Do developers consider disabled gamers enough?

by Shawn Schuster on Apr 9th 2009 5:00PM

Real life, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry

Have you ever stopped to consider the large percentage of gamers who are disabled? Do you think game developers consider this as well? In a recent article at MSNBC, the topic has been discussed as it pertains to the public's awareness of disabled gamers. "It doesn't take a whole lot," says Nissa Ludwig, a disabled gamer who was interviewed for the article. "I think if you save one life by changing an interface, you should get on that."

Mythic's Warhammer Online actually won an award last year for the AbleGamers.com 2008 Accessible Game of the Year for adding color-blind features, flexibility for those with mobile impairments and more. Mythic's Paul Barnett is sympathetic to the cause as he himself is color-blind, dyslexic and hearing-impaired. "Some people are, through no fault of their own, living a restricted physical life - on our world, you can fly, ride, get married, run, jump and swim," Barnett points out.
In addition, AbleGamers.com takes a proactive approach to getting the word out on the need for more accessibility in gaming. At GDC this year, the website's founder, Mark C. Barlet, interviewed 81 developers on their views of accessibility for gamers with disabilities. The results may surprise you, with one developer even asking if they were joking and running off. Does this just prove the need for more awareness on the subject, or is the extra cost of additional accessibility features too much for an industry that has suffered enough financial heartbreak recently? Paul Barnett sums it up best with his answer to this question, "People who get the chance to play our world are the most committed gamers out there. If we can attract more people by making an effort in accessibility, then we are going to do it."

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Tags: ablegamers.com, accessibility, disabilities, disabled-gamers, mythic-entertainment, paul-barnett, war, warhammer-online

Reader Comments (22)

That is a pretty big obstacle to overcome. Short-hand can only go so far. I've done raids without using voice comms at all, but explanation does take time. Maybe once you get a place on farm status, let him have a go at a few encounters as the MT using your typical strategy and his ability to adapt on the fly should slowly improve. People with disabilities tend to be forward thinkers when in the right situations. Probably would never work short handed, under geared, or at a new encounter though, so I can understand the decision.

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I am a double amputee and relegated to a wheelchair. I went to a private college which is also a historic landmark and fighting with them for more physical accessibility on campus I have become VERY well-acquainted with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Yes, we have our very own law.

What the ADA says (this is directed to Ghost) is that pretty much everything needs to be accessible. There are exceptions to the rule. For example, if a building is 200 yrs old, it will be hard to make it fully accessible without destroying it's architecture. BUT do it where it's possible and then make other accommodations as necessary where it cannot be made accessible.

This idea of accessibility also extends to the internet. That is why many sites allow you to change the the size of the font, for example. I do believe this should extend to gaming but I do understand the difficulties developers would face.

Ghost, accessibility DOES NOT equal easier...it equals accessible as in ABLE TO BE ACCESSED/USED. That means someone like me (who is also had a couple of fingers amputated at the tips) can still type over 100 words a minute. That's why computers allow you the OPTION (keyword) to change the speed between a click and when the computer registers that click or allows you to double-click slower if you cannot do it quickly...like some people with Cerebral Palsy.

I found this site because I was trying to see if the Wii Fit games and Wii Balance Board made any accommodations for the disabled like me. It doesn't and technically, that's against Federal law...but Nintendo is Japanese and not subject to our laws. Ghost, your friend who uses his hands? Good for him but he is not getting the same thing out of the game as his able-bodied peers. I can easily use my hands to play the hula hoop game or ski, but it is not the same and it doesn't offer valid feedback.

Unfortunately, this is one of those moment where we, the disabled, will have to just wait our turns. We will not be able to use the balance boards, but computer games have a better chance for adapting and becoming accessible. I don't play any - way too confusing for me - but I hope developers find a way.

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