[games_access] Game Accessibility SIG Elections have started - Please Read :)

Tue Oct 19 00:37:49 EDT 2010

  Hi Game Accessibility SIG members!

*The elections have started. They end on October 29th. Voting is underway!
*
My crack team (Andrew) was able to take the subscriber list of emails 
and add anyone to the website whose email matched an email in the system 
to the Game Accessibility SIG group. Then anyone whose account was shown 
to be a Full paid member was also placed in a sub-group for voting. You 
should have received an email today that says "IGDA: New Forum thread in 
IGDA Game Accessibility SIG Voting Group". That is the email that will 
give you the links to the candidate statements and the voting links.

So that's the good news.

The bad news is that some of you are inevitably going to say that you're 
a full paid member and should be able to vote but didn't get that email. 
If that's true and you do not receive an email today please send me an 
email *OFF-LIST* that tells me this. There are three likely reasons for 
this:

1) You are not a full, standard paid member (free and student members do 
not get to vote) after all. But hey, we warned you.

2) You registered to this mailing list with an email that does not 
correspond to the email used with your membership for IGDA/the one you 
registered to the website for. We did not try and figure out which extra 
emails (the ones with no accounts associated to them) belonged to people 
registered on the website. Especially since after looking at the list it 
seems some of you register with many emails. :)

3) The IGDA database hasn't fully been cleaned up and at some point you 
registered to the IGDA website with the email you registered to this 
list with and so we have you down as a free user because we didn't have 
your email that shows you as a standard member. (Similar to #2 but this 
means you also have an extra account and you'll show up in the group 
with that email.)

Everyone but #1 can be addressed for these elections, but we still 
encourage you to join the IGDA and fix #1 for next time. :>

Since not everyone has access to the elections sub group below are the 
candidate statements for Kevin, Barrie, Tara, and Sandra who were the 
four who stepped up to run for steering committee this time around (in 
alphabetical order):

*Kevin Bierre:*

I have been a member of the IGDA and active in the Game Accessibility 
SIG since 2003. I have had an interest in accessibility as a result of 
working with students with various disabilities in my programming and 
database courses. I also have three sons with disabilities who are avid 
gamers and I have seen some of their struggles with certain games.

An area of game accessibility that I feel needs to be addressed is the 
education of current and aspiring game designers and developers in 
methods of making their games accessible. I have participated in some of 
the educational activities such as doing tutorials at GDC and other 
conferences, as well as writing articles on accessibility.

However, there is more that could be done in this area, such as 
providing curriculum materials on accessibility to schools with game 
design and development program. Having a set of online tutorials, how to 
examples, and other reference materials readily available would also 
help get the message out to developers.

Finally, I think the SIG needs to actively pursue partnerships with game 
companies to promote the inclusion of accessible features in their 
games. The recent accessibility roundtable that Microsoft held was a 
great step in this direction, but there are many other firms that we 
should communicate with.

Kevin Bierre
Associate Professor
Interactive Games and Media Department
Rochester Institute of Technology

*Barrie Ellis:*

I'd be very happy to become part of the steering committee, but don't 
really have time to do the important job of Chair justice. I've learnt 
tons from the IGDA's GASIG and met some really fantastic people through 
it. Should I become chair, I would be seeking to put in place some 
building blocks for a better web-site, and ways to bring more people in. 
I would aim to boost recognition of our membership base on-site and then 
seek to concentrate our efforts on a small number of projects we feel 
are of the greatest importance at this interim stage. Basic stuff, but 
hopefully a helpful stepping stone to better things.

Barrie Ellis (of www.OneSwitch.org.uk <http://www.OneSwitch.org.uk/> - 
and member of www.GameBase.info <http://www.GameBase.info/>)

*Tara Tefertiller:*

The first step in electing a successful steering committee is voting for 
people who show that they have the dedication to game accessibility 
needed to make the GA SIG a productive body. I have such dedication.

I have worked for AbleGamers.com <http://AbleGamers.com/> as a writer. I 
reviewed AAA titles on multiple platforms, conducted interviews of 
gamers with disabilities and how it effected their play, and wrote 
articles on gaming news such as the iBraille app (a conversation piece 
about how touch screens can effect the blind) and Wii-hab (using the wii 
for rehabilitation purposes).

I've also shown that I can step up and take responsibility as needed, as 
demonstrated when I filled in for Michelle Hinn at GDC 2010 and ran her 
poster session. It was very successful and even covered by Gamespot.

I also work hard to educate students on game accessibility. I've already 
been a speaker at International Academy of Design & Technology, where I 
also mentor students. I also have ties to Full Sail and UCF, where I am 
currently in the process of becoming a guest speaker as well.

Further more, I have shown the responsibility needed to work at large 
events with big partners. I am currently working with the Orlando 
Science Center to make the game accessibility exhibit for their video 
game week, Otronicon. I have currently challenged the students at Full 
Sail to design accessible games, and the one found the most accessible 
will be displayed at Otronicon.

I am an active member of not just the SIG and it's email thread, but the 
IGDA itself. Since moving to Orlando, I have made it to every chapter 
meeting.

I believe that the education SIG and the GA SIG should work together and 
educate tomorrow's work force about accessibility. I have spoken to 
education SIG members who agree. I would work towards making this a 
reality. The SIG could really take advantage of my proximity to two 
gaming schools.

I think it would be a great idea to have an accessibility tie in with 
the annual Global Game Jam.

Further more, I would push that SIG becomes more involved in the Orlando 
Chapter of IGDA, due to it's ties with the local gaming schools. Both a 
large amount of students and teachers frequent the chapter meetings.

Thank you for your time.

*Sandra Uhling:*

I am learning about Game Accessibility since two years.  I would like to 
move this very important topic forward.  Game Accessibility improves the 
overall quality of games.  It is useful for everyone. But this topic is 
not easy for people who never looked into this topic. To make a change 
we have to support game designer and game developer.
------------------

That's all you basically need to know. Thanks for reading all that.

Have fun and happy voting!
Sheri

P.S. For the one who won't get elected this time around - don't fret! 
The ones who do usually make it a point to call on those who don't first 
to make sure they get put to work right away! :)

-- 
*Sheri Rubin*
Founder and CEO

*Design Direct Deliver*
Website: http://www.designdirectdeliver.com
Email: sheri at designdirectdeliver.com <mailto:sheri at designdirectdeliver.com>
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