Accessibility: why it matters

Accessibility is the ability of a digital product to be used by as many people as possible, regardless of physical, sensory, or situational limitations. This is not a humanitarian add-on at the end of a project. It is a design decision that directly affects the user scope and future repair costs.

Who truly benefits?

The common perception is that accessibility only serves those who are visually or hearing impaired. The reality is much broader. W3C refers to this phenomenon as the curb-cut effect: features designed for people with disabilities benefit everyone.

• Older individuals may have reduced vision or slower mobility.
• Someone holding a child, with a broken arm, or using a phone with one hand.
• Viewers in bright sunlight, where low contrast is a real issue.
• Users on slow networks or old devices need a clear structure to ensure the page remains usable.

Typewriter text, email, voice control: W3C lists all three examples as technologies that began from accessibility needs and then became widely adopted. Good design for groups with limitations is often good design for everyone.

Standards you need to know

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is an international standard issued by W3C. Version 2.2 is the official recommendation as of October 2023, based on four principles abbreviated as POUR:

• Perceivable: users can see, hear, or feel the content.
• Operable: Navigation and operations must be functional, even when using just a keyboard.
• Understandable: content and interface are not confusing.
• Robust: Operates across multiple devices and supporting technologies.

WCAG has three cumulative compliance levels: A, AA, and AAA. Achieving AA means meeting both A and AA. Most practices and legal obligations use level AA as a benchmark. It is rare to need to achieve AAA across the board, but it can be selectively applied to specific items.

When to prioritize early?

Prioritize early especially in cases where the industry serves many older adults, such as finance, healthcare, and education; products aimed at markets with access laws; or when the project is still in the flow and interface stage before programming.

Legal constraints by market.

For products serving domestic customers: Vietnam currently does not have laws mandating WCAG for commercial websites. This is a choice to enhance quality and expand the user base, not a legal obligation.

For products aimed at international markets: the European Accessibility Act will come into effect in 2025; the U.S. has the ADA and Section 508. Both markets often use WCAG Level AA as a benchmark. The specific legal applicability for each market should be consulted with a legal expert; Sinh Vũ only provides this as a directional reference.

Common errors

• See that the approach is a technical fix at the end of the project, patching instead of designing from scratch.
• The contrast of text color on a background that is too low makes it unreadable for those with poor eyesight or when using bright external screens.
• Images without alternative text (alt text): screen readers are left blank, and visually impaired individuals miss out on information.
• Use color as the sole means of communication, for example, indicating errors only with red text without accompanying labels or symbols.
• Cannot be operated by keyboard; the clickable area is too small, and the forms lack labels.
• Place compliance stickers on the page without proper verification.

The viewpoint of Sinh Vũ

Approach is not an add-on at the end. It is a design discipline that starts from the moment you choose colors and fonts.

Practical experience, Sinh Vũ Studio

In the brand foundation design service, Sinh Vũ incorporates basic usability criteria into the baseline: color contrast, readable font size, clear heading structure, sufficient label forms, and basic keyboard operations. Since color and font selection occur right at the brand identity stage, this is the earliest point to finalize contrast, avoiding the need to revise the palette once the product is live on the web.

Sinh Vũ does not provide a legal certification of WCAG compliance. If you need official certification for a specific market, that is the responsibility of a specialized certification body. What Sinh Vũ can do is help you start off on the right track from the design phase, so that the subsequent evaluation does not have to start from scratch.

This article is for reference. The scope, pricing, and specific commitments of Sinh Vũ are detailed in the proposal and signed contract.