In-game accessibility has come a long way, but the game is still not as progressive as it could be. Including people with disabilities can be quite a difficult job for developers as disabilities can affect people in many ways and finding the right ways to support players with disabilities can seem like an impossible task. However, as we'll see, there are already some good examples of “game accessibility done right” and plenty of resources for developers who want to put more accessibility options into their games.
What do we understand by "accessibility" and why is it essential?
Play is just as essential for people with disabilities as it is for people without disabilities, probably more because people with disabilities are at greater risk of social isolation. Gaming has natural entertainment value, but it also has an essential social aspect, through multiplayer and the communities that form around gaming and gaming. People with disabilities can make it more difficult to share these experiences, but there are ways to reach them. For people with mobility issues like muscular dystrophy, monitoring a game with eye movements or convenient joysticks is a big step forward. A severely visually impaired gamer may benefit from audio-only games like the remake of The Vale: Shadow of the Crown. Accessibility matters and is more essential than ever, so is it reasonable that even now, games from the big AAA companies barely offer accessibility features? As Chris Cooke, co-founder of the Everyone-Games gaming organization, states, “What percentage of gamers play a game in ultra-hardcore mode? The disabled are just a bigger clientele, but I don't see a fashion for them that often in the venues! Most frustrating for Chris are "the days when a big-budget game could have been made more accessible with just a few tweaks, but it didn't go bad!" "
Credit where it is due
It would be remiss not to address how gaming has become more accessible, which we've seen with Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Controller, which can be used on both Windows XNUMX PCs and Xbox consoles. Closed captions are now common, as are colorblind modes and enhanced closed captions. Virtual reality gaming is also considered a real winner in accessible gaming which is highly suitable for many disabled people. Game developers like Naughty Dog, Volition, and others have also made strides in improving accessibility, including more optional settings to enhance the gaming experience for gamers with disabilities, including those with vision, hearing, and motor coordination issues. There are many free tools and resources for developers who want to improve the accessibility of their games. One of them, The Game Accessibility Guidelines, clearly articulates how and why to include people with motor, cognitive, visual, hearing and speech disabilities. It's divided into Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced levels and even provides a downloadable Excel checklist to help developers stay up to date. AbleGamers, one of the leading disability gaming charities in the US, has made a similar resource available through its project AccessibleGames, which also helps developers connect with disabled gamers to help inform their design for games. They also created a game focused on accessibility. Development certification program known as the Accessible Player Experience Project, which has trained game developers from studios like Ubisoft and other AAA companies.Certain beneficial organizations and organizations that do the hard work
If a developer doesn't live with a disability or a disability, or knows someone who does, it's understandable that they don't know what to do or where to start. Upcoming organizations and charities put gaming accessibility at the heart of their work. They do the legwork and help connect developers with disabled players; usually, they themselves are disabled.
Charity AbleGamers
AbleGamers is a US-based beneficial organization that creates adapted gaming peripherals for gamers with disabilities, provides support for software and hardware issues, and more. They create "occasions that let gambling fight social isolation, promote inclusive communities and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities." If you want to donate to AbleGamers, there are multiple ways to do it: crypto, one-time or recurring donations.
Singular effects
SpecialEffect ("The Gamer's Charity") uses technology to assist gamers with disabilities in playing games. They run an arcade in Oxfordshire where people can use affordable gaming peripherals like modified controllers and gamepads. They also make home visits to people with limited ability to travel and loan equipment. SpecialEffect offers software like EyeMine, a tool that lets you play Minecraft with your eyes. His GameAcess site is a great resource for gamers with disabilities, with articles to help you configure game settings and device reviews. SpecialEffect offers its services free of charge, so donations are welcome.
All-Games
Everyone-Games is a new organization whose purpose is to make gaming accessible to gamers with disabilities. “We are a team of blind and partially sighted volunteers,” says co-founder Chris Cooke. “We are working to raise awareness and funds to make gaming more inclusive and accessible for all. As an underrepresented minority group, we have come together to build a larger coalition around the common goals of inclusion and representation. Everyone-Games will soon host its first online event, which will feature tabletop RPG sessions and panel discussions on topics such as accessibility in game design and character writing and play. Everyone-Games is partnering with SpecialEffect and AbleGamers and will raise money for both charities. “The reason we fundraise for SpecialEffect and AbleGamers is that they serve the larger community of disabled gamers,” Chris says. The first Everyone-Games event will take place on October 1 and XNUMX, XNUMX, from XNUMX:XNUMX pm to XNUMX:XNUMX pm ET, XNUMX:XNUMX am to XNUMX:XNUMX am UTC and XNUMX:XNUMX am to XNUMX:XNUMX pm AEST. If you want to make a donation, you can do it here and sponsors can fill out a form. Chris says: “We'd love sponsors to help us pay for professional sign language interpreters, in an effort to make our games and panels more accessible to the Swedish community. “Smaller sponsors could give prizes to our charitable donors; in return, they would be promoted to the more social and positive community - it's a win-win! "
Everyone can
Everyone Perro is a charitable organization that uses technology to support children with disabilities. Based in Manchester, UK, Everyone Perro operates a play center where children with disabilities can play games with assistive technology. You can support Everyone Perro through donations and fundraisers for equipment, resources and events. You can also apply to be an ambassador or event sponsor. Developers are encouraged to cooperate by donating part of their in-game purchases to the charitable organization. The annual Everyone Perro Game Together fundraiser will be held on Saturday and Sunday August XNUMX-XNUMX. Donate, cooperate or learn about the work of these beneficial organizations. It's not as radical as it sounds, because it's something that simply should be, so those who can should do it. The game is for everyone, so let's make sure the sentiment is heard loud and clear.- Welcome to The Comparison Computer Gaming Week two thousand twenty-one, our celebration of the best gaming platform on the planet. Despite the global pandemic and an ongoing shortage of GPUs, computer games have never been more active and exciting, and we will reflect this through the week with a selection of in-depth articles, interviews and reviews. Guides to acquire essentials.