[games_access] Game Accessibility Convention?

[Jonathan Chetwynd]

Richard,

Please book me in!

Please be sure there's an online thread.

regards

Jonathan Chetwynd
http://www.peepo.co.uk     "It's easy to use"
irc://freenode/accessibility

On 17 Oct 2004, at 14:17, AudioGames.net wrote:

Hello,

For some time I have been thinking about (organizing) a "Game 
Accessibility"
convention here in the Netherlands. I've had a talk about game 
accessiblity
with Jeroen van Mastrigt, who is currently the new Chapter Coordinator 
of
the Dutch devision of IGDA (http://www.igda.org/amsterdam) and also
coordinator of the Game Design course over at the Utrecht School of the
Arts. Jeroen also organized last years Flux event during the Level Up 
games
research convention, also here in Holland (maybe some of you were 
there) and
he thought it was a good idea.

Instead of doing the brainstorming all by myself, I thought it would be 
a
nice idea to have a discussion about this with all the people on this 
list,
to see what your opinions/ideas of such a convention are.

My initial thoughts are about a "game accessibility" convention for
researchers, designers, students (with presentations of research and
round-table conversations) combined with a "accessible games" 
convention,
where various designers and students get the chance to display their 
games
to the (disabled) public. Currently the subject is raised at conventions
about assistive technologies (like the ICCHP and recently the ICDVRAT) 
and
as round-table conversations at game conventions like the GDC. I 
propose a
convention that is specifically about game accessibily and accessible
electronic entertainment.The goals of the convention would be to raise
awareness among 'regular' game developers, share research (get to see 
what
everyone else is doing) and also introduce disabled people to 
(electronic)
games. For instance, in my experience there are still hundreds of blind
children and adults who never heard that there is something as a "game 
for
the blind". And I think such a convention could get worldwide attention.
Although I'm thinking mostly "computer games" here, the festival doesn't
have to not limit itsself to this. It could maybe also include 
accessible
(electronic) toys (as far as I know there isn't a convention for 
accessible
toys yet) ? There are several accessible game designs I know of here in
Holland that I would like to include, such as a breath-controller game 
(for
asmatic children) and an installation with a game especially tailored 
for a
specific individual with a mental disability. And I wouldn't mind if
companies that develope hardware which is used for accessible gaming 
would
display their product as well.

Parties I know that would like to be involved would be the Utrecht 
School of
the Arts (my academy where I occasionaly give a lecture on game audio),
IGDA, DIGRA, the Dutch Accessibility foundation (where I work part-time 
and
with whom I co-developed Drive, a racing game for the blind), the 
University
of Utrecht (who also took part in last years Level Up convention), etc. 
Of
course, I still have to contact various parties for this idea but I 
already
know that some are enthousiastic about the idea. And of course there 
should
be a sponsor, preferably a big name like Sony or EA Games.

I don't even know if it's possible to setup a convention solely with 
this
subject. Maybe it can only exist if part of a bigger (game) convention.
However, I'm very interested in what your thoughts are, what is should 
be
about, how much potentional it could have, etc.

so...?

Richard

http://www.audiogames.net

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