Accessibility

We are committed to providing accessible legal advice to everyone, including those with health challenges or disabilities. We understand the importance of clear communication and always strive to tailor our support to meet your individual needs with compassion and respect.

Accessibility of our Website

Our website has been designed with accessibility in mind and aspires to meet and exceed the Double-A standard of compliance as outlined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). We ensure our web content is accessible through:

Providing captions for live videos
Ensuring high contrast between text sections and their backgrounds
Allowing text to be resized to 200% without loss of content or function
Maintaining functionality when text spacing is adjusted
Ensuring compatibility with screen readers and other assistive technologies
Supporting keyboard-only navigation
Indicating language changes in code
Using clear headings and labels
Ensuring our website is responsive

Supporting Accessibility

At Irwin Mitchell, we believe accessibility is important at all points of your legal journey. We support this by:

Providing regular training to colleagues to better understand and support accessibility needs
Developing accessible video content, including subtitles or transcripts where possible
Using plain English in communications and providing EasyRead documents where possible
Providing disabled parking bays at our office locations
Offering large print communications upon request
Having a dedicated team of experts to support access to external services such as rehabilitation, housing, care, and benefits.

Neurodiversity and Inclusion

At Irwin Mitchell, we are dedicated to making our services accessible to everyone. Embracing neurodiversity means recognising and valuing neurological differences, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and fostering an inclusive environment.

Understanding and Supporting Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity refers to natural variations in the human brain, such as ASD. Key characteristics of autism may include:

Social Communication Challenges: Difficulty understanding social cues and maintaining eye contact
Repetitive Behaviours: Engaging in repetitive actions or routines
Sensory Sensitivities: Heightened or reduced sensitivity to sensory stimuli.

Supporting Autistic Colleagues

We create an inclusive workplace by understanding unique needs and providing appropriate accommodations. We work individually with colleagues to ensure their needs are met.

Supporting Colleagues and Clients

We offer neurodiversity training through the North East Autism Society and continually develop our knowledge to support colleagues and clients.

Supporting Autistic Clients

We take a person-centred approach, tailoring support to meet specific needs. Examples of adjustments include:

Initial Contact:

Offer multiple communication options
Proactively asking clients if they have any adjustment requirements
Provide clear, detailed information about meetings
Ensure quieter spaces are available for face-to-face appointments, if required.

During Meetings:

Send an agenda ahead of the meeting
Give the client time to process information and respond
Use visual aids or written summaries
Respect sensory preferences and make accommodations as needed.

Ongoing Support:

Maintain regular, consistent communication
Be flexible and open to feedback
Ensure all staff interacting with the client are aware of their needs and preferences.

Supporting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We believe that accessibility should be for everyone. Examples of how we do this include:

Including accessibility throughout our internal policies
Working towards Autism accreditation
Sharing gender-inclusive language guidance with all colleagues
Providing continual accessibility training to all colleagues.

In addition to the above, we continue to strengthen our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion through the following charters, frameworks and partnerships:

Aspiring Solicitors
Disability Confident Employer
Black Solicitors Network
Business in the Community’s Race at Work Charter
Women In Finance Charter
Pathways to Law
PRIME
Stonewall Workplace Equality Index
Great Place to Work.

Have Your Say

We welcome your feedback on our accessibility efforts. If you encounter any barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us.