Therapist and counseling practice website accessibility: intake forms, booking and telehealth

Private-practice websites for therapists, counselors and psychologists are usually small: a homepage, an about page, a services page and a way to get in touch. But the people looking for help may be using a screen reader, a keyboard, magnification or a phone in a hard moment, so every barrier on the path to "Request an appointment" matters. Here's what to check, in the order a new client meets it.

1. The contact or consultation form

This is the most important page on your site. Give every field a visible label (not just grey placeholder text), mark required fields in words, and make sure errors say what to fix. Many practices use a form from their practice-management or website platform; test it yourself by leaving a field empty and pressing Submit. (WCAG 3.3.2, WCAG 3.3.1)

<label for="pref">Best way to reach you (required)</label>
<select id="pref" name="contact_pref" required>
  <option>Phone</option><option>Email</option><option>Text</option>
</select>

Always list a phone number and email next to the form as text, so anyone who can't use the form still has a way in. See our accessible contact forms and form error messages guides.

2. Online booking and client portals

Scheduling and intake portals are usually third-party tools you can't edit. Try booking a consultation using only the Tab, Enter and arrow keys. If you get stuck, offer a phone or email alternative right beside the "Book" button, and ask the vendor for their accessibility documentation. Our 10-minute booking widget test walks through each step.

3. Intake paperwork and PDFs

Scanned or flat PDF intake forms can't be filled in with a screen reader. Where you can, use your portal's online forms, or offer a fillable, tagged PDF and the option to complete paperwork by phone or at the first session. See accessible PDFs.

4. Telehealth links and instructions

Write session instructions as text on the page or in the confirmation email: which app or link, how to test audio, and what to do if it won't connect. Name links by what they do ("Join your video session") rather than "Click here". (WCAG 2.4.4) See link text and buttons.

5. Provider photos and bios

Alt text for a headshot can be simple: "Jordan Rivera, licensed professional counselor". Put credentials, specialties, languages and fees in text, not in an image or graphic. (WCAG 1.1.1)

6. Calm design that people can still read

Soft pastels and light grey text are common on practice websites and often fall below the 4.5:1 contrast ratio for body text. You can keep the calm look with a slightly darker text colour. Avoid autoplaying background video and moving sliders, or give them a visible pause button. (WCAG 1.4.3, WCAG 2.2.2) See our contrast guide.

7. Crisis and urgent-help information

If your site lists crisis resources, put them in plain text near the top of the contact page (not only in an image or a footer graphic) so they're easy to find with a screen reader or at high zoom.

A 15-minute check you can do today

1. Press Tab from the top of your homepage and try to reach and submit your contact form without a mouse. Our keyboard test explains what to look for.
2. Submit the form with a field left empty and read the error.
3. Zoom your browser to 200% and check nothing is cut off.
4. Run a free homepage snapshot to catch missing alt text, labels and low-contrast text.

Platform steps: Squarespace, Wix, WordPress. For HHS-funded practices, see the HHS Section 504 web rule dates and first steps. Related: medical and chiropractic clinics, accessibility statement template.

This is general technical guidance, not legal or clinical advice, and it doesn't certify compliance with the ADA or any law.

Want the fixes written for you?

Start with a free homepage snapshot. The $149 Fix-Pack scans up to 10 pages and gives copy-paste fixes for your platform within 48 hours, with a 14-day refund promise. See a sample report first.

This is general technical guidance, not legal advice, and it does not certify compliance with the ADA or any law.

Related guides

• WCAG 2.2 explained for small-business websites
• Squarespace accessibility fixes: alt text, contrast, forms and more
• Wix accessibility fixes: a practical checklist
• WordPress accessibility fixes (block editor and themes)

All guides

This guide is general technical information, not legal advice. Following it does not certify ADA or any legal compliance. Automated checks find only part of accessibility barriers.