secure, making it more difficult for potential legal issues and personal information to be hacked.

Law Firm Testimonials:

You should seriously consider including a testimonials page on your legal firm’s website. According to a report by Bright Local, 76 percent of customers trust internet reviews as much as recommendations from family and friends, and positive evaluations increase the likelihood of client usage by 91%.

Post testimonials from past law firm clients on your website. If you’ve received positive reviews, share them to reach out and connect with potential new clients.

Attorney Bios:

Like testimonials, attorney bios are an effective way to establish authority in your practice area.

From legal experts who co-authored publications on important issues to professionals in the private sector, bios are a great way for site visitors to learn more about who they’re communicating with and what experience they bring to the table.

Law Firm Website Disclaimers:

In general, disclaimers are a legal requirement to protect your firm from any liability. However, that doesn’t mean they need to be boring! Law firm website disclaimers can be creative and include appealing imagery or even videos that help visitors understand the types of cases you’re willing (and not willing) to take on.

Newsletters:

Newsletters are an effective way for law firms to find new clients and build relationships with existing ones.

These publications should contain industry-specific content, such as updates about recent legislation or case law changes within your state and other useful information (e.g., upcoming seminars and events). The more valuable these newsletters are, the more likely people will want to read them!

Law Firm Website Privacy Policy:

A privacy policy is required by law to ensure site visitors are protected if they submit personal or sensitive information.

These policies should include how you’ll use any data collected, whether it’s selling the information to third-party companies for marketing purposes or using it within your firm.

Also, let users know who they can contact if they have questions about their privacy.

Contact Us Page:

When people can’t find what they’re looking for on a site, they usually look under the “contact us” section (if there is one). Site visitors need clear instructions on where to go and how to get in touch with you – especially when concerning testimonials, testimonials, and attorney bios.

Cookies Consent Pop-up:

Have you ever noticed a little pop-up box on a website that asks for your permission to use “cookies?” The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, commonly known as the GDPR, is largely credited for the growing popularity of consent notifications for cookies data files sent by websites and kept on a user’s computer by their Web browser.

According to the EU’s “Cookie Law,” also known as the privacy Directive, you may not follow individuals without their consent. The Cookie Law requires publishing a Cookie Policy, consent form, and pop-up notification.

You must also describe the many sorts of Cookies you’re utilizing and give visitors a choice to accept or delete them.

Conclusion:

To make sure your website is effective, here are 12 important things you should include on it. It’s a great way to showcase your firm’s credentials, expertise, and past cases.

If you’re looking for more information or need help with any of these points, don’t hesitate to contact us! We offer comprehensive web design services that will take care of all the heavy lifting so you can focus on what matters most- providing top-quality legal advice and representation.

January 13, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com Law Firms

10 Common ADA Compliance Issues with Law Firm Websites

Almost every business needs a website, and the legal industry is no exception. But when it comes to creating a website that meets ADA compliance standards, law firms can be significantly challenged.

This blog post will outline 10 of the most common ADA compliance issues with law firm websites.

By being aware of these pitfalls, you can avoid them in your website design. Let’s get started!

10 Common ADA Compliance Issues with Law Firm Websites

Here are the ten common ADA Compliance issues with law firm websites:

Missing Alternative Text:

Alternative text allows visually impaired users to know what an image is about. This is referred to as “Alt” text because it’s meant to provide alternatives for images that can’t be seen or are hard to see.

The alt text should always describe each image in full detail on any page where there are images. For example: if your website uses a photo of a man holding up his hand with five fingers showing, you might write alt text that reads, “A man is holding up his hand with 5 fingers showing.”

Without this important alternative information, many users will have no idea what your images are about, which could lead them away from your site entirely! It’s also worth noting that search engines use alternative text for search results.

Lack of a Logical Reading Order:

One of the main guidelines for effective web design is that a page should always “flow.” The user should not get hung up on anything, especially not reading the order.

Your paragraphs of text should flow from one to the next in a logical order. The order you write them in may be different from how they’re numbered within the content, but the actual information itself must make sense when read from start to finish.

Here’s an example: “There are several common issues that many law firm websites have,” this would be a poor way to structure a paragraph because it jumps all over the place and doesn’t follow any particular pattern. Don’t put your readers through that!

Lack of a Clear CTA:

In the US, a call-to-action is a primary method used for getting people to take action on your site – whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase or simply completing contact information so you can send them more information later.

