Intro to Accessibility Quick Tips And Resources For Creating Inclusive Video Games

Ability and Disability Disabilities are often viewed as individual challenges a person may have in their ability to perform a task. Disabilities should be viewed as the failure of an environment to include all people. Environments should be designed inclusively, considering all levels of ability. Video games pose the unique opportunity to control more aspects of an environment, which gives you the power to make them inclusive.

Accessibility Domains Disability can be experienced in variety of areas. Some of the domains relevant to video game design include: Disability in these domains can be experienced in isolation, but is more often experienced in multiple areas at once. Physical Cognitive Visual Social

Tips to Improve Physical Accessibility Maximize the touch space and minimize the accuracy required. Example: Angry Birds can be used with a prosthetic, a stump, one finger, or two fingers at the same time. Minimize the motions required. Reducing the complexity of fine motor tasks improves inclusiveness. Example: Wildly popular games like Flappy Bird or Tiny Wings involve a single tap as the control.

Tips to Improve Cognitive Accessibility Including contextually in-game hints that visually show next steps or instructions prevents people from giving up because the challenge is too high. Showing instead of telling and avoiding text when possible makes sure people understand the purpose the first time. Incorporate visual tutorials and trainings and Remind of tasks throughout with highlights or other means of emphasis.

Tips to Improve Visual Accessibility Ensure high contrast between text and background. Yellow on Black offers the highest contrast available. Ensure virtual controls are high contrast, large, and well spaced to improve accuracy for all players. Avoid using colour to convey essential information.

Tips to Improve Social Accessibility Allowing players to drop out and rejoin at their preference enables players to stay together regardless of ability. This allows players to stay with and play with their team. Example: the bubbling effect in the Super Mario 3D World. Rubber Band AIs in racing games create an equal playing field for all players. Example: the blue shell in MarioKart, the great equalizer

A Note On Representation The people we see in the media we consume can have a powerful impact on a person’s development of self esteem and what the public perceives as “normal”. ‘Symbolic Annihilation’ is the idea that if you don’t see people like you in the media you consume, you must somehow be unimportant or that there is something wrong with you. There are many missed opportunities to use assistive devices, sensory differences, or perceived limitations as active strengths instead of not at all. Example: Is there any reason Subway Surfer expansions include French clowns, but don’t include characters in wheelchairs or who use canes or walkers?

A Note On Representation Available representations must be meaningful. Under- represented character tropes (aka. tokens) that are one-dimensional or inauthentic may lead people to wonder if that is all that is expected of them in society. The more we can see examples of active kids with disabilities, the better. Many available representations of kids with disabilities portray them as passive. This not only impacts how kids view their own abilities or potential, but can also impact perceptions of what life is like for them. Example: Chell from Portal essentially has robot legs, why not just give her running prosthetics and keep her as the active, independent, powerful protagonist she is?

More Resources The Holland Bloorview Playroom Coordinator (Daniel) and an Occupational Therapist (Courtney) will be available to help answer questions about inclusive design and accessibility. Talk to Lana about setting up a consult. Other Resources: Why Game Accessibility Matters Game Accessibility Guidelines, written by developers and gamers with disabilities Inclusive Game Design Reference