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

Tue Oct 19 02:05:17 EDT 2010

Yay!

Thanks, Sheri and Andrew! 

Since I have no access to information about the elections (including who is and is not an IGDA member, please direct your questions to Sheri off list as she advised. I know that there's been a bit of confusion about the elections -- please also address your concerns to Sheri.

Thanks everyone and good luck! I'll be there to support the new steering committee as Chair Emeritus but I will not vote, as they will on who amongst that group will be the new chair.

And I encourage all those who are running to please raise additional information and plans ON LIST for what they would like to do with the SIG to bring one of the IGDA's best SIGs into a new era! :)

Best,
(Your Soon To Be) Chair Emeritus! :)

On Oct 18, 2010, at 11:37 PM, Sheri Rubin wrote:

> 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 - and member of 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 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
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