Accessibility Jam (May 11 – June 1) is a new game jam that focuses on designing games for people with disabilities. Any disability is welcome to be addressed, their categories are: cognitive, hearing, vision, motor, and inclusivity.
The organizers of the event are quick to point out that designing a game for a disabled person isn’t more expensive or time consuming. It just requires a shift in approach:
A great deal can be achieved through simple design choices, based on two key principles:
- Communicating information in multiple ways such as icons, colour, or text as well as speech.
- Offering players some flexibility in how they play such as difficulty settings or remappable controls.
The better game designers are at communicating what their game is the better their games can be and Accessibility Jam well help designers hone their skills.
Indie Statik has an article on the jam with more context.
The folks running the Accessibility Jam understand that not all game developers come automatically equipped with the sensitivity and know-how to design something fitting the guidelines. Part of the jam is a learning opportunity, after all, and so they’ve provided a list of resources and tips participants can consult. This list includes links to helpful guides via theAbleGamers Foundation, relevant GDC talks and more.