A call-to-action is how you get your readers from Point A to Point B in the most straightforward way possible. It typically involves using language like “sign up,” “shop now,” or “let us know.”

If you don’t have one of these CTAs somewhere on every single page, then it’s time to add some in! That will help direct visitors toward conversion goals and reinforce that your CTAs are always meant to take visitors further into the site.

Lack of Alternate Navigation Methods:

Many people cannot or do not use a mouse, including those with disabilities or simply aging adults. The ability to control cursor movement using only the keyboard is known as “mouse-less browsing.”

Suppose you’re not catering to these users by allowing them another method of navigating your site. In that case, they will start closing it down and looking elsewhere for information much faster than other users.

You must also make sure any page links have descriptive text instead of just words like “click here” or “here.” Rather, say things like, “Contact us now,” “Shop Now,” or whatever works best for your needs.

Icons With No Alternate Text Descriptions:

Icons can be a great way to add some visual interest to your website, but if they don’t have any alt text associated with them, it’s like leaving out half the equation.

For many visually impaired users, this means they won’t know what your icons are about – which could lead them away from your site entirely!

To get around this issue, you should always include an alternate description of what each icon is supposed to mean when you’re designing your site.

Here’s an example: “A man holding up his hand indicating that he wants to speak in front of others in a meeting” would be perfectly acceptable alt text for an icon that shows a picture of someone holding up their hand.

A Lack of Keyboard Accessible Links:

There are plenty of tools out there that can help automate the testing process for keyboard-only users, but it all starts with you making sure those links show up despite not using a mouse. Here’s how:

Anchor text – Always use descriptive anchor text like “Contact us now” instead of “click here.”
Icon alt text – You already know what we’re going to say about this one! Every single icon used on your site should have an alt tag associated with it, so someone who uses a screen reader knows what they do ahead of time.
Link order – If you’re most important pages (like product pages) aren’t accessible via keyboard, you’re going to lose out on the majority of potential traffic.

Flash Content:

Flash is like Kryptonite for search engines because it’s notoriously difficult for machines to read without human influence.

That means no matter how excellent your flash intro or movie is, maybe if it doesn’t have a transcript, then you’re losing out on valuable content that could be indexed and used in relevant searches – instead of pages that are just filled with junk text. Not cool!

Automatic Playback of Audio & Video Content:

When it comes to accessibility, auto-playing audio can get old pretty fast. Not everyone wants to hear what you have to say, so make sure you include an “off” button or another method of stopping the media from starting on its own.

No Keyboard Shortcuts or Assistive Technology Support for Site Navigation

Keyboard shortcuts are an easy way to make sure your website is accessible for users whose disabilities may prevent them from using a mouse or trackpad. These are often readily available, so always check with your web developer first if you have any technical questions about implementing them.

Non-Standard (Non-Mobile) Viewports

Law firm websites need to be responsive and viewable by mobile devices because that is where many lawyers and law firms find their clients these days – especially those who don’t live in major cities like New York, Chicago, etc.

That means you’ll want to make sure your website is viewable on any devices that you may visit at some point. That’s where things like “viewport” settings come into play.

Conclusion:

This article covered the ten most common ADA compliance issues on law firm websites. This is a crucial topic for any lawyer running an online business that may be violating one of the most important laws in America today.

Make sure you read through these 10 points and take action to make your website accessible before it’s too late!

January 7, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com Law Firms

How ADA Compliance Can Affect Your Law Firm Website Ranking?

If you’re a law firm with a website, it’s important to make sure that your site is ADA compliant. Otherwise, you could face some severe consequences.

This blog post will discuss how ADA compliance can affect your law firm’s website ranking.

We’ll also offer some tips on making your site more compliant. Keep reading for more information!

What is ADA Compliance?

ADA compliance refers to the regulations laid out by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Webmasters must follow these regulations so that sites can be more accessible for people with disabilities.

Failure to do so could result in significant penalties and fines! So, if you’re a law firm trying to rank high on search engine results pages, it’s important to make sure your website is ADA compliant.

Benefits of Compliance:

When you make your site ADA compliant, you improve its overall user experience and give every visitor access to the content they can enjoy.

Making your site accessible for everyone gives users a better browsing experience and ensures that all potential clients will find what they’re looking for when they visit.

