(Updated 24 September 2024)
Matt Shifrin (Lego for the Blind, Bricks for the Blind) and Gary Bartos (Echobatix) presented Accessible Gaming at Comicazi in Somerville, Massachusetts on Sunday 30 June 2024.
Contact Matt and/or Gary about accessible gaming:
Websites
Mobile A11y (Mobile Accessibility) is a blog for developers about improving accessibility. Bookmark the page when you want to figure out how to support dark mode on iOS, how to provide image descriptions, and so on.
Accessibility Software
Cephable
Accessibility software for Windows or Mac.
RetinAid Tabletop
Card reader for many popular games.
Blog Posts
“The biggest hurdle of accessible games may be the community, not developers” by Joe Parlock (2019). Parlock is stereoblind, autistic, and lives with chronic pain.
Textbooks & Academic Papers
Tabletop Game Accessibility: Meeple Centered Design by Michael James Herron
https://www.routledge.com/Tabletop-Game-Accessibility-Meeple-Centred-Design/Heron/p/book/9781032541594
Dr. Herron is also the editor of the website Meeple Like Us.
Think Like a UX Researcher by David Travis & Philip Hodgson
Gameplay observation can borrow practices from user experience testing.
“The Human Controller: Usability and Accessibility in Video Game Interfaces” by Eitan Glinert (2008 Master’s Thesis, MIT)
Any added cost is certainly offset by an increased potential market, as an accessible game is one which impaired individuals can purchase. Furthermore, accessibility design themes tend to make games more usable for everyone, resulting in a game which will be easier to use for a broad section of the population.
Eitan Glinert
Design Books
The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman
Norman’s bestseller is highly influential, and short! If you’re new to design thinking, make The Design of Everyday Things your first book on the subject.
Once Norman’s book has broken your brain a little bit, pay attention to how many Norman Doors you encounter.
Universal Principles of Design by Lidwell, Holden, and Butler
How does one conceive of the tradeoffs between flexibility and usability? How can design take advantage of biases of human perception? Or avoid those biases? These are the types of questions answered by this wonderful book, itself beautifully designed.
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward Tufte
How can visual data be presented elegantly? How little “ink” is required to present data? People with cortical visual impairment (CVI) can be especially sensitive to visual clutter.
(Bonus points: how can Tufte’s principles by applied to design for other senses?)
Design Meets Disability by Graham Pullin
If you’re going to design assistive technology, make it
Pullin’s book references the carved wooden prosthetic legs of Aimee Mullins, an athlete, public speaker, and model.
Synesthetic Design by Michael Haverkamp
As of late July 2024, Gary is still in the midst of reading this book on loan from the engineering library at Olin School of Engineering. Despite having only read part of the book, it’s already worthy of a recommendation.
By the way, Olin professors and students are responsible for excellent work in assistive technology and accessibility.
University Programs
St. Edward’s is a private university in Austin, Texas.
As a Video Game Development major, you’ll learn every phase of the process of creating games: building a concept, prototyping, narrative design, asset creation, testing and release.
Videos
Games
Wingspan Vision-Friendly Cards by Elizabeth Hargrave (Stonemaier Games)
Wingspan is the 2019 winner of the Kennerspiel des Jahres (Connoisseur-gamer Game of the Year).
Wyrmspan by Connie Vogelman (Stonemaier Games)
Wyrmspan is a Wingspan game featuring dragons. Dragons!
The Wyrmspan cards carry over design improvements for Wingspan Vision-Friendly Cards:
Dragon Soul by Sebastian Bäverstam
Bäverstam design Dragon Soul to be friendly to people who are color blind. For example, the four castle pieces are distinguished by color and by shape.
Now there’s a Brailled a copy of Dragon Soul!
TacTile by Friendly Bee Game Company
At the time of writing, TacTile has not yet released. However, check out the discussion thread on BoardGameGeek.com as the game designer asks for suggestions and makes design changes.
Mattel’s Colorblind Accessible Games
Mattel has announced it will make 80% of its most popular games colorblind accessible.
Games will be rolling in throughout 2024 and will include UNO®, Dos, Blokus, Phase 10™, Skip-Bo™ and Ker Plunk.
The Last of Us 2 / PlayStation accessibility
There are lots of accessibility features!
Read about Accessibility Tags and other topics:
Accessibility Consultants
PlayAbility Consultancy
Play-Ability is a consultancy with team members representing a broad range of disabilities: strength & dexterity, blindness, hard of hearing / Deaf, colourblindness, emotional, cognitive, low vision, and speech. Wow!
Easy Surf (Canada)
Check out the Easy Surf page about Game Services! The statistics on that page make clear how many gamers would benefit from improved accessibility.
“450 million gamers identify as having a disability or an impairment. …
82% of gamers think accessibility options in games are important. …
86% of gamers with disabilities connect in groups or communities related to games to share experiences and recommendations.”
The Easy Surf team includes deaf advocate Rikki Poynter.
Colorblind Games
Brian Chandler is the owner of Colorblind Games. Chandler is also a team member of PlayAbility Consultancy.
Fable
“Fable is digital accessibility, powered by people with disabilities”
Notes for Sighted Visitors
This page is designed to be accessible to people using screen readers and audio interfaces. Links are provided as buttons, or as links on separate lines.
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