37th Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference Has Concluded

Gaming for People with Sight Loss

Date & Time

Thursday, March 17, 2022 - 10:20 AM PST

Location

Orange County

Description

What are the differential experiences of blind and partially sighted people in gaming? What are the perceived barriers and enablers? Would making video games more accessible so they could be played without the support of sighted peers encourage people with severe sight loss to play video games more often? How likely are blind and partially sighted people to play games that do not have any accessibility considerations, and if so, what strategies do they use to do so? These are some of the questions that the research consortium of three partners has sought to answer in the RNIB Accessible Gaming Research. The consortium led by the Royal National Institute of Blind People is supported by researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Goldsmith’s University. Aimed at not only understanding blind and partially sighted people’s experiences, needs and preferences in relation to playing games but also ascertain what arrangements the different gaming companies have in place for making their products accessible and the level of awareness that exists about the user preferences of people with different levels and conditions of sight loss. This presentation will summarise the findings from the qualitative analysis that examined the impact of making games accessible to existing and potential gamers with sight loss and the data gathered as part of the quantitative study to measure the market size for gaming as an activity for people with sight loss.

Audience

Disability Specific
Government
Entertainment & Recreation
Media & Publishing
Research & Development

Audience Level

Intermediate

Session Summary (Abstract)

What are the barriers people with different levels of sight loss (mild, moderate, severe) experience in playing games on various consoles and platforms? Findings will be presented from RNIB’s Accessible Gaming Research and the differential experiences of blind and partially sighted people.

Session Type

General Track

Topics