Global Accessibility Awareness Day is event that takes place on the third Thursday of every May, with the goal of raising awareness about digital accessibility. Every successive year the games industry has been embracing it to ever greater levels.
In 2023 this has continued, with some events even spanning the surrounding weeks too. Some of the efforts are not public knowledge, companies holding private internal initiatives, individuals sending emails around their teams, and so on. But many are public knowledge.
If you’d like to get involved but haven’t planned anything, it’s not too late! Even just sharing your favourite talk or article with your followers or colleagues makes a difference. Here are two great links to share:
Playlist of GAconf talks by disabled people talking about their lived experience
Free game accessibility training, an online course developed by Microsoft
As the day goes on I’ll be updating this page and trying to keep track of as much as I can, but there will be some that I have missed. Drop me a line on twitter if you know of anything that isn’t on here yet!
4GQTV
Stream with Joanna Blackhart and Cerebral Paul
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6TauEqVsI
AbleGamers
Video showcase on Carlito, who worked with AG Peer Counselors to get set up to play Roblox, WorldofWarships & the many other games he wants to play
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAW5VT5AvpI
Accessibility Unlocked
AccessJam, an annual month long jam to raise awareness, starting on GAAD. This year’s theme is ‘community’.
https://itch.io/jam/accessjam-2023
Apple
Preview of a range of upcoming iOS functionality, including simple UI mode and the ability to map accessibility switches to a virtual game controller.
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-speech-personal-voice-and-more-new-accessibility-features/
Behind The Screens
Podcast episode featuring Melanie Eilert
https://behind-the-screens.de/2023/05/18/accessibility-in-games-podcast-e070/
Bend Studio
Announcement of Accessibility@Bend, an initiative led up by passionate developers within multiple disciplines around the studio
https://www.bendstudio.com/blog/accessibility-bend/
Blizzard
Unveiling of Diablo IV’s accessibility suite
https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/diablo4/23954932/combatting-demons-with-accessibility-in-diablo-iv
ByoWave
Sneak peak at beta prototypes of the Proteus modular controller
https://twitter.com/ByoWave/status/1659231358776950784
Cameron Akitt
Launch of the British Sign Language Gaming Glossary (BSLGG)
https://twitter.com/TheOakenForest/status/1658119852236611585
Can I Play That? and DAGERsystem
Announcement of the CIPT Editors’ Choices, the DAGERSystem Barrier Breaker Award, and the DAGERSystem Diamond Award
https://caniplaythat.com/2023/05/08/announcing-our-plans-and-award-for-global-accessibility-awareness-day/
Update on accessibility improvements to the CIPT site
https://twitter.com/ActiveB1t/status/1659254752599834626?s=20
Draw & Code
Showcase of internal practices, and publicly available webinar from Jamie Knight
https://twitter.com/DrawAndCode/status/1659197402933514240
EA
Internal fireside chat, of studio champions coming together to discuss designing games with accessibility in mind. With Christian Cimon of Motive, Jordan DeVries of Respawn, Vivian Ortenzi of Ripple Effect, and Alan Pimm of Criterion.
https://twitter.com/momoxmia/status/1659352463819030528
Easterseals Gaming
Full day streamathon from ESG’s disabled stream team, of gaming, giveaways, and good times
https://twitter.com/esgaminghq/status/1658212607684124675
Eidos Montreal
Talk series from Steve Saylor, Kyle Abbate, RAyna Anderson, Kasper Hartman, Michelle Garza and Ameliane Chiasson
https://twitter.com/EidosMontreal/status/1659306110199689221
Epic Games
Fortnite ASL emote and accessibility backbling
https://www.fortnite.com/news/celebrate-global-accessibility-awareness-day-gaad-2023-in-fortnite
Inside Unreal panel on developing accessible games, with Carlos Coronado, Coty Craven, Kait Paschall, and Tina Wisdom
https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/inside-unreal-developing-accessibility-features/1168851
Everyone Games
Live stream exploring TTRPG accessibility
https://everyone-games.com/2023/05/15/global-accessibility-awareness-day-2023-live-stream/
GAAD Japan
Talk by Yoshiko Uchiyama of Sony on the efforts towards and history of accessibility support for PlayStation
https://www.gaad.jp/session/#uchiyama
Game’Her
Showcasing a selection of articles on accessibility of video games
https://gameher.fr/blog?tag=accessibilit%C3%A9
GiantBomb
Twitch stream with Grant Stoner
https://www.twitch.tv/giantbomb
Gucci Mula
Quadstick Jedi Survivor stream
https://www.twitch.tv/game4access
Hobbyconsolas
Review of Brok The InvestiGator
https://www.hobbyconsolas.com/reportajes/especial-dia-accesibilidad-2023-videojuego-accesible-2023-aventura-transgenero-creada-unica-persona-1246570
Hyper Luminal Games
Preview of high contrast mode coming to Pine Hearts
https://twitter.com/HyperLuminalUK/status/1659246340834983943
Ian Hamilton
The 6th edition of the annual GAAD game accessibility trivia quiz
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIJQgmYDa1MKxByIBqmS4dwn-Ls6q-7cExf3Nn-vLYGZoTPA/viewform
Lan Parties
Podcast with Grant Stoner about his journey into journalism, the evolution of gaming accessibility and more
https://www.reviewjournal.com/podcasts/lan-parties/
Logitech G
Creator roundtable featuring RoryPlays, DeafGamersTV and Steven Spohn
https://www.twitch.tv/logitechg
Marvel Games
Showcase of accessibility considerations across two partner games: Spiderman and Guardians of the Galaxy
https://twitter.com/MarvelGames/status/1659234893946052611
Media Molecule
Announcement of Media Molecule’s Accessibility Champions Program – a group of Molecules focusing on making sure accessibility and inclusivity is at the heart of all of their work.
