[games_access] Game Accessibility Convention?

Sun Oct 17 18:43:01 EDT 2004

Hi Kiki,

Yes, I have. At this years ICCHP convention I attended a VERY impressive presentation by Paul Blenkhorn called "Using computers to support people with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)". An important part of his presentation was about common misconceptions about people with learning difficulties. He showed that the worldwide group of people with learning disabilities is enormous and diverse (and therefore there are no easy solutions). Although I could easily find a few examples of edutainment for dyslexic children using Google (like http://www.dyslexia-teacher.com/t113.html), I have not yet encountered any example of research or design of pure electronic entertainment accessible for dyslexic children. 

It would be very interesting if you could submit a list of problems that your son (Michael?) encounters while playing to this group, as a tiny case study? 

About the convention: I would love to aim at designers/researchers AND disabled gamers at the same time. Research and play. I think many conventional game designers only get in touch with a disabled person if it is a relative or a friend. It would be nice to have a, well, confrontation :). We have a lot of disabled children in the Netherlands that use computers and I think many of them would be very enthousiastic to go to such a convention. Internationally, I wouldn't know. But we could use creative solutions like field trips and competitions sponsered by local foundations or companies. And we could collaborate with an organisations like the ICC (http://www.icc-camp.info/), which is a computer camp for disabled teens. 

Greetings,

Richard

http://www.audiogames.net 

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: kiki haven 
  To: games_access at igda.org 
  Sent: Sunday, October 17, 2004 11:21 PM
  Subject: Re: [games_access] Game Accessibility Convention?

  Hello,

  As a new-comer to this area, and this site, have any of "you" (games designers) thought about the thousands of kids 'handicapped' simply by severe dyslexia? My son (now 14) has always taken a keen interest in computer games, but due to a combination of specific learning probablems, his reading is very slow, and dependant on sounding words out (ie hearing the sounds before he knows what the words are). Most computer games 'speak' a bit, but also flash sentences, or include narratives which seem essential to success in the game. (A classic Michael quote was:" Why are they shooting at me? I thought I was on their side!")

  A festival which gave game designers a chance to see how all sorts of handicapped people interact with the games you are designing sounds great to me..How will you access them and make it affordable for them to attend? There are alot of other potential uses for the therapeutic use of games, and computer technology in the arts therapies, also.

  Hope you can make it happen.

  Nadija Corcos

  Art Therapist (nadija.corcos at awp.nhs.uk)  

  >From: Jonathan Chetwynd <j.chetwynd at btinternet.com> 
  >Reply-To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List <games_access at igda.org> 
  >To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List <games_access at igda.org> 
  >Subject: Re: [games_access] Game Accessibility Convention? 
  >Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 15:05:01 +0100 
  > 
  >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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