Designing an Accessibility-First Website for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The Challenge

GoVivid is a deeply mission-driven company, founded by CEO Jennifer Hendrix to support the blind and visually impaired community—an effort inspired by her grandmother’s experience with blindness and later her two daughters.

The challenge was multi-layered:

• Design a website that is fully accessible for blind and visually impaired users
• Ensure credibility and compliance visibility for insurance providers
• Communicate trust and clarity to medical practitioners who may recommend GoVivid
• Avoid outdated or patronizing language, and instead create modern, inclusive messaging
• Deliver all of this within a practical budget, without compromising quality

This required a careful balance of accessibility, usability, trust, and tone.

Our Approach

hb.lance approached GoVivid as an accessibility-first product, not a marketing website.

We conducted focused research into how blind users interact with digital interfaces and aligned the website experience with established accessibility best practices. Accessibility was treated as a core design principle, not an afterthought.

At the same time, copy and visuals were designed to reflect how the blind community prefers to be represented—normal, included, and empowered.

The Challenge

GoVivid is a deeply mission-driven company, founded by CEO Jennifer Hendrix to support the blind and visually impaired community—an effort inspired by her grandmother’s experience with blindness and later her two daughters.

The challenge was multi-layered:

• Design a website that is fully accessible for blind and visually impaired users
• Ensure credibility and compliance visibility for insurance providers
• Communicate trust and clarity to medical practitioners who may recommend GoVivid
• Avoid outdated or patronizing language, and instead create modern, inclusive messaging
• Deliver all of this within a practical budget, without compromising quality

This required a careful balance of accessibility, usability, trust, and tone.

Our Approach

hb.lance approached GoVivid as an accessibility-first product, not a marketing website.

We conducted focused research into how blind users interact with digital interfaces and aligned the website experience with established accessibility best practices. Accessibility was treated as a core design principle, not an afterthought.

At the same time, copy and visuals were designed to reflect how the blind community prefers to be represented—normal, included, and empowered.

Services Provided

Accessibility-First Website Design

• Built using semantic HTML structure to ensure screen readers correctly interpret content
• Implemented full keyboard navigation, with visible focus indicators
• Clear heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3) and “Skip to main content” navigation
• Accessible forms with proper labels and assistive-friendly inputs

Inclusive & Modern Copywriting

• Wrote copy that speaks to all generations, without labeling or othering
• Ensured messaging was inclusive, empowering, and human
• Balanced emotional mission with functional clarity for insurers and practitioners

Visual Accessibility & Compliance

• High-contrast color combinations aligned with WCAG guidelines
• Descriptive alt text for all images
• Avoided auto-playing media and intrusive elements that disrupt assistive technologies

Accessibility Compliance Enablement

• Implemented UserWay Accessibility Widget to support ADA compliance
• Enabled features to conform with WCAG 2.1 & 2.2 standards

AI-Assisted Visual Design

• Used AI-generated visuals to enhance product imagery
• Enabled high-quality visuals without the need for expensive photo shoots
• Allowed faster iteration while keeping costs controlled

Results

The final outcome was a website that is:

• Highly accessible for blind and visually impaired users
• Modern and inclusive in tone and presentation
• Credible and compliant for insurance and medical audiences
• Easy for internal teams to manage and evolve
• Aligned with GoVivid’s mission of dignity, independence, and inclusion

As a result of the impact and quality of the work, the client extended the engagement and onboarded hb.lance as their ongoing marketing partner, entrusting us with email marketing, social media management, and thought leadership to continue building GoVivid’s presence and mission at scale.

Why This Partnership Works

This project succeeded because accessibility was treated as a non-negotiable foundation with:

• User-first design: Built for blind and visually impaired community
• Respectful representation: Language and visuals that normalize, not label
• Compliance with empathy: Regulations met without sacrificing humanity
• Practical execution: Smart use of tools and AI to deliver quality within budget