Vínculoo® wins the Accessibility Leaders Award in the web accessibility category

Vínculoo® won the Web Accessibility Initiatives category, in the bracket for public and private organizations, at the fourth edition of the Accessibility Leaders Award. The result was announced at the Link Festival, hosted by Hand Talk, on August 7 and 8 in São Paulo.

The award recognizes people and organizations driving real change in society through digital inclusion.

Why an education platform wins a web accessibility award

There is a common contradiction in the sector: tools built for inclusion that are not themselves accessible.

A special education platform is used by teachers, by coordinators, by families and, in many cases, by the student. If the interface does not work with a screen reader, if the contrast fails for someone with low vision, if navigation depends on a mouse, the platform excludes exactly the people it was meant to include.

That is why accessibility at Vínculoo® is not a layer added at the end. It is a design requirement: WCAG 2.1 level AA is the mandatory minimum across the platform's design system.

A web accessibility award for a special education edtech recognizes that consistency between what the tool preaches and how the tool works.

The reality the award is trying to change

Hand Talk publishes the Digital Accessibility Panorama with the Opinion Box institute. In the 2025 edition, with 2024 data, only 39% of people with disabilities say websites meet their needs.

In other words, more than half still hit barriers while browsing. And Brazil has more than 17 million people with disabilities.

In education that has a specific effect: the student hits a barrier before reaching the content. Learning is lost at a stage that is not even pedagogical.

What the Accessibility Leaders Award is

It is an initiative of Hand Talk, the Brazilian startup that uses artificial intelligence for digital accessibility. The award celebrates people and organizations advancing digital transformation with inclusion, social impact and accessibility.

There are four categories: Accessibility Professionals, Accessibility Influencers, Web Accessibility Initiatives at public and private organizations, and Web Accessibility Initiatives at nonprofits. The 2025 selection was made by a jury of Thaísa Durso, Victoria Krupp, Rogério Miranda and Caio Bogos.

The ceremony takes place at the Link Festival, considered the largest digital accessibility event in Latin America, with an accessible setup end to end: Brazilian Sign Language interpretation, audio description, real-time captions and architectural adaptation.

Who else was recognized

• Accessibility Professionals: Pedro Avelar (Peu), founder and CEO of Criatípica, specialized in accessibility, neurodiversity and innovation.
• Accessibility Influencers: Marcos Vinni, a deaf influencer, speaker and actor known for portraying daily life in the deaf community.
• Web Accessibility Initiatives, nonprofits: Ceweb.br, the Web Technologies Study Center of NIC.br.

Where Vínculoo® is today

Vínculoo® is a Brazilian special and inclusive education platform, founded in 2019, serving private schools and public school networks from primary through secondary education. Current numbers:

• More than 356 schools
• More than 17,000 students
• More than 8,000 teachers
• Presence in more than 10 Brazilian states
• More than 2 million educational data points processed

Frequently asked questions

Who won the 2025 Accessibility Leaders Award in the web accessibility category?

Vínculoo® won in the Web Accessibility Initiatives category for public and private organizations, and Ceweb.br won in the nonprofit bracket.

What is the Accessibility Leaders Award?

It is an award from Hand Talk recognizing people and organizations that advance digital inclusion and accessibility. It has four categories and is presented during the Link Festival.

What is the Link Festival?

It is the largest digital accessibility event in Latin America, hosted by Hand Talk. The 2025 edition took place on August 7 and 8 in São Paulo.

How many people with disabilities consider websites accessible in Brazil?

Only 39%, according to the 2025 Digital Accessibility Panorama by Hand Talk and the Opinion Box institute.

Does the Vínculoo® platform follow an accessibility standard?

Yes. WCAG 2.1 level AA is the mandatory minimum in the platform's design system.

About Vínculoo®

Vínculoo® is a Brazilian special and inclusive education platform. It helps schools and school networks understand, plan and follow the path of every student with a different way of learning, whether from autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia or any other condition that shapes how they process, express and take part in learning.

Award coverage: Hand Talk.