[games_access] T-shirt

[hinn at uiuc.edu]

>> What I'm trying to say is that we should avoid to make
accessibility 
>> featured games into a stigma by having a logo that looks
like a 
>> wheelchair, cane or whatever. Although those symbols might
be good in the 
>> short run I think in the long run, we should have a less
"disability" 
>> oriented logo, and focus on enabling gamers of all kinds to
have a great 
>> game experience. I (we?) want the game industry to
understand that game 
>> accessibility is for everyone.
>
>
>Hmm. In the UK and most of Europe, my understanding is the
standard white on 
>blue symbol of a wheelchair user is of an "Accessible"
feature. E.g. an 
>accessible toilet, or more accessible parking space. There's
no stigma 
>attached to this symbol in the UK to my mind. It's not
flawless, but I think 
>it's widely understood.

Yes, in the US we use the same symbol. What you are saying,
Barrie, reminds me of my trip to Taipei last summer. In Taiwan
public toilets are, uh, in the floor rather than a chair-like
toilet. So for many of us Westerners who did not know how to
use such a toilet, we used the accessible toilets at first --
so for us, being non-Eastern resulted in our needing an
accessibility "feature." Just a reminder of cultural
differences! :)

>As for the T-shirts - I'm not overly worried personally, and
to get 
>something done fairly soon would be best in my oppinion.
However, I still 
>think there should be a pictorial element ideally. There may
be dyslexic, 
>learning disabled, and/or non-English speaking people you
walk pass. 
>Something in pictures would be more likely to grab more
people's interest. 
>(also, all fonts should be easy to read on accompanying text).

Well, that's why I'm still wondering why we couldn't have a
game character in a wheelchair -- the wheelchair is more of a
universal symbol and adding a game character would, I think,
be a good visual. Maybe, and I know that "game not over" is a
popular phrase, we just have a simple visual and "game
accessibility" on the shirt?

Legally, yeah, depending on who sponsors the shirts...we might
not be able to get away with pac man at all...but it would
still be cool. :)

Oy...who knew this would get so complicated!!!

Michelle