[games_access] Introduction

Tue Apr 10 18:02:49 EDT 2007

Thanks barrie.  I wouldn't wear that it would mess up my hair.  I got a good
wolverine thing going on.  Good to hear from you.

Robert

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From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of Barrie Ellis
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 5:04 PM
To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
Subject: Re: [games_access] Introduction

Yes - welcome on board DJ - and thanks for posting.

As Robert says - we'll keep working together for the break throughs with
mainstream games. We'll get there.

By the way, Robert. Nice article - but the video was an April Fool I'm
afraid! There's no helmet for the Wii I'm afraid. Interesting idea though.

Barrie

www.OneSwitch.org.uk

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Robert <mailto:arthit73 at cablespeed.com>  Florio 

To: 'IGDA Games <mailto:games_access at igda.org>  Accessibility SIG Mailing
List' 

Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 9:36 PM

Subject: Re: [games_access] Introduction

Thanks for sharing.  I am also a game design student.  Where do you attend
school for game design?  I am attending the art Institute online game art
and design Batchelor degree program.  I'm in my fourth year.  And I'm from
Maryland United States.  25 years old and a quadriplegic after spinal cord
injury so playing games I've been playing them with my mouth but I'd like
them to be more integrated.

There is a video somebody might be testing out a helmet in a story that was
written about me recently if you want to check that out.  Though I'm not
trying to sound like this is all about me we'll have some great stories and
we can all help so much.  I've been working with the igda special interest
group accessibility for 2 1/2 years.  I got one of the student scholarships
at GDC 2006.

My web sites below my artwork also.  I think it's great that you decided to
venture into this.

Four years later myself a graduating in the fall it's exhausting I will
admit that trait he gamers to make your game accessible for your needs and
experience now for me there is not a whole lot of people really know what
that's about and there are no real mainstream examples so developers are not
excited yet.  But we can work together.  Change that.

http://gamerhelp.com/article_viewer.cfm?article_id=122801

Robert 

www.RobertFlorio.com <http://www.robertflorio.com/>  

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From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of DJ Bono
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 2:00 PM
To: games_access at igda.org
Subject: [games_access] Introduction

Hello, 
   I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is DJ, and I've been playing
games since I was young, and my first console was the NES. Little did I know
that 20 years later, I would be going to school in Game Design. 
   The biggest hurdle that I overcame was my deafness. 
I've been deaf since I was born, and I'm proud to be deaf. It wasn't until a
year ago that it is time to stand up for my rights due to my disability. I
had the ability to speak fluently, and communicate with hearing people. Over
time, I realized that even with a disability like mine, I still needed help
with understanding what people are saying when I'm attending a conference or
group sessions. I used to accept the fact that I will be okay without an
interpreter. 
     When I decided on a career change, my perspective about video games has
changed because my eyes are starting to open and see that even to this day
and age, some of the greatest games are not captioned or accessible for
those who cannot hear. Yes, some games are captioned, but not fully
intergrated. Such example would be the sounds in the background. It should
have something along the words (warning beep), or whatever the NPC is saying
in Fable. I remember in the NES days, there was no voice acting, and RPGs
were in text. It wasn't a big deal to me. Nowadays, I hardly see a game
without voice acting or various sounds you need to listen for. 
       I have opened up the eyes of my fellow student game designers that
some games are not deaf friendly. One person has said to me, "Thank you for
sharing your experiences, and when I design a game, I will make sure that it
is fully captioned/subtitles. It's not fair".  If I can influence him, he
can influence someone else, and that someone else can influence
another...and so on. It's like, Pay It Forward. 

    I've found my voice, and it's time for me to stand up and teach people
about it. I hope though Game Accessibility and attending GDC, I can have my
voice seen (not heard...that's an oxymoron).

Keep on gaming!

DJ

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