Oct 1, 2006

Game Accessibility: Universal Design and Access for Gaming (and Interactive Applications)

A growing number of educators are incorporating the use of interactive multimedia applications, including games, in learning settings. More educators are aware of the principles of Universal Design for Learning, developed by the great people at CAST.

Unfortunately, many multimedia applications, as well as computer and console games, are not designed to facilitate access for a significant number of people. People with vision, hearing, or motor disabilities have few options available to them for playing games. People who have color-blindness, attention/memory problems, auditory processing difficulties, and/or slower visual-motor responses also face barriers when they use multimedia applications and games.

There are people who are working hard to make game technology more accessible.

The International Game Developers Association has a Game Accessibility SIG has a wiki that contains links to a variety of game access projects.

The following is a partial list of links related to game accessibility:

IDGA Game Accessibility SIG

Game Accessibility.Com

Game Accessibility Games (links to information categorized by visual, auditory, physical, and learning disabilities)

Game Access Resources and Research

Audio Games

OneSwitch

Switch Gaming

SymbolWorld

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