Exploring Accessibility: A Comparative Analysis of Website Builders for Legal Services

Having an accessible and user-friendly website is crucial for organizations of all types, including legal services providers. Ensuring that your website is inclusive and compliant with accessibility standards is not only the right thing to do but can also have legal implications. That's why we've put together a comparison chart of popular website builders, focusing on key accessibility features. This comparison aims to help legal services organizations make informed decisions when choosing the right platform for their website projects. 

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While reviewing this chart, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the descriptions of each accessibility feature. You can also download this comparison chart as a regular PDF or as an accessible PDF.

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Descriptions of Accessibility Features

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1. Alternative Text (Alt Text):

• Alt text is description added to images on a website. It's an essential feature for users with visual impairments as screen readers rely on alt text to describe images. It ensures that everyone can understand the content, even if they can't see the images.

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2. Vision Preview Tool:

• A vision preview tool provides a simulation of how a website appears to users with different visual impairments. This feature helps web developers and designers assess and adjust their site's visual accessibility.

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3. Audit Panel (Built-in Color Contrast Testing):

• This feature allows users to test color contrast within the website, ensuring that text is legible against the background. It's crucial for making content readable for all users.

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4. Heading Levels:

• Properly structured headings help organize content on a website. Heading levels are essential for users who rely on keyboard navigation or assistive technologies to understand the page's structure.

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5. Play/Pause on Background Videos:

• This feature allows users to control the playback of background videos. It's important for users who may find autoplaying videos distracting or who have limited bandwidth.

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6. Customizable CSS:

• Customizable Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) enable web designers to modify the visual appearance of a website. Customization can be used to improve accessibility by adjusting fonts, colors, and layouts.

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7. Customizable Link Focus and Hover States:

• Customizable link focus and hover states allow web developers to modify how links are highlighted when they're interacted with. This customization can enhance keyboard navigation and make it easier for users to identify clickable elements.

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Conclusion

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Choosing the right website builder is a critical decision for legal services organizations. Our comparison chart can help you make an informed choice that helps you better serve your clients and fulfill your mission of providing equitable access to legal information and support.*

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* Please note that this evaluation of website and portal platforms was conducted in August 2023 and the features identified in our evaluation may change and shift overtime.

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