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The lives of many gamers with disability are set to become easier, as a well known tech giant has just introduced a major accessibility initiative designed to help players find gaming features that suit their individual needs.
Gaming developer Microsoft claims to have partnered with accessibility consultants and player advocates in its development stage to create searchable filter tags which include labels such as colourblind modes, audio description, remappable controls, and one-handed play so gamers will know what functions are available before purchasing content.
Until now, many players with disability had no real way of knowing if a gaming title would include accessibility features relevant to their disability until they had already purchased the game and got it out of the box.
So, for gamers with additional accessibility needs, these tags could be a real gamechanger.
However, this isn’t the first time action has been taken to improve accessibility for gamers with disability.
Rival developer Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), the company behind the popular PlayStation 5 console, also lays claim to have made significant contributions to the accessible gaming world, according to Product Inclusion Specialist and Change Management expert Yuichi Haga.
In 2020, Mr Haga founded the ABLE@PlayStation Employee Network, a community dedicated to elevating the importance of accessibility and working to remove barriers in the gaming industry.
He believes the company’s efforts towards a better playing experience have been well received, winning the Disability Equality Index’s “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” award in 2021.
Mr Haaga says he finds it thrilling to see a community of millions of gamers benefit from the impact
Bringing together like-minded people and realizing the impact we can have not only within SIE and our work culture but also through providing insights and guidance to cross-functional teams in the business
Yuichi Haga
A leader in championing accessibility is AbleGamers, a gaming development organisation which focuses on supporting people with disabilities and driving action-oriented advocacy within the gaming industry.
2 out of every 10 gamers live with disability, while 45% of individuals with disability play video games, according to ablegamers.org.
Activision Blizzard, the gaming developer behind the Crash Bandicoot and Call of Duty franchises, has been collaborating with AbleGamers in upgrading accessibility features within their games since 2020, according the company’s website.
In a statement on Activision Blizzard’s website, Head of Inclusive Game Design, Adrian Ledda says accessibility in gaming has a particular responsibility to help gamers of all abilities feel invited to try gaming experiences.
Accessibility in gaming is an abstract concept for some, and it is new for others, but for everyone it means a new way to connect, understand, and experience
Adrian Ledda
According to accessibility.org.au, companies like Sony, Ubisoft, Amazon Games, and Riot Games have also joined the latest iteration in accessible gaming, making it a cross-industry effort.
Whatever the outcome, the move could push the gaming industry to make accessibility features a mandatory component of video games in the future.