[games_access] Games for Health to Invest in Games Accessibility

[Ben Sawyer]

I think our offer to do the day before as a standalone daylong  
conference in May 2008 works - we will take care of everything but  
content.  We're prepared already to do it.  I just need conference  
material.  We're assuming all the financial risk.

- Ben

On Nov 16, 2007, at 5:17 PM, <hinn at uiuc.edu> wrote:

> A couple comments -- I agree that it would be nice if we could have  
> a ways to see how many games we have directly impacted. This is  
> something like what Microsoft Research does as an alternative job  
> evaluation mechanism for those who largely work on a single project  
> that on it's own isn't "sellable" but is something that they can  
> show directly impacts, say, 1 game, excel, word, and 4 more  
> products. I don't see this as something to judge the "whole SIG" on  
> but it is one thing that could add to the overall picture.
>
> A conference by May 2008 might be tough -- this is something to  
> discuss. But an option is doing what other conferences have had  
> their start doing -- have those of us already doing research give  
> our papers but then the following year focus on getting more people  
> outside of the SIG through a submission process. Also, the IGDA is  
> very supportive of our SIG (and others) having a conference and  
> Jason has said that the management group they work with could also  
> help with all the stuff that's "too much" for us (ie, the  
> registrations, hotel space rentals, etc). That was we don't have  
> another E for All situation where I learn "all the things we never  
> wanted to know about expos" and then I'm personally out $5 grand. :|
>
> Michelle
>
> ---- Original message ----
>> Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:14:59 -0800
>> From: Eelke Folmer <eelke.folmer at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [games_access] Games for Health to Invest in Games  
>> Accessibility
>> To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List <games_access at igda.org>
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> This is great news! good job!
>>
>> - A good metric for this SIG's success could also be the number of
>> games that we were able to make more accessible. (Not by us but by
>> game developers).
>> - I am submitting a number of NSF proposals with the sole purpose to
>> gain more insights and understanding on what makes games more
>> accessible. I can share my personal research roadmap with you off the
>> mailinglist if you want.
>> - standalone conference;  I welcome a research oriented conferences,
>> since there is plenty of research to do in this area and It would be
>> nice to get more researchers involved in this SIG.  I would go but I
>> don't know whether we can attract the number of people that we would
>> like by as early as next may 2008.  I know some researchers that do
>> work in game accessibility but are not part of the SIG.
>>
>> Cheers Eelke
>>
>>
>> On Nov 16, 2007, at 5:54 AM, Ben Sawyer wrote:
>>
>>> Hi everyone,
>>>
>>> I've got some big news.  As many of you saw Games for Health is
>>> part of a new round of investment by The Robert Wood Johnson
>>> Foundation into games and healthcare.  We're extremely excited
>>> about this new development.
>>>
>>> As part of our specific grant we have allocated resources
>>> specifically to support the IGDA Accessibility community.
>>>
>>> Over the next two years we will directly contribute funds to SIG
>>> activities.  The amount is set but I can't reveal it yet as much as
>>> I want to because I'm actually looking to make it more by finding
>>> some other organizations who will join us with matching funds.
>>> Right now I can tell you this - it's more then $10,000.
>>>
>>> The funds will be used to support your activities but there are of
>>> course some simple strings.  Basically the funds will be released
>>> once there is a written plan in place that provides for how and
>>> what the funds will be spent on.  That plan needs my approval and
>>> subsequently I have to have the approval of the foundation for all
>>> my work.  I don't want it to sound dictatorish -- I'm pretty
>>> liberal for what they should be used for but my basic goals are as
>>> follows:
>>>
>>> 1. I'd like to see the community double is size as outlined by some
>>> simple metrics (i.e. number of subscribers to the listserv, number
>>> of people in the industry you are in regular contact with, number
>>> of talks in front of audiences, etc.)
>>>
>>> 2. I'd like to see the community produce some written plans that
>>> outline roadmaps for better accessibility efforts -- especially
>>> research roadmap.
>>>
>>> 3. I want to establish a standalone conference on games
>>> accessibility attached to our Games for Health Conference (so we
>>> can combine logistics and hit on overlapping communities of  
>>> interest).
>>>
>>> 4. I am also specifically interested in identifying and doing what
>>> we can to nurture research into how accessibility to games improves
>>> people with disabilities mentally, socially, and physically.
>>> Eventually leading to some great empirical and evidence based
>>> research published - to the extent we don't already have this.
>>>
>>> Beyond those goals I look to everyone here in the community to
>>> really drive things.  So the restriction is the production of a
>>> plan that seems smartly aimed toward these goals.  Within that
>>> framework the funds can support travel subsidies, creating really
>>> nice brochures, improved Web site content and access, etc.
>>>
>>> I've already discussed the gist of this with Michelle and I've
>>> asked her to produce with everyones help the plan and present it to
>>> me before the end of the year.  The funds are for 2008 and 2009.
>>>
>>> Games Accessibility Conference
>>> I am very serious as I've said before in establishing a one-day
>>> conference on games accessibility along side our Games for Health
>>> Conference.  We have facilities, hotel blocks, registration
>>> systems, logistical support, massive PR support, already in place
>>> for this.
>>>
>>> The date to hold this would be May 7, 2008 which is the day before
>>> Games for Health opens.  It would be a one day conference with a
