Law Society publishes new guidance for improving digital accessibility for employees with disabilities

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The Law Society has published guidance to highlight how organisations can improve digital accessibility to support people with disabilities.

The guidance, which was published to coincide with Global Accessibility Awareness Day, provides useful information for law firms, in-house teams and organisations to help them improve disability inclusion with the introduction and implementation of accessible technology. It also covers neuroinclusion, while noting that not all neurodivergent people consider themselves disabled.  

Members have reported their issues to the Law Society, with many noting that organisations aren’t using accessible technology or that assistive technology isn’t compatible with organisations’ existing technology, systems and rules.

Demi Rixon, vice chair of the Law Society’s Disabled Solicitors Network committee, led on the production of the guidance. Demi said: “It is exhausting and sometimes soul destroying tackling the vast amount of barriers trying to enter the legal profession as a disabled person. Then once you are in, there are even more barriers making it difficult to stay in, and accessible technology is one of these.

“Technology is innovative and exciting and can be a powerful tool to create better inclusion for everyone. Importantly, it can shatter some of those barriers disabled people face.”

The Law Society explained that firms and organisations must consider the common systems and processes where digital accessibility is important, including:

• document management systems;
• time recording software;
• billing processes and software;
• document creation, drafting and review software;
• customer/client relationship management systems; and
• training platforms and content.

The guidance explains the importance of both inclusive design, which considers a full range of human diversity, and universal design, which aims to be accessible for all and reduce the need for ‘special’ provisions. It also suggests the steps organisations should take before they introduce new technologies, including:

• creating a list of assistive technologies in use;
• liaising with disabled employees and company networks;
• using diversity and inclusion data to address how many employees would need new technology;
• considering how existing systems will interact with proposed technology; and
• considering upskilling in-house developers so they can rectify any issues that arise.

Law Society President Nick Emmerson said: “At a time when the legal sector is increasingly being encouraged to explore the use of legal technologies to enhance legal practice, it’s important that law firms and organisations are not inadvertently creating barriers by failing to consider accessibility at a baseline level.

“Instead, firms and organisations should use the opportunities that technologies bring to create a more accessible and inclusive profession for everyone.”

Read the Law Society’s guidance to find out more.