Ultimately, this can help you rank higher on search engine results pages. In addition to giving you a better ranking on SERPs, ADA compliance also allows you to enjoy other benefits. These include:

Better user experience.
A better chance of getting your content shared on social media sites.
Improved conversions and revenue potential.
Higher rankings for local listings.

How making your site compliant can affect your law firm website ranking?

It’s important to know how to implement these changes to ensure they’re successful. Luckily, there are some simple steps you can take to make this process run smoothly:

Do a Site Audit.

Before doing anything else, go through your site and check for any issues. Ensure that all of your links are working correctly, there aren’t any broken images, and that the content is accessible to everyone.

Fix Issues With Your Current Content.

You must fix any issues with existing content before it goes live on the internet so you can avoid public embarrassment or legal action later on.

Implement Changes to Future Content.

Once all of your current content has been fixed, implement changes to future posts, so they comply with ADA regulations as well! This ensures even more consistency across the board and makes it easier for web crawlers to find your new content in the future!

Improve SEO:

Title Tags: When you’re trying to rank for competitive keywords, title tags are one of the most important elements to optimize for search engines.

Many people overlook them because they’re not as flashy as other SEO strategies, but these simple tweaks can do wonders for your law firm website ranking!

Make sure that all titles have a clear call to action and use relevant keywords throughout. This will give crawlers more reasons to link back to your site and improve its overall SEO value!

Meta Descriptions. Meta descriptions influence how searchers find your content, so yours must be optimized for maximum impact.

Try using a few descriptive sentences followed by your target keyword so web crawlers know precisely what to expect when they click on your content.

Use Webmaster Tools.

You can help improve the chances of your law firm website ranking high by submitting a sitemap through Google’s Webmaster Tools. This will ensure that all pages are indexed and easier to access for crawlers.

Additionally, you should always use relevant keywords in your URL structure, so search engines know exactly where each link leads! And don’t forget to add social media tags to share your site on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.!

Improve Your Page Speed.

There are plenty of factors known to affect rankings, but page speed is one of the most important! If you search engines to rank your law firm website higher, you need to make sure that your pages load quickly. Google has even recorded that slow page speeds can lead to a demotion in search engine results pages!

Avoid Duplicate Content.

Having too much duplicate content on your site will not only hurt your law firm website ranking but also violate Google’s guidelines for web admins. There are several ways you can avoid this problem.

Auditing Your Law Firm’s Website Accessibility

Websites are now legally required to provide equal access, and having an ADA-compliant site also improves your search engine visibility. 98% of websites aren’t currently in compliance with these laws, which means they could be sued by anyone who visits them!

Every image on your site should have an equivalent text description. This is important for screen readers, who can use this information to read and understand what you are attempting to display visually.

Your alt tags will help describe the images so that people with disabilities have access!

Make videos more accessible by adding audio descriptions and captions. This will allow everyone, not just those with disabilities or limited hearing abilities, an opportunity to enjoy your content as you intended!

It’s also important to avoid dictating colors and font settings. It may be challenging to read, especially for vision difficulties, if you utilize complicated fonts and hues.

Auditing Your Law Firm’s Website Technical SEO & Content:

SEO is more important than ever because most people are searching for lawyers on Google when it comes to the legal space. Suppose you aren’t at or near top rankings in your niche.

So, what should you do first? We provide a FREE SEO/Website Review that details your law firm’s SEO and content problems if you need some quick assistance.

You may also use paid tools such as aHrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to perform similar activities, as well as keep an eye on your SEO elements.

Once you’ve identified your SEO mistakes, it’s critical to address them; that’s precisely why we audit your law firm’s website.

The most significant SEO/content issues can be quickly fixed for many companies by refreshing content, employing plugins, and altering your link-building approach.

Do law firm websites need to be ADA-compliant?

Yes, all websites need to comply with the ADA. If the site is not ADA compliant, it could put your company at risk of being sued or fined for discrimination.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures that less fortunate citizens have equal access to public places and facilities.

The Act was passed so that people who may be differently-abled can pursue educational, professional, or personal goals outside their homes without having barriers present provided by physical obstacles in their way.

What happens if your website is not ADA-compliant?

If someone with a disability claims that your website is inaccessible, you may be sued. You may face legal costs, a possible settlement, a potential public relations crisis, and the expense of rebuilding your website to meet the ADA’s standards.

Does ADA compliance affect SEO?

Yes, ADA compliance can indirectly affect your website’s SEO ranking. The long answer is that there are a number of ways in which your website can be compliant with the ADA, and each of these will have a different impact on your SEO.

