As a law firm prioritising its digital presence, you’ve probably heard about the European Accessibility Act (EAA). The deadline for compliance is quickly approaching, and non-compliance could result in fines and legal challenges. But beyond the legal aspects, there are compelling reasons to prioritise accessibility; ones that benefit your firm, your users, and the wider community.
Understanding the Need
Recent figures (2022/2023) show that around 1 in 4 (24%) people in the UK have a disability. For adults over the State Pension age, this rises to 45%.
With an ageing population and shifting demographics, the number of people who rely on accessible technology is only growing. By making your site user-friendly for individuals with varying visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments, you’re future-proofing your business and ensuring inclusivity for all.
Why EAA Compliance Makes Business Sense
Reach a Wider Audience
An accessible website isn’t just for a niche segment; it broadens your user base. By ensuring your website can be navigated using screen readers, keyboard-only inputs, and other assistive technologies, you open your services to a broader range of potential users who couldn’t otherwise engage with them.
SEO Benefits
Accessibility and SEO share many common best practices. The way a search engine such as Google crawls and understands your website is very similar to the way a screen reader would.
A few examples of where SEO and web accessibility overlap:
- Using HTML Tags
Using HTML tags (e.g. <h1>, <nav>) properly is important because semantic HTML helps assistive technologies understand the page structure, and search engines also use semantic HTML to index and rank content more effectively.
- Providing Alt Text
Providing alt text for images helps both users and search engines better understand the context of images.
- Heading Structure
Well-structured headings, e.g. only one H1 per page and subsequent headings following the hierarchy, improves navigation for screen readers and helps search engines understand the content better.
- Descriptive Link Text
Descriptive link text e.g. ‘Read more news articles’ instead of ‘click here’ are key to making your content accessible but also improve link relevance and keyword optimisation.
- Transcripts and Captions for Video and Audio Files
Captions and transcripts are vital to allow users with hearing impairments understand the content, but also provide extra indexable text for search engines.
- Page Load Speed
Having a fast website is of great benefit to users with cognitive or motor impairments, but also is a key Google ranking factor.
- Mobile-Friendly and Responsive Design
Making sure your website is usable across a range of devices not only helps a wider range of users access your site, but it is also another key ranking factor for Google.
- Avoiding Intrusive Popups and Auto-Playing Media
Intrusive content can be disruptive to users with cognitive disabilities, but Google also penalises websites with intrusive content.
Improved User Experience
There’s a reason accessibility is often aligned with user experience (UX). Accessibility benchmarks such as clear navigation, good colour contrast and streamlined forms benefit everyone, users with disabilities and those without. The enhancements you will make to achieve an accessible website will benefit all users and likely lead to better engagement and higher conversions.
Demonstrate your Corporate Values
Companies are coming under greater scrutiny for their ethical and social values, law firms included. Having an accessible website speaks volumes about your brand. It is a great way to show your commitment to inclusivity and social good.
Better for International Trade
Beyond the EU and UK, having an accessible website can give your law firm a competitive edge. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and The Accessible Canada Act are some examples of similar regulations brought in internationally, showing the global consensus that digital accessibility is a must. By demonstrating you already meet the EU requirements, you are already on the right foot for global compliance. This might not seem important for now, but who knows when you might want to grow your law firm internationally?
Building a More Inclusive Digital Landscape
Yes, the European Accessibility Act is legal in nature, with specific guidelines and deadlines. But it’s important to see these requirements not merely as a compliance checkbox but as an opportunity. Accessibility helps you reach more users, enhances your SEO, supports global expansion, elevates your user experience, and strengthens your corporate values.
By prioritising accessibility, you’re investing in a better, more inclusive digital experience. One that welcomes all users and aligns with the spirit of the EAA: removing barriers and promoting equal access for everyone.
Embracing these values today will not only prepare you for the June 2025 deadline but will also set your law firm up for success with SEO and generating new enquiries.
If you’d like to discuss the EAA in more detail for your law firm, please contact the team at Conscious on sales@conscious.co.uk.