How Inclusive Design Can Further Our Accessibility Understandings
How Inclusive Design Can Further Our Accessibility Understandings
How Inclusive Design Can Further Our Accessibility Understandings
By Grant Stoner
March 6, 2023
Summary
While certain accessibility features are crucial for me to play games, some options may serve no purpose or may not be enough for other players.
Inclusive design is the concept of game development that explores opening games to disabled players without extensive menus.
My Experience with Inclusive Design I've been professionally critiquing and analyzing accessibility in games since 2019 yet, long before I learned how to properly examine the functionality of a feature, I grew up as a player.
The Future of Accessibility in games should seamlessly coexist with the user experience.
Rather than throw dozens of options in a menu and call something accessible, disabled players should expect their game to be playable, and if necessary, use options to alleviate barriers that design cannot fix.
As a reviewer it's a question I'm always asking when I examine a new title - if I were to strip away most of these options, am I still able to play? By talking about inclusive design, I don't think it's possible, nor expect the entire games industry to shift their mindset when discussing accessibility.
While certain games like The Last of Us Part II, God of War Ragnarök, and even the Dead Space remake provided incredible options that opened these worlds to many disabled players, we primarily praised specific features or even how many options were included in the final product.
Reference
Stoner, G. (2023, March 6). How inclusive design can further our accessibility understandings. IGN. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://www.ign.com/articles/how-inclusive-design-can-further-our-accessibility-understandings