https://twitter.com/mediamolecule/status/1659233464657272833
PlayStation / Sony
First look at new images and UI of the Access Controller for PS5 (formerly known as Project Leonardo)
https://blog.playstation.com/2023/05/18/first-look-at-new-images-and-ui-of-the-access-controller-for-ps5-an-all-new-accessibility-controller-kit/?sf266797741=1
Video showcase of PlayStation’s work across games, hardware and OS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwjmIMBOUik
Blog post by Mark Friend
https://sonyinteractive.com/en/accessibility-making-gaming-better-for-everyone/
Sony-wide accessibility video featuring Sam Schafell and Brian Allgeier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxZ4qEyBuqQ
Sony CEO Kenshiro Yoshida showcasing the PlayStation storefront’s accessibility tags and Project Leonardo
https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/accessibility/event/GAAD2023/message.html
Rebellion
Usage data on accessibility features in Sniper Elite 5, including 95% for subtitles
https://twitter.com/Rebellion/status/1659222800727515142
Linked-in stream by Cari Watterton sharing lessons from Rebellion’s accessibility journey
https://twitter.com/CariWatterton/status/1654467678994677762
In-house blind accessibility demo session by SightlessKombat
https://twitter.com/sightlessKombat/status/1657012780787023873
Alt text guide and contest
https://rebellion.com/rebellion-celebrates-gaad/
RNIB
Killer Instinct stream with SightlessKombat, playing against a fellow gamer without sight and chatting about accessibility from that perspective
https://www.twitch.tv/SightlessKombat
SBS News
Article on online gaming has given disabled gamer Rose ‘a new way to experience life’
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/how-roses-hobby-has-given-her-friendships-and-experiences-she-didnt-think-were-possible/5c2ev076j
She Plays Games
Podcast episode with Tara Voelker of Xbox
https://www.sheplaysgames.co/episodes/106-tara-voelker
SightlessKombat
Twitter thread outlining accessibility considerations that are helpful to him as a gamer without sight
https://twitter.com/sightlessKombat/status/1658053610167578624
SMG Studio
Showcase of Moving Out’s assist mode, and announcement of Moving Out 2 accessibility showcase
https://twitter.com/MovingOutGame/status/1659216115556315136
Soft Leaf Studios
Accessibility update for Stories of Blossom
https://twitter.com/SoftLeafStudios/status/1659155056153841667
SpecialEffect
Finding a way to play for Elliot, a buy with quadriplegic cerebral palsy
https://www.specialeffect.org.uk/news/gaad-finding-a-way-to-play-for-elliot
Square Enix (West)
Watch parties of GAConf EU talks from Ian Hamilton, “News Update” and Jamie Knight + Lion, “Can I do that?” https://twitter.com/RodrigoSanchez/status/1659507914283819009
Steve Saylor & Leah Jewer
Xbox Passport episode focussing on blind accessibility in Forza, with Tara Voelker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPrFR5-j4yg
Super Rare Games
Thread on what publishers can do to ensure accessibility of marketing/PR materials
https://twitter.com/astralberryy/status/1659105660041064449
Symbion Project
Development update on indie audiogame “Rocococo – Audiogame Fantastique”
https://twitter.com/symbionproject/status/1659347202232455168
Third Kind Games
Post on internal accessibility practices
https://thirdkindgames.com/news/global-accessibility-awareness-day/
Ubisoft
First of a regular stream series called “Accessibility in Action”, highlighting the accessibility within Ubisoft titles as well as giving a platform to accessibility creators and community. The first episode is Far Cry 6 with Kennedie Griggs.
https://www.twitch.tv/ubisoft
University of Southern California
Virtual chat and Q&A with Morgan Baker of EA
https://accessibility.usc.edu/gaad-2023/
Vae
Thread on accessibility in TTRPGs
https://twitter.com/vae_everywhere/status/1659161823084441602
Xbox
Xbox Plays Twitch stream exploring accessibility in Jedi Survivor, with Tara Voelker and Jordan DeVries
https://www.twitch.tv/Xbox
Post showcasing recent advances, and announcing that 18,000 Xbox Ambassadors have collectively completed over one million Accessibility Explorer Path missions, new support pages, and the launch of accessibility tag filtering & searching on the Xbox store website
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2023/05/18/xbox-celebrates-commitment-to-accessibility/
Ambassador community spotlights
https://ambassadors.microsoft.com/xbox/blog/xbox-ambassadors-celebrate-gaad-2023
Major Nelson Xbox Podcast episode with James Berg, to chat about GAAD and James’ personal Xbox journey
https://twitter.com/JamesBergCanada/status/1659237589994336257
And a couple of quotes to finish on –
Accessibility is not an add-on. Integrate it into everything you do.
– Conor Bradley, Soft Leaf Studios
The most important part of my job is listening to disabled gamers and advocating for their needs, even if the road to fully inclusive games is long and hard.
– Elisabeth Whyte, Bethesda
