Defining a disability can be hard at times. The CDC’s definition is; “any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them.” Many young boys and girls and even adults enjoy video games. But what happens when your disability limits that ability?
Disabled People Are Gamers
Up to 2.6 billion individuals worldwide are estimated to be avid gamers, making up a sizable portion of the population. An increasing amount of data suggests that a large number of disabled persons engage in and enjoy gaming. However, not much is known about these individuals’ backgrounds, interests, or difficulties. And it poses a serious obstacle to enhancing accessibility for the disabled.
Americans with Disabilities Act For Video Games
The Obama administration enacted the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) in 2010. The legislation states that “communications, services, and products must be accessible,” yet it was designed with email and television in mind. The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 mandates that streaming, video, and television providers include accessible communication choices. We still have a way to go, though, since this statute did not apply to video games until 2019. The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, updated in 2019, mandates that video games have a voice-over, electronic messaging, and video conferencing features.
Belonging To a Category
Many disabled people want to belong. The gaming community can often be a place where people find escape and a sense of belonging. Martin found a sense of belonging in the gaming world. Martin has cerebral palsy, a spectrum of disorders that impair motor function in the body. “It usually affects my left side in my situation. I need a scooter or crutches since I can’t walk and have poor control over my left hand”, says Martin.
He also plays a variety of instruments. “I enjoy roaming about in video games like Fallout and Dead Redemption. Although I play shooters too, I’m not that good at them. However, I play with friends since they are aware of my limits and, despite the fact that they constantly punch me in the face; they don’t pick on me seriously,” Martin chuckles.
XBOX Evolves
Without the appropriate accessibility features, he finds it difficult or impossible to play several games because of his condition. To make gaming more accessible, Xbox created accessibility standards in 2019. These rules include tools to alter colors and adjust contrast, which improve the usability of game menus for individuals with visual loss. In order to help those with restricted mobility, reassign functions to buttons are provided that are easier to reach. The business also enables players to remap buttons on their controllers.
The Motivations Behind Gameplay
They claim that having fun and pushing oneself are their main motivations. However, the competitive aspect of gaming does not drive them as much as it does for physically fit players. Numerous participants stated that they played for health-related purposes, including stress relief, depression therapy, and hand physical rehabilitation. Additionally, about one-third of those surveyed claimed to play for pain relief.
White House Invitation
AbleGamers was invited to the White House by the Obama administration to learn about its views on accessibility and gaming. More recently, the group was invited to provide input on the history of Batgirl’s handicap for a future computer game that is based on the film, “The Batman.”
Minecraft
Students encounter a variety of real-world characters who help them understand the obstacles faced by those with disabilities and what it is like to be disabled. They also gain knowledge on how to recognize and remove barriers to accessibility in their community and school. Through the use of empathy and social-emotional learning, inclusive design thinking and problem-solving are encouraged in the Minecraft learning environment.
The World’s Largest Group of Disabled Individuals
Hundreds of gamers who are disabled advise the gaming industry to make up their Player Panel program. Their work demonstrates our commitment to improving the understanding and representation of those with disabilities. By collaborating with their technical team and research partners, they have developed many adaptable hardware solutions and enabled thousands of individuals to engage with the gaming community.
Celeste, a Game
Adjustable speed, invincibility, and other features are included. With the introduction of Celeste in 2018, more people were able to experience the game and its universe. As Mira Shin explains in DO-IT, Celeste’s popularity increased gaming accessibility throughout the industry.
People with disabilities have been “pushing forward” in the last several years, achieving greater prominence than before for celebrities with disabilities in a variety of areas. Two examples of these celebrities are comedian Zach Anner, who has cerebral palsy, and actor Steve Way, who has Muscular Dystrophy.
A Collegiate Club’s Fighting Game
Following a three-year break, Robinson resumed streaming, but this time he went under the name “DeafGamersTV” and took on a new goal; educating both the hearing and the development community about the difficulties that deaf and hard-of-hearing gamers sometimes face. Robinson states, “I felt that I needed to share my struggles as a deaf gamer and that I needed to speak up about the lack of accessibility in games that should’ve been a normal thing by now. This was the start of my journey as a gaming accessibility advocate for deaf and hard-of-hearing gamers.”
Spreading Awareness
In order to promote awareness for disabled gamers, he has even appeared on panels at conferences like TwitchCon and the Gaming Accessibility Conference. Studios like Microsoft and Ubisoft have encouraged him to share his knowledge of game accessibility. Every presentation demonstrates a sector of the economy that is prepared to hear and record the issues raised by the disabled population.
Video Games and Inclusivity
Creators need to think of new innovations such as new controllers and systems that can be adapted to the disabled players. AbleGamers is one of many creators and one of many more to come. Xbox is doing many great things as well and is an excellent example of progress towards inclusivity.
Final Thoughts
More individuals entered the realm of video games as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, and because there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight, this trend will probably continue. In light of the relationship between virtual environments and disabilities, future video games must take accessibility into consideration from the outset.
