With multiple major releases this year, you might have noticed a trend. Mainly in that, right before the games came out, a post was made by the dev team to highlight the accessibility features of the title. At first, that might have seemed odd, but it’s just the opposite. Seeing this happen with so many AAA titles proves that game developers are seeing the importance and need to tailor their game’s setting to not just the “average gamer” but to those with special needs. Sometimes those needs are visual. Other times it involved their hearing or their mobility. Either way, it’s positive when you hear companies like Xbox step up to deliver great accessibility features.
But the people at Microsoft aren’t just developing these features. They have their own special place to make these technologies via the Inclusive Tech Lab in Redmond, Washington. That’s right; they have their own lab to make sure that the accessibility features get made. The head of that team is Anita Mortaloni, and earlier this month, she talked about the importance of such features:
“When we make our experiences, games, and platforms accessible [to people with disabilities], more people get to experience the power of connection that comes from play—be it bonding with their family, seeing themselves reflected in a game, or the joy that comes from helping others discover the fun of gaming.”
That’s a lovely statement, wouldn’t you say? What’s more, it’s an accurate one. Video games are an excellent outlet for people to have fun, destress, get inspired by what they see, and more. Yet, with certain people with disabilities, playing the game “as most people do” is impossible. That’s why these accessibility features are so vital, because they expand the scope of who can play these games, and that’s what we need more of.
If you’re curious, the lab isn’t going off of what they feel needs to be done for the future of accessibility. They got tips and suggestions from the Xbox Accessibility Insiders League. They had three major areas that they felt the company could expand on. First, the lab needed to work on ways to increase accessibility and the tools by which they can access new players year-round.
Second, to make accessibility the standard practice and to ensure that it’s easy to turn the features on so people can jump right into the game. Finally, include disabled gaming community members in the process to help make things tailored to them. Mortaloni said she’s more than happy to listen to those guidelines and to help with whatever comes next:
“We want our gaming community to represent the world at large, including the over one billion people in the world with disabilities.”
Hopefully, we’ll soon live in a world where everyone can play video games no matter their condition or disability.
Source: Forbes
