User:Jcowens1336/Game accessibility

Controllers
Small companies and volunteer based groups have modded video game controllers to help make video games more accessible for those with physical impairments. Despite these innovations there is no one-size-fits-all solution for accessible controllers.


 * Game Box Controllers are modified Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 controllers, with different switches and are custom to the needs of the individual, with much variety.
 * Ben Heck modifies Xbox One controllers to be able to function single-handedly.
 * The Controller Project is a volunteer based project where people can request or build custom controller modifications to better other's gaming experiences.
 * SpecialEffect is a UK based charity where therapist and technologists modify game controllers and eye motion software to help better the accessibility for games for people with impairments.
 * Console Tuner is a piece of equipment which lets the player use their preferred controller (Xbox, PlayStation, Wii, Mouse & Keyboard) on compatible systems.
 * Quadstick is a controller built specifically for quadriplegics.
 * In 2021 student researchers at the University of California developed and tested a control system based on Facial Expression Recognition with hopeful results.

In September 2018, Microsoft released the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which is the first accessible controller created by a large game controller manufacturer. Besides featuring larger-than-normal buttons and controller inputs, the device allows numerous other devices to be connected through it and programmed for various features, allowing it to be adapted to a wide range of potential handicaps. Microsoft also worked other connectivity options to allow the Adaptive Controller to be connected to other consoles including PlayStation units and the Nintendo Switch, as well as with personal computers.

Accessible game categories
Over the past decade, small companies and independent game developers have developed numerous games that seek to accommodate the abilities of players with the most severe impairments and which has led to the definition of the following accessible game categories:


 * Audio games are games specifically for gamers who are blind. These games can be played without visual feedback and instead use audio-based techniques such as audio cues or synthetic speech. The audiogames website provides a comprehensive overview of available games.
 * One-switch games are games that can be played using switch access and which accommodate the abilities of users with severe motor impairments or cognitive impairments. The oneswitch website provides an overview of available one switch games.
 * Games for people with a learning disability, people with a Learning disability, may have low literacy or a combination of Complex Needs, for instance an individual might also have Ataxia or limited co-ordination. A detailed description of gaming with a learning disability.
 * Universally Accessible games are games that offer multiple interfaces to support different impairments. An overview of universally accessible games can be found here.

These games are not only great examples of accessible games, but also drive innovation in game design. In recent years, game accessibility has been actively researched, for example in student projects. The unique limitations of the target group make such projects interesting, instructive and challenging for students.

The Game Awards 2020 introduced a new category "Innovation in Accessibility" to honor games that made strides in improving game accessibility, with The Last of Us Part II awarded the inaugural title.

'''Many tabletop games require the ability to see and understand complex information. Sites like 64ozgames.com provide accessibility kits to make inaccessible tabletop games more inclusive.'''

Opening Section Edit:
= Game accessibility = From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation		Jump to search

Within the field of human–computer interaction, game accessibility refers to the accessibility of video games. More broadly, game accessibility refers to the accessibility of all gaming products, including video games, tabletop RPGs, board games, and related products. Video game accessibility is considered a sub-field of computer accessibility, which studies how software and computers can be made accessible to users with various types of impairments.

In spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a massive boom of the video game industry. With an increasing number of people interested in playing video games and with video games increasingly being used for other purposes than entertainment, such as education, rehabilitation or health, game accessibility has become an emerging field of research, especially as players with disabilities could benefit from the opportunities video games offer the most. A 2010 study estimated that 2% of the U.S. population is unable to play a game at all because of an impairment and 9% can play games but suffers from a reduced gaming experience. A study conducted by casual games studio PopCap games found that an estimated one in five casual video gamers have a physical, mental or developmental disability. As games are increasingly used as education tools, there may be a legal obligation to make them accessible, as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act mandates that schools and universities that rely on federal funding must make their electronic and information technologies accessible. As of 2015, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires in-game communication between players on consoles to be accessible to players with sensory disabilities. In 2021, video game developers attempted to improve accessibility through every possible avenue. This includes reducing difficulty and enabling auto fire.

'''Outside of being used as education or rehabilitation tools video games are used as identification aspects leading disabled people to work much harder to attach additional meaning when gaming. This transforms the very nature of playing video games into a fight against a digitally divided culture while seeking their own magic circle.'''

Advocacy
'''Games Journalism articles advocate for accessibility in two ways, generally. First, with simple awareness. More discussion on the topic aids in "justifying the need to address these'''

challenges in the breadth of game culture". And second, with solutions to accessibility problems benefiting players and developers alike.

Several Media Outlets and Game Development/Production Companies participate in Global Accessibility Awareness Day campaigns to raise funds and spread awareness among the public as well as their own staff.

Stevie Wonder, while presenting at the 2009 VGA Awards, spoke out about game accessibility requesting the industry create more accessible games.

Several advocacy organizations and groups have been formed to raise awareness within the game industry of the importance of making games accessible.


 * In 2003, the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) introduced the Game Accessibility Special Interest Group, founded by Thomas Westin. In 2006, the Bartiméus Accessibility foundation initiated the Game Accessibility project, a project which focuses on creating awareness and providing information for game developers, researchers and gamers with disabilities, led by Richard Van Tol. These two major groups work together as advocates within the game industry for increasing the accessibility of video games for gamers with disabilities.
 * In 2004, two gamers with disabilities, Mark Barlet and Stephanie Walker, founded AbleGamers.com, set out to further advance game accessibility in the AAA gaming space. Some of their efforts include: pressuring NCSoft to remove Game Guard from the game Aion and discussing with game developer Blizzard the addition of color blind friendly enhancements to the game World of Warcraft. In 2009 AbleGamers.com started 501(c)(3) nonprofit The AbleGamers Foundation to facilitate their work.
 * In 2010, the Accessible GameBase was launched by the charity SpecialEffect. This was a site that aimed to develop a welcoming, all-encompassing gaming community.
 * In 2012, a group of games studios, specialists and academics came together to create the Game Accessibility Guidelines which won the FCC's Chairman's award for Advancement in Accessibility. This website has many tips for game developers as to how to make their games more accessible to those who have disabilities. They raise awareness about the need for accessibility and the ease of which some features can be implemented.
 * In 2018, Susan Banks and Courtney Craven, launched Can I Play That?, a games accessibility resource for gamers and developers. Can I Play That? expanded upon their previous Deaf / hard-of-hearing video game reviews to consider the wider experience of disabled gamers. Can I Play That? provides accessibility reviews, news and features, as well as workshops for developers and games studios and annual Accessibility Awards.

Despite these, and other initiatives, the situation is far from perfect: Many game developers are still very much unaware of game accessibility. Developers who acknowledge the importance of game accessibility and want to use it in their designs often don't know how to do so. Games developed in research projects usually consist of small demos ("proofs of concept") which lack the quality and (re)playability of mainstream games. This is usually also the case with games that have been developed by small companies and hobbyists. Knowledge about accessible game design that is gained in such projects often fails to get documented. In recent years, game accessibility has become a topic of increasing interest to the academic research community.[citation needed] It is recommended that collaborating with people who have disabilities can vastly improve the results of accessibility initiatives.