Serious Games for Inclusion Stefan Schürz Brussels, 13 th of June 2013

Who is „LIFEtool“? 50% 100%

LIFEtool  Non profit organisation with 5 consulting centers in Austria  Research and developement competency

LIFEtool Software

What makes our software special?  Visual Design  Accoustic Design  Settings & Options  Motoric Requirements

Visual Design  Clear grafics and writings  Big buttons (Touchscreen)  Clear screen layout  Attractive and motivating appearance  Only distractors which are necessary  „Less is more“  Only little special effects  Exercises, feedback and help also visual

Accoustic Design  „Less is more“  Overall impression should be „quiet“  But: motivating  Adjustable  Effects should not distract  Effects should not scare  Exercises, feedback and help also verbal

Settings & Options  Powerful but not complicate  Level fine adjustable  „Learning in small steps“  Usermanager  Saved Results  An editor for adding personalized content is often included

Motoric Requirements  Big cursor  Big objects  All inputs accessible by just one click  Scanning

Examples of Serious Games

Play With Me  A collection of entertaining animation games  Can be operated with one switch or two switches  The possibility to play together with another person

Wheel Sim  Helps to gain the ability to operate a powered wheelchair via a dynamic joystick or similar input devices using the means of computer simulation  Is used as wheelchair fitting decision-making tool  Easy-to-use 3D dexterity, coordination and racing game

Puzzle World  A collection of well-known puzzle games  Primarily designed for children who are not capable of handling regular puzzles e.g. due to physical impairments  Adaptability of puzzles by using own graphical material

Switch Trainer  Program for learning how to handle 2 switches in computer operation  Designed for physically impaired children with or without a learning disability  Offers a variety of options to learn and practice

" Man is only a fully human being when he plays " Friedrich Schiller in his letters "On the Aesthetic Education of Man"