Title
Designing for Disability: Evaluating the State of Accessibility Design in Video Games
Department/School
Emerging Media
Date
2021
Document Type
Article
Keywords
accessibility, design, disability, options, video games
DOI
DOI: 10.1177/1555412020971500
Abstract
This project evaluates the current state accessibility of video games, specifically in terms of designing for disability. We evaluate 50 games chosen for their sales data, critical reception, awards won, and other criteria to examine the widest possible sample of the most prominent games released in 2019. This approach to selecting games allows for identifying design trends as they emerge from the most widely played or influential games. The results highlight design pitfalls and innovations regarding accessibility in four key areas: auditory, visual, motor, and difficulty. As a feed-forward project, the aim is not simply to catalog what games include which accessibility features, a nearly impossible feat considering how varied the design features are, depending on the game. This report also attempts to point to future directions for how games can continue to innovate in accessibility.
Published in
Games and Culture
Citation/Other Information
Brown, M. and Anderson, S.L. (2021). Designing for Disability: Evaluating the State of Accessibility Design in Video Games. Games and Culture, 16(6), 702-718. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412020971500