A law firm website should work for people who navigate with a keyboard, enlarge text, use a screen reader, rely on captions, or need clear instructions to complete a form. Accessibility is not only a technical issue. It affects whether prospective clients can understand the firm, evaluate its services, and request help without unnecessary barriers.
The U.S. Department of Justice explains that inaccessible web content can deny people with disabilities equal access to information and services offered by businesses open to the public. The Department also points organizations to technical resources such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG. However, applying WCAG does not automatically prove or guarantee legal compliance in every jurisdiction or circumstance. A law firm should obtain advice from qualified counsel about its specific obligations.
This practical checklist helps legal marketers, designers, developers, and firm leaders improve law firm website accessibility while building a repeatable review process.
What WCAG 2.2 Means for a Law Firm Website
WCAG 2.2 is a W3C Recommendation for making web content more accessible. Its guidance is organized under four principles: content should be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Testable success criteria are assigned Level A, AA, or AAA.
WCAG 2.2 is backward compatible with WCAG 2.1 and adds criteria that address issues such as keyboard focus being obscured, target size, dragging movements, and accessible authentication. It is a technical benchmark, not a substitute for legal analysis or testing with people who use assistive technology.
Accessibility should also be treated as an ongoing operating practice. New attorney biographies, blog posts, intake forms, scheduling tools, videos, and software updates can introduce barriers after an initial audit.
1. Inventory the Website Before Testing
Begin with more than the homepage. List the templates and interactions a prospective client may encounter:
- practice-area and location pages;
- attorney profiles and results pages;
- blog posts, downloadable guides, and PDFs;
- contact, consultation, and case-evaluation forms;
- chat, scheduling, payment, map, and review widgets;
- cookie notices, popups, and mobile menus; and
- portals or authentication screens linked from the public site.
This inventory can become part of a broader law firm content audit. Assign an owner to each template or third-party component and record issues, priorities, decisions, and retest dates.
2. Use Meaningful Page Structure
Assistive technology relies on the underlying page structure, not only its visual appearance. Every page should have a descriptive title and a logical heading hierarchy. Use one clear main heading, then organize sections with meaningful H2 and H3 headings rather than choosing heading levels for their visual size.
Use semantic HTML for navigation, main content, lists, tables, buttons, and forms. Set the page language correctly. Keep the reading and focus order aligned with the visual order, especially when a page builder rearranges columns on mobile.
A clean structure also supports usability and search visibility. It should be built into the firm’s law firm website design system rather than repaired page by page after launch.
3. Make Every Essential Action Work by Keyboard
Test the website using Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, and the arrow keys where appropriate. A visitor should be able to open menus, dismiss popups, operate accordions, select form controls, submit a request, and reach every interactive element without a mouse.
Check focus behavior
- A visible focus indicator should show where the keyboard user is.
- Focus should move in a predictable order.
- No modal, chat widget, or menu should trap focus.
- Sticky headers, cookie banners, and overlays should not hide the focused element.
- A skip link should let users bypass repeated navigation and reach the main content.
WCAG 2.2 added criteria concerning focus appearance and focus not being obscured. These deserve special attention on law firm sites that use persistent call buttons, sticky navigation, or large chat launchers.
4. Write Useful Alternative Text
Informative images need alternative text that communicates their purpose in context. An attorney headshot might identify the attorney; an infographic may require a concise alternative plus the underlying information in nearby text. Decorative flourishes should generally use empty alternative text so a screen reader can skip them.
Avoid keyword-stuffed alt text or descriptions that an image does not establish. If an image is a link, its accessible name should explain the destination or action.
5. Check Contrast, Text Resizing, and Reflow
Text and meaningful interface elements need sufficient contrast against their backgrounds. Do not use color alone to identify required fields, errors, links, or status. Add text, icons with accessible labels, underlines, or other distinguishable cues.
Zoom pages and enlarge text. Content should reflow without forcing horizontal scrolling for ordinary reading, and controls should not overlap or disappear. Review menus, tables, cards, and phone numbers at narrow widths.
6. Make Consultation and Intake Forms Accessible
An inaccessible intake form can block the website’s most important action. Each field needs a persistent programmatic label. Placeholder text alone is not a label. Instructions should appear before they are needed, and required fields should be communicated with text or code rather than color alone.
