There is something quietly ironic about a law firm’s own website failing basic accessibility standards — and beyond the irony, it can mean genuinely locking out visitors with visual, motor, or cognitive disabilities who need legal help just as much as anyone else.
This post is part of our Fort Worth Attorney’s Website Trust & Client Experience Playbook.
Why This Matters Beyond Doing the Right Thing
Website accessibility lawsuits under the ADA have targeted businesses of all kinds, including small firms, for years. Beyond the legal exposure, an inaccessible site simply turns away potential clients who cannot use it — a real, avoidable loss for any practice.
The Basics Most Sites Are Missing
- Alt text on images. Screen readers rely on this to describe images to visually impaired visitors. A missing or generic “image123.jpg” alt tag leaves them with nothing.
- Sufficient color contrast. Light gray text on a white background might look sleek, but it is difficult or impossible to read for many visitors, including those with low vision.
- Keyboard navigation. Some visitors navigate entirely by keyboard, not a mouse. Every link, button, and form field should be reachable and usable this way.
- Descriptive link text. A screen reader user tabbing through links hears “click here, click here, click here” if that’s how links are written — not helpful. “Schedule a consultation” is far more useful out of context.
- Readable font sizes. Tiny text forces zooming and scrolling, which is a barrier for visitors with low vision or motor difficulties.
A Simple Starting Point
Free tools like WAVE (WebAIM) can scan a site and flag major accessibility issues in minutes, giving a clear list of what to fix first without needing to hire a specialist immediately.
The Bottom Line
Accessibility is not a one-time checkbox — it is an ongoing practice. But even addressing the basics above puts a firm ahead of most competitors, while genuinely opening the door to more of the people searching for help.
Related Reading
- Website Security Basics Every Law Firm Should Know
- Client Intake Forms That Don't Scare People Away
- How Often Should a Law Firm Website Actually Be Updated?
For more on this, see ADA.gov: www.ada.gov.