A little while ago, I had the honor of interviewing Ian Hamilton and Jonard La Rosa about Accessibility Jam, which encouraged game designers to create games that were accessible for players with disabilities. In our interview, Ian mentioned another project that he has worked on, the Game Accessibility Guidelines. These guidelines provide simple suggestions for game developers that can make a huge impact on the accessibility of their games. And since 20% of gamers have some form of disability, making games accessible benefits millions of people around the world.
Today I am pleased to announce that the Game Accessibility Guidelines has won the FCC Chairman’s Award for Advancement in Accessibility!
Ian Hamilton accepts the award from FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) presented the award at the M-Enabling Summit, an international gathering of leaders in mobile accessibility technology near Washington, D.C. This conference (which is done in cooperation with the FCC, but is not organized by them) has helped accessible gaming take a big step forward. As Jonard La Rosa pointed out, video game accessibility has seen very little government recognition or regulation. It is too easy for bureaucrats to overlook how valuable video games can be for a high quality of life. Hopefully this award marks the beginning of a change in ideology.
Video games for all!
