When a demand letter lands in your inbox, or an ADA-related lawsuit hits your desk, your first thought might be to call a lawyer. That’s a natural reaction—after all, legal issues usually call for legal help.
But here’s where things get a little more complicated: if the problem is your website’s accessibility, then legal advice alone won’t fix it. And that’s where many businesses take a wrong turn. Legal teams can guide you through the paperwork, but they’re rarely the ones who dig into your code, address the real barriers, or help you prevent the next lawsuit.
This article walks you through why relying on a law firm to handle accessibility remediation services might not be the best move—and what a smarter, more effective approach looks like.
The Problem: Law Firms Handle Lawsuits—Not Code
Let’s be clear—attorneys have an important role. If you’ve received a demand letter or lawsuit, they can help you respond, negotiate, or represent you in court. But legal involvement doesn’t make the accessibility problem go away. The root issue—your website not working for people with disabilities—still remains. And it’s that issue that continues to carry legal and reputational risk.
Most law firms don’t have in-house technical teams. No developers, no certified accessibility experts, no usability testers. So what happens? They either outsource the actual accessibility remediation services to third-party vendors (often charging a premium along the way) or provide high-level reports filled with checklists that leave your dev team guessing at what to do next.
That means you’re still on the hook for the real work—and possibly paying more for it.
Hidden Risk #1: You’ll Pay More for Less
Law firms typically charge by the hour, which makes sense for legal tasks like reviewing contracts or negotiating settlements. But when they apply those same rates to accessibility-related work—such as interpreting WCAG guidelines, coordinating with vendors, or reviewing audit summaries—it turns into a costly game of telephone.
You end up paying for layers of administrative overhead that slow down progress and don’t actually improve your website.
Worse, you might not even realize where the money is going. Legal fees can pile up quickly without producing the tangible results your business actually needs: a compliant, accessible, functional website. For small to mid-size organizations trying to manage both compliance and budget, this model is hard to justify.
Hidden Risk #2: The Fixes May Not Be Complete
Fixing accessibility isn’t about running a quick scan and addressing a handful of errors. Real remediation requires technical precision, contextual judgment, and manual testing—especially with screen readers and keyboard navigation. It involves understanding how accessibility issues present in code and how they affect the user experience for people with different disabilities.
Many law firms don’t have the tools—or the trained personnel—to go that deep. And their vendor partners often lean heavily on automated tools that only catch surface-level issues.
Here’s what that kind of partial remediation can miss:
- Form fields without accessible labels
- Improper heading structures that confuse screen readers
- Modal windows that can’t be closed without a mouse
- Buttons or links that don’t receive keyboard focus
- Dynamic content changes that don’t alert assistive technologies
These aren’t fringe cases—they’re exactly the kinds of issues that trigger lawsuits. Unfortunately, teams often overlook them when legal experts, rather than technical specialists, lead accessibility remediation efforts.
Hidden Risk #3: No Plan for the Long Term
Even if your legal team manages to patch things up for now, accessibility isn’t a one-and-done situation. Websites evolve. New content is added. Platforms update. If you don’t have an ongoing plan, you risk falling out of compliance all over again—and landing back in legal trouble.
Law firms are built for casework, not for long-term technical oversight. Most won’t offer monitoring services, provide training for your content team, or stay engaged as your digital properties change over time. Without a partner who understands how to maintain accessibility remediation services, you’re left exposed.
That’s why sustainable compliance calls for a proactive strategy—one that goes beyond legal checkboxes and focuses on real-world usability, continuous improvement, and future-proofing your site.
What Proper Accessibility Remediation Services Look Like
To address ADA compliance issues the right way, you need more than legal advice—you need a full-service accessibility team that knows how to diagnose, prioritize, and implement lasting solutions.
Here’s what effective accessibility remediation services typically involve:
1. In-Depth Accessibility Audit
Experienced accessibility professionals start by reviewing your site against WCAG 2.1 A/AA standards using both automated and manual testing. This ensures nothing gets missed. A proper audit covers the following:
- Screen reader testing using tools like NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver
- Keyboard-only navigation analysis
- Color contrast checks
- Semantic HTML review
- ARIA role validation for dynamic content
It’s this level of testing that uncovers real usability barriers.
2. A Clear, Actionable Roadmap
Instead of a vague checklist, a solid remediation team will provide a prioritized list of issues, each translated into plain language with clear technical recommendations. The goal is to make it easy for developers to understand what needs to be fixed—and how.
3. Code-Level Fixes
This is the heart of remediation. A professional team doesn’t just point out problems—they roll up their sleeves and solve them. That includes adjusting templates, improving focus states, rewriting inaccessible components, and ensuring your code structure supports screen readers and keyboard navigation.
It’s hands-on work—and it requires skilled front-end developers who understand both accessibility and UX.
4. Real-World Usability Testing
After you make changes, your work isn’t done. Test the updated site again—this time in real-world scenarios using assistive technologies. This step confirms that your remediation efforts actually work for the people they’re designed to support.
5. Documentation & Legal Support
While not a substitute for a legal team, many remediation partners provide helpful documentation—such as accessibility statements, conformance reports (like VPATs), and audit results—that demonstrate your organization’s commitment to accessibility. These materials can also support your response if you’re facing legal scrutiny.
6. Ongoing Monitoring
Even after remediation, your site should be monitored regularly. A good partner will offer scanning tools like a11y.Radar for testing and alerts to catch issues early—before they turn into compliance risks.
Why Accessibility Professionals Are the Better Fit
Accessibility specialists solve the actual problem: they make websites usable for people with disabilities. They work closely with your development, design, and content teams to create solutions that align with your brand, support your UX goals, and meet compliance requirements.
Unlike law firms, accessibility pros don’t just help you react—they help you prepare. Their job is to prevent problems, not just manage them after the fact.
They bring technical knowledge, lived user experience insights, and a collaborative mindset to the table. That’s how you get lasting results—not just legal coverage, but a stronger, more inclusive digital presence.
Conclusion: The Smart Path to Lasting Compliance
If you’re navigating legal pressure because of an inaccessible website, it’s important to act quickly—but also wisely. Legal teams play a role, yes, but true ADA compliance requires more than legal documents and advice. It takes technical expertise, accessibility remediation services, and a long-term plan that goes beyond checking boxes.
The right partner doesn’t just help you respond to a lawsuit—they help you prevent the next one by making your website genuinely usable for everyone. That means fewer legal risks, stronger user trust, and a better experience across the board.
At 216digital, we specialize in real solutions—not just legal responses. From WCAG audits and code-level fixes to usability testing and ongoing monitoring, we help you build and maintain a site that works for everyone.
Schedule an ADA briefing with our accessibility team today to get clear, honest guidance on what your site needs, what’s at risk, and how to move forward confidently. Let’s make your compliance efforts count—for your users and your business.