The Law Society has published guidance to support disabled people in the workplace, highlighting how organisations should prioritise digital accessibility.
To coincide with Global Accessibility Awareness Day, the guidance provides information for firms and in-house teams to improve disability inclusion by implementing accessible technologies. It covers neuro-inclusion, while acknowledging that not all neurodivergent people consider themselves disabled.
Members have told the Society that many technologies and digital processes in law firms and organisations present barriers to accessibility for disabled users. Issues include a lack of compatibility between assistive technology and an organisation’s existing technology, systems and rules.
Firms and organisations are urged to 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 (CRM) systems;
- Training platforms and content.
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 is 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.’
Demi Rixon, vice chair of the Law Society’s Disabled Solicitors Network committee, said: ‘It is exhausting and sometimes soul-destroying tackling the vast number 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 can be a powerful tool to create better inclusion for everyone.’
