GDC16 was a bumper year for accessibility, with a wide range of topics covered and record attendance across the various accessibility sessions.
Next up is CSUN16, which again is looking like a record breaking year. Seven sessions on gaming, which I don’t think is something that has been seen at a general accessibility conference before.
Full details:
Wednesday March 23, 9:00am
Cortez Hill AB, 3rd Floor, Seaport Tower
Aura Ganz
Virtual Reality Based Self-exploration Game for Visually Impaired Users
We introduce a virtual reality game that enables visually impaired people to explore virtual environments that represent physical spaces.
Wednesday March 23, 1:20pm
Torrey Hills AB, 3rd Floor, Seaport Tower
Kevin Andrews, Tony Morelli, Michael Forzano
Analysis of Player Preference in Networked Audio Games
Analysis of a networked audio game system created and run by several of the authors (rsgames.org) that offers 17 different free to play audio games.
Wednesday March 23, 2:20pm
Solana Beach B, 3rd Floor, Between Harbor and Seaport Towers
Andreas Stefik, Sina Bahram, William Allee
Accessible Gaming in the Quorum Programming Language
We will describe a new accessible auditory and visual game and simulation engine built into the Quorum programming language.
Wednesday March 23, 4:20pm
Harbor Ballroom I-SSB BART, 2nd Floor, Harbor Tower
Jessie Hall
How Video Game A11y Helps You Reach 100M Gamers and Defeat that Final Boss
Videogames are the world’s largest pastime – why make them inaccessible? By incorporating accessibility best practices, developers ensure they are reaching the largest possible market.
Thursday March 24, 8:00am
Harbor Ballroom E, 2nd Floor, Harbor Tower
Hannah Bunce
Accessibility Design Through Playful Tutorials
This paper looks at how video games can be accessible for a wide range of players with disabilities through designing tutorials in a playful manner.
Thursday March 24, 10:00am
Harbor Ballroom E, 2nd Floor, Harbor Tower
Ian Hamilton
Changing Tides: 2015’s Games Industry Accessibility Advancements
2015 was a landmark year for accessibility in gaming. This session explores some the year’s key innovations, including the unprecedented advances brought about by CVAA.
Thursday March 24th, 12pm
Buster’s Beach House
Game accessibility mixer
Meetup for people interested in accessibility in gaming. The venue is on the waterfront just behind the Hyatt. They’ll be rearranging a room for a specific number of people though, so if you’re interested in coming and haven’t yet let me know please drop me a line on i_h@hotmail.com to make sure they’re keeping a space for you.
Location: https://goo.gl/maps/hcb4viNbBgH2
