Home Study is now available for . . .

The Practical Lawyer Session 15: 

Creating an Accessible Law Firm Website:

Achieving User Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Accredited through December 31, 2026

2 General CLE credits, 2 EDI credits (satisfies 3-year reporting period)

Session live streamed on May 24, 2024 | Video: 100 minutes

Register to receive access to presenters' slides, resource materials, 

video recording, and home study CLE affidavit

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Session 15 of The Practical Lawyer CLE series addresses the importance of providing complete accessibility to any potential user of a law firm website, taking into consideration the diverse range of potential hurdles to accessing and using a website. This course explains how law firms can provide user equity and inclusion by integrating the technical means of providing access to those persons whose disabilities can prevent them from utilizing a law firm website and accessing website features intended for use by current and  prospective clients and other website visitors. 

Attorney Barb Heikoff will provide a brief, introductory overview of the concepts of the American with Disabilities Act, which have expanded from requiring reasonable accommodations in strictly physical environments to include guidelines on providing access to internet and website platforms. 

Dr. Amanda Diver will discuss physical disabilities that can create barriers to access to websites developed for and offered for use by law firms. Dr. Diver will explain the means law firm owners can employ to provide accessibility features, thereby eliminating barriers not only to full access to and use of a particular website, but also to allow those persons seeking legal representation to achieve success during internet searches to locate the type of legal counsel or practice area being sought. 

Dr. Diver will also open the presentation up to Q&A with attendees and address the typical questions raised by website owners prior to incorporating accessibility features necessary to ensure equity and inclusion for and by the diverse population who may wish to locate, access, and use a law firm’s website. Materials provided will include a comprehensive audit checklist used by Dr. Diver’s company when assessing whether any particular website provides complete accessibility.  

OUR SPEAKERS: 

Dr. Amanda Diver, PT, DPT, CPACC (accessibility certified), is a Physical Therapist, Website Developer, and Accessibility and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert. Dr. Driver provides consulting services to diverse businesses and organizations to help clients reach larger audiences, by increasing website accessibility and improving online presence. Over the past several years, during the process of building websites for clients, Dr. Diver realized that 96.8% of the web was not accessible to everyone. This led to the realization that accessibility plays a huge role in SEO, which allows websites to show up in Google and other search engines. This ignited her passion in this emerging field. With Dr. Diver’s knowledge and experience as a Physical Therapist and her history working with over 100 business owners across diverse industries on their websites, Dr. Diver set out to become a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competency (CPACC). This foundational credential strengthened her skills in digital technologies, architectural considerations, and thoughtful design as well as her understanding of compliance responsibilities requiring disability access. Dr. Diver’s insights and practical solutions captivate audiences by explaining complex material to those less comfortable with technology. In addition to her professional achievements, Dr. Driver has authored A Beginner’s Guide to Indoor Rowing and owns and curates sites such as The Rowing Doc and Healthy Digital. Amanda Diver lives in Colorado with her husband and two fur-kids. 

Attorney Barb Heikoff  began applying the concepts of reasonable accommodation in the summer of 1990, during the first week the American with Disabilities Act became law, while interning with the Civil Disabilities Unit of the Legal Aid Society of Hartford [Connecticut]. Barb has since applied ADA concepts to real estate matters for business clients to address a range of accommodation issues, from physical accessibility to the use of service and emotional support animals by tenants and employees. Barb is currently a solo practitioner at Heikoff Law, LLC, focusing on commercial and residential transactional real estate matters and related business interests. Barb is also the Chairwoman of Colorado W.O.L.F. (Women Owned Law Firms), which supports women attorneys who own their own Colorado law firms and provides outreach to the greater Colorado solo small law firm community by offering practical education to owners of SSF firms and networking opportunities to connect and commune with other solo and small law firm attorneys.

About The Practical Lawyer CLE Series. Colorado W.O.L.F. developed The Practical Lawyer CLE Series to provide solo and small law firm owners and attorneys a solid overview of the practical aspects of business management and development in the context of owning and running a law firm. Through the financial support of the Solo Small Firm Section, The Practical Lawyer CLE series is free to members of CBA's Solo Small Firm Section.