[games_access] "Top 10" list for GDC

[hinn at uiuc.edu]

hi reid -- i think the main issue was that putting the list 
on a small bookmark was just plain too small -- it didn't 
give us enough room to include the list without it looking 
like that size 2 font medical warnings information text that 
comes with prescriptions that no one bothers to read. so it 
was more of a matter of printing the list in a format that 
was just generally easier to read in a regular size font 
like 10 or 12.

don't worry -- we're not going to become the bookmark 
accessibility sig. :)

michelle

---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 23:06:04 -0500
>From: Reid Kimball <rkimball at gmail.com>  
>Subject: Re: [games_access] "Top 10" list for GDC  
>To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List 
<games_access at igda.org>
>
>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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