[games_access] "Top 10" list for GDC

[Reid Kimball]

Number 10 should be something like:

10. Show on your game packaging material that you offer accessibility
features. If you close caption the game, use the [CC] symbol. Specify
whether it is subtitled only, sfx only or both. If you game has other
accessibility features, use icons to indicate their presence. Many
people who have a disability have no way of know if a game will be
playable by them until they buy the game. If it is not playable due to
a lack of accessibility features, they are not able to return the game
and get their money back.

-Reid

On 10/25/05, Reid Kimball <rkimball at gmail.com> wrote:
> I may be insensitive here but I think some are going a little too far
> with our "accessibility for all, in all media" mantra. I suggest we
> focus on games instead. I don't think we should become experts in how
> to make a piece of paper accessible. People with vision impairments
> typically carry tools with them to help cope with the world around
> them, like a magnifying glass, in addition to glasses, I would think.
> I wear contacts/glasses, does that mean I demand that all road signs
> have fonts in hundreds of feet in size so my less than 20/20 vision
> can read them? Let's focus on getting our information out there about
> how to develop the tools gamers can use that help them play games.
> Each accessiblity feature will become the canes, glasses, and ramps
> that help disabled gamers play more, let's not let the accessiblity
> issues of a bookmark or website or survey get in the way of us
> educating developers.
>
> -Reid
>
> On 10/25/05, hinn at uiuc.edu <hinn at uiuc.edu> wrote:
> > thanks, tim, for this!
> >
> > this will be linked from the sig gdc roundtable info on the
> > gdc website so that people can watch and participate in the
> > discussion about the top ten if they like before and after
> > the gdc!
> >
> > wiki's = fun! :)
> >
> > michelle
> >
> > ---- Original message ----
> > >Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 09:55:53 -0500
> > >From: Tim Chase <agdev at thechases.com>
> > >Subject: [games_access] "Top 10" list for GDC
> > >To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
> > <games_access at igda.org>
> > >
> > >I've updated the "Top 10" page with what I feel to be a good
> > >list, though as usual, comments from the peanut gallery are
> > >always welcome :)
> > >
> > >You should be able to find the online copy at
> > >
> > >http://www.igda.org/wiki/index.php/Top_Ten
> > >
> > >but for you who are impatient like myself:
> > >
> > >    1. allow all controls (mouse, keyboard, gamepad)
> > >       to be remapped
> > >    2. add closed-captioning for all dialog and important
> > >       sound-effects
> > >    3. provide help files in an accessible format
> > >       (HTML or plain-text)
> > >    4. provide variable degrees of aiming
> > >       assistance/auto-targeting
> > >    5. provide a broad range of difficulty levels from
> > >       incredibly simple to difficult
> > >    6. make interface fonts scalable
> > >    7. allow for high-contrast color schemes
> > >    8. add audio tags to all significant elements (actors,
> > >       doors, items, resulting actions, etc) in true
> > >       spatial 3D audio
> > >    9. allow for time-scaling
> > >   10. one more idea here
> > >
> > >I'm still looking for a good candidate for #10, my first
> > though
> > >is to make it something like "get out there and do what you
> > can
> > >from this list to make a difference".  A list of ideas is
> > nice,
> > >but not doing any of them fails to benefit anybody.
> > >
> > >Additionally, I'm taking suggestions for the format in
> > which to
> > >put it.  A little off-list dialog with Michelle seemed to
> > show
> > >that while bookmarks are nice, fitting all these ideas onto
> > a
> > >bookmark requires a fairly small font.  Don't want to make
> > our
> > >"how to be more accessible" list hard on those with poor
> > eyesight
> > >:)  While some of us have minimal problems with 7-point
> > font, I'm
> > >sure most folks would smack me for trying that stunt.  A
> > full
> > >8.5"x11" piece of paper was a bit large, hard to fill, and
> > kinda
> > >unwieldy in general.  My favorite ideas so far are half-
> > sheets of
> > >paper...either of regular 8.5"x11" or of legal 8.5"x14",
> > making
> > >the final result 5.5"x8.5" or 7"x8.5".  I like the
> > >half-a-regular-sheet for the simplicity, but I like the
> > >half-a-legal-sheet for the asthetic dimensions (it looks and
> > >feels more like a "reference card" sort of sheet)
> > >
> > >Comments, suggestions, ideas, etc. are all welcome.  Hey,
> > it's a
> > >wiki...you can even tweak it yourself :)
> > >
> > >-tim
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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