Hi, I'm Tyler Willis and I've been helping businesses optimize their digital marketing and web development efforts for over 10 years. I excel at teaching and helping companies understand complex digital solutions, and applying them to their businesses.
As a lawyer or law firm owner, you know that having a website that is accessible to all users is critical for reaching and engaging with potential clients. Accessibility refers to the design and functionality of a website that enables users with disabilities to access and use it.
In this post, we'll explore the importance of accessibility as part of a digital marketing program for law firms and provide tips on how to make your website more accessible. From reviewing the website for accessibility issues to adding alternative text for images and testing the website, we'll cover all the key considerations to make when ensuring that your website is accessible to users with disabilities.
What is website accessibility?
Accessibility refers to the design and functionality of a website that enables users with disabilities to access and use it. This includes considerations such as the ability to navigate the website using a keyboard, the use of alternative text for images, and the use of clear and legible fonts and colors.
Ensuring that a website is accessible can benefit law firms in several ways. First, it can help to reach a wider audience, including users with disabilities who may have difficulty accessing websites that are not designed with accessibility in mind. Second, it can improve the user experience for all users, as accessibility features such as clear and easy-to-navigate design can benefit all visitors to the website. Finally, it can help to ensure compliance with accessibility guidelines and regulations, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
How to get started with accessibility
Here are a few steps that a law firm can take to improve the accessibility of their website:
- Review the website for accessibility issues: Use an accessibility testing tool or conduct a manual review of the website to identify any issues that may make it difficult for users with disabilities to access and use the site.
- Make design and layout changes: Consider making changes to the website's design and layout to make it more accessible, such as increasing the size of text and buttons, using high-contrast colors, and providing clear and easy-to-use navigation.
- Add alternative text for images: Alternative text (also known as "alt text") is a description of an image that is displayed if the image cannot be displayed. Adding alternative text to images can help users with visual impairments to understand the content of the image.
- Use semantic HTML: Using semantic HTML tags (such as <header>, <footer>, and <article>) can help to make the website more accessible by providing additional context and meaning to the content.
- Test the website: Use an accessibility testing tool or test the website on a variety of devices and browsers to ensure that it is functioning properly and providing a good user experience for users with disabilities.
- Monitor and update: Regularly monitor the website for accessibility issues and make any necessary updates to ensure that it continues to be accessible to users with disabilities.