When validation fails, identify the field, describe the problem, and explain how to correct it. Do not erase valid entries after an error. Use appropriate autocomplete and input-purpose attributes where they help people enter common information. Provide a clear confirmation after submission, including a status message that assistive technology can detect.
Legal intake may involve sensitive information. Ask only for what the firm needs at that stage, explain what happens next, and ensure that error messages do not expose private data. Accessibility and a clear intake process reinforce each other; see LawProNation’s guidance on legal intake services.
7. Use Clear Links, Buttons, and Touch Targets
Link text should make sense out of context. “Review our car accident services” is more useful than several identical “learn more” links. Buttons should be used for actions; links should navigate to another location. Give icon-only controls accessible names.
Controls should be large enough and well spaced. WCAG 2.2 includes target-size guidance and an alternative to interactions that require dragging. Carousels and sliders should offer controls that do not depend on precise gestures.
8. Provide Accessible Documents and Media
Videos need accurate captions, and audio-only content needs a transcript. When important visual information is not conveyed in the audio, consider audio description or an equivalent text explanation. Controls should work by keyboard and expose useful names and states.
PDFs are not automatically accessible. Court guides, fee explanations, checklists, and downloadable resources require appropriate headings, reading order, tags, link text, and form labels. When practical, publish the same information as an accessible HTML page because it is often easier to use on mobile and maintain over time.
9. Test Mobile Layout and Orientation
Do not assume a responsive layout is accessible. Test common pages with mobile screen readers, enlarged text, portrait and landscape orientation, and keyboard input where supported. Verify that click-to-call controls, menus, sticky banners, form fields, and error summaries do not cover one another.
If an interaction depends on motion, tilting, or dragging, provide a simpler alternative. Do not disable zoom.
10. Review Login and Verification Steps
Authentication can become a barrier when it depends on remembering, transcribing, or solving information without an accessible alternative. WCAG 2.2 added criteria for accessible authentication. Review client portal links, password fields, multi-factor prompts, CAPTCHAs, and document-upload workflows.
Security remains essential, but the process should support password managers, copy and paste where appropriate, clear instructions, and accessible alternatives. Coordinate changes with the portal provider rather than weakening account protections.
11. Treat Third-Party Tools as Part of the Experience
A scheduling system, chat tool, map, review carousel, embedded video player, or payment form can introduce barriers even when the firm’s own templates pass review. Test the complete user journey. Ask vendors for current accessibility documentation and a remediation process, but verify the product in the configuration actually deployed.
Do not treat an automated accessibility overlay as a substitute for fixing source code, content, design, and workflows. Automated tools can help identify some defects; they cannot evaluate every context, interaction, or user experience.
12. Combine Automated and Manual Testing
Use automated scans to catch repeatable issues such as missing labels, duplicate IDs, certain contrast failures, and invalid attributes. Then perform manual checks:
- keyboard-only navigation;
- screen-reader testing on representative desktop and mobile combinations;
- zoom, text resizing, contrast, and reflow;
- form errors and successful submission;
- captions, transcripts, and document review; and
- testing by people with disabilities where feasible.
Prioritize barriers that prevent essential tasks or affect common templates. Retest fixes and keep a record. During a redesign or CMS move, include the work in a controlled law firm website migration plan.
Build Accessibility Into Ongoing Website Operations
Create standards for authors, designers, developers, and vendors. Include accessible headings, link text, alt text, captions, documents, and forms in publishing checklists. Add accessibility requirements to procurement and acceptance testing. Provide a visible way for users to report a barrier, and respond with a practical alternative while the issue is investigated.
The DOJ’s Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA and the W3C’s WCAG 2.2 standard are useful starting points. Because facts, technology, and legal requirements can change, firms should keep both technical and legal review current.
A More Accessible Website Is a Better Client Experience
Law firm website accessibility is not a badge earned after a single scan. It is a disciplined process for removing barriers from content, navigation, forms, media, and third-party tools. Done well, it helps more people understand the firm and take the next step with confidence.
LawProNation connects website strategy, content, SEO, conversion paths, and intake operations for law firms. To discuss a practical website improvement plan, apply for a discovery call.
This article provides general educational information about website accessibility and marketing operations. It is not legal advice and does not guarantee compliance with the ADA, WCAG, or any other law or standard. Consult qualified counsel and accessibility professionals about your organization’s specific circumstances.