In general, following ADA regulations should help improve your website’s rank by making it easier for search engines to crawl and index its content.

What does ADA-compliant mean for websites?

Making a website ADA-compliant means it has Home and End buttons, enlarged text and images, easy-to-follow formats for navigation, etc.

These features can help people with disabilities get the most information they need from your site without too much difficulty.

Why do websites need to be ADA-compliant?

All entities with a physical presence are legally obligated to make their websites ADA compliant. Website owners must also comply with federal regulations set out by the Section 508 Amendment of Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which outlines standards for web accessibility.

As content providers, it is our responsibility to ensure that websites adhere to these regulations to provide all levels of disability access.

Does ADA compliance apply to websites?

ADA compliance is a legal requirement for most businesses, including websites. To make your website ADA compliant, you’ll need to ensure that all content is accessible to people with disabilities and that all functionality works properly when accessed via a screen reader or other assistive technology.

Does accessibility affect Google ranking?

It is speculated that ADA-compliant websites accessible to everyone have a higher chance of ranking better in search engine results pages.

This is because making your website accessible to everyone shows that you care about your potential customers and are not just targeting those who don’t have any disabilities.

Additionally, following ADA compliance can help you avoid any legal issues that could arise from non-compliance.

How does a website comply with ADA?

The ADA is a federal statute that forbids discrimination based on disability. A website must be accessible to persons who use assistive technology while online to meet the ADA’s accessibility requirements. Your website is not in compliance with the law if it is not accessible to persons with disabilities.

Is ADA compliance mandatory for websites?

ADA compliance is not mandatory for websites, but it is strongly recommended. Non-compliant websites can face legal penalties, so it’s important to make sure your website meets all ADA requirements.

For more information on ADA compliance, please contact an attorney or web Development Company.

Is GoDaddy ADA compliant?

Yes, GoDaddy is ADA compliant. ADA compliance includes ensuring that at least 20 percent of your website content is in a format that enables text reading programs to read it aloud.

If you are having trouble with this or any other aspect of ADA compliance, GoDaddy will walk you through the process with resources for each step in their customer service portal.

How do I make my GoDaddy website ADA compliant?

To make your website ADA compliant, you’ll need to ensure that all content is accessible to people with disabilities.

This includes ensuring that all text is readable, making sure images have alternative text, and providing a way for users to navigate your website manually.

You can also use a third-party tool like the WAVE accessibility checker to test your website compliance.

How to Make Sure Your Website is ADA Compliant?

If you’re running a business, it’s essential to ensure that your website is ADA compliant. Here are a few tips on how to make sure your website is up to code:

Make sure all of your content is accessible to people with disabilities. This includes videos, images, and text.
Use clear and concise language on your website.
Use headings and subheadings to organize your content.
Use accessible forms and input fields on your website.
Use easy-to-read fonts and colors on your website.

By following these simple rules, you can ensure that your website is compliant with the American Disabilities Act. If you follow all of these steps, it will also help boost your website’s search engine ranking!

This is because ADA-compliant websites are easier to navigate and read for people using search engines like Google. For more information on making sure your website is ADA compliant, contact a digital marketing company today.

How much does it cost to make a website ADA compliant?

When it comes to meeting ADA standards, the first thing you have to do is assess the damage and begin at $500. And making your website accessible may cost anything from $3,000 to $50,000.

Does the ADA cover web accessibility?

The ADA does not mention the term web or mobile accessibility. However, the Department of Justice has said on numerous occasions that ADA compliance includes access to websites that provide services, public accommodations, and other capabilities already covered by the ADA.

Can a website be sued for not being ADA-compliant?

Yes, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has warned that it “may seek monetary damages, injunctive relief or other appropriate remedies” for violations of ADA Title III that are found to exist on any Web site, including job posting boards and bulletin boards.

The DOJ can exercise its enforcement power against individual who places content on behalf of entities covered by the ADA, and even if they are unaware, the sites contain accessibility barriers.

Conclusion:

So, now that you know how compliance can affect your law firm website ranking, it’s time to make the changes happen! If you need help preparing your site for ADA compliance, download our checklist here, which will walk you through each process step.

We hope this blog post has helped you gain more insight into how ADA compliance can affect your law firm website ranking.

If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact us or comment below. Thanks for reading, and good luck with all of your future SEO work!

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