>>> single track to start and a demo area.  We would also probably
>>> feature 2 sessions on accessibility at Games for Health on Thursday
>>> and Friday.  I hope this date works for everyone as much as
>>> possible - I can't really move it.  Hopefully it just works as best
>>> it can.  In 2009 we hope to have more flexibility for you.
>>>
>>> I want the SIG to take on the role of developing the content.  My
>>> only stipulation is 25% of the content MUST be focused on talks
>>> that explore how accessibility technologies, research, and efforts
>>> can be applied to health for people with permanent, temporary, or
>>> on-setting disabilities.  The rest of the content can be focused on
>>> core needs, case studies, research, etc. that will improve the
>>> accessibility of games in general for any purpose -- especially
>>> entertainment.
>>>
>>> Speakers would attend for free.  All other registrants would be
>>> charged an amount <$200 to attend.  My goal is that the event be
>>> break-even or even profitable within itself.  I would share 50% of
>>> the profits from the event back to the SIG by adding it to the
>>> grant funds we have available.  The other funds if there is a
>>> profit would be reinvested for planning the following year, etc.
>>>
>>> We very much want to make this event happen.  The Robert Wood
>>> Johnson Foundation team we work with has someone on it with deep
>>> contacts in the accessibility community and is going to talk with a
>>> variety of government agencies involved with accessibility to drive
>>> them to support this event.  That becomes a doorway to driving them
>>> to support more pervasive accessibility activities.
>>>
>>> We will be promoting this event heavily to all our attendees.  We
>>> will be filming parts of it, we will make an expo area available to
>>> showcase work, and we will have dedicated PR staff on the event.
>>>
>>> The event is to be held in Baltimore, MD which is served by
>>> Southwest Airlines which makes it pretty inexpensive to get to.  We
>>> are also quite proximate to the federal government which is a big
>>> plus.  We've got two hotels blocked out and we're searching for an
>>> ultra inexpensive block as well.
>>>
>>> My goal is to have 50-100 people attend the event.  My hopes are
>>> 25-50% stay over for the rest of our event that week so yes from a
>>> total transparency standpoint I'm hoping this increases my
>>> conference's core profitability.  Win-win.
>>>
>>> If there is a good sense we can pull of the conference idea as
>>> planned I want to make it part of our conference announcements in
>>> the coming weeks.  I also will be including games accessibility in
>>> our call for content next week.  We expect to then forward those
>>> papers to a committee formed here to accept and mold that content.
>>> I will advise you on content just from my experience of organizing
>>> events but other then the 25% requirement I really leave it to you
>>> as the experts to decide what will be important for people to hear
>>> and learn from.
>>>
>>> BIG NEEDS
>>> So hopefully you're still digesting this all but the reason I'm
>>> writing this all and providing as much information as I can is I
>>> need the following help - please reply to the list with your  
>>> thoughts:
>>>
>>> 1. I do need general feedback - ask questions, provide comments, I
>>> will do my best to answer them.
>>>
>>> 2. I need NAMES of people you think are in a position or at
>>> organizations in a position to possibly decide to match our funds.
>>> I really want our funds to catalyze others to chip in.  There is no
>>> reason this can't eventually snowball to generate over $100,000 or
>>> more in due time.  At least that's my hope.
>>>
>>> I am already reaching out to Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, IBM and a few
>>> others.  The early reception has been ok but until we release this
>>> more publicly I expect things to be slow to develop.  If you give
>>> me more names I'll follow up hard.
>>>
>>> FUTURE PLANS
>>> The basic outline for this all for me is as follows:
>>>
>>> 1. I want to announce the funds and the goals for them before
>>> Xmas.  My goal is we have 2 other funders matching 50% or more of
>>> the funds by then so they can be named in the Press Release.
>>>
>>> 2. I want to then announce in the press release that the original
>>> funders are challenging anyone else with resources to join this
>>> funding -- as part of this I was thinking it'd be cool to setup an
>>> individual fundraising effort too - let gamers, and individual
>>> developers provide funds to match the larger gifts.
>>>
>>> 3. In order to accomplish points 1 & 2 the goal would be to have a
>>> basic plan in place because the core goals of that plan would be
>>> articulated to the public so they can understand what the funds
>>> will hopefully accomplish.  Ultimately if we raised enough my hopes
>>> are it would accomplish funding development of more accessibility
>>> technologies, standards, and SDKs to make it easier for all game
>>> developers to put these features in their games.  I also hope it
>>> might fund prototypes or games that are specific for people with
>>> disabilities like some of the audio only games we've seen from the
>>> community thus far.
>>>
>>> THANK YOU
>>> I've been following the work of the SIG and all of you here for
>>> sometime.  As I've said many times the work here is extremely
>>> relevant to the work I do on serious games, and games for health.
>>> I've been hoping to bring some funds to the table to help and while
>>> it's not as much as I wanted if I can parlay it with your help into
>>> a large enough amount it hopefully can help be the fuel for the
>>> spark you've more then created.
>>>
>>> Thank you all,
>>>
>>> Ben
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>> games_access at igda.org
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>>
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> .......................................
> these are mediocre times and people are
> losing hope. it's hard for many people
> to believe that there are extraordinary
> things inside themselves, as well as
> others. i hope you can keep an open
> mind.
>  -- "unbreakable"
> .......................................
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