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Collection of announcements, initiatives, launches and events from this year's event
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
Even with the usual in-person events still not being possible, 2021 saw the biggest involvement yet by far by the games industry. Rather than raising awareness it felt like a festival, a celebration of inclusion. Including personal stories from gamers, announcements of new featuresets, initiatives and resources, articles, streams, and much much more.
There was so much happening that it was hard to keep track of . So here's a handy list!
If you want to help keep the momentum going, have a skim through, pick your favourite, share it on.
Talks on a development platform for blind accessible games, and the development of a spaghetti western audiogame
https://twitter.com/a11y_days/status/1392048742199701505
Keynote talk on the good in gaming, by Tara Voelker
https://knowbility.org/programs/accessu-2021/keynote-and-lunch-may-19
Talk by Steven Lambert on designing accessible games
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SLTyNt_I13JncW-Pu4LKkMzhLcx3f1KFr3cNpUAq0XY/edit#slide=id.p
Article showcasing the accessibility work of Adrian Letta (Toys for Bob), Nikki Crenshaw (Blizzard), and Emilio Jéldrez (King)
https://activisionblizzard.com/newsroom/2021/05/Global-Accessibility-Awareness-Day-Inclusive-Design-Matters
Thread of tips and resources
https://twitter.com/AlanZucconi/status/1395389196228042757
Episode with Belén Agulló García, discussing the importance of accessible gaming and immersive experiences.
https://twitter.com/Belen_Translate/status/1395277383855394818
Post-GAAD beer/tea meetup
https://twitter.com/AmelianeFC/status/1394368940797743113
App store accessible games showcase
https://apps.apple.com/at/story/id1561031340?l=en
Accessible gaming lucky dip collection of recent news
https://switchgaming.blogspot.com/2021/05/gaad-2021-lucky-dip.html
And some game accessibility history from he early 1970s
https://twitter.com/OneSwitch/status/1395393425177026570
And earlier still
https://twitter.com/GamingMuseum/status/1395468709800591360
Panel discussion with Felix Falk (Game – Verband der deutschen Games-Branche) Maxi Gräff (Xbox DACH) Rebekka Niederländer (Mixtvision) and Dennis Winkens (WheelyWorld), and screening of a film created as a collaboration between Xbox DACH and the
German Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired
https://twitter.com/ErdundBaer/status/1395327783010701314
Talk from Vivek Gohil and a panel with Nu McAdam, Andrew Bromilow and Brannon Zahand
https://twitter.com/BBCa11y/status/1394949500234616833
Blog post showcasing features in Days Gone
https://www.bendstudio.com/blog
Week long talk showcase
https://twitter.com/be_player_1
Thread of his favourite accessibility focussed articles and a bit about his journey
https://twitter.com/Ben_Bayliss/status/1394980315530137606
Announcement of XACs and other accessibility options from day 1 of the facility opening
https://twitter.com/BrookLAN_NY/status/1395391119098318849
Thread from Courtney Craven on intersectionality and the future of the site
https://twitter.com/CyclopediaBrain/status/1395350840454565889
Data on the growth of the site
https://twitter.com/CyclopediaBrain/status/1394695096084439045
Article and one-pager poster on how gaming is emerging as a leading space in inclusive design and progressive thinking
https://blog.codec.ai/PLAY
Thread of tips and resources on how to make gmes made with the Crayta platform more accessible
https://twitter.com/CraytaGame/status/1395327787821568004
PS5 giveaway, with lots of lovely stories being shared on the #DAGERSystemGAAD twitter hashtag
https://twitter.com/DAGERSYSTEM/status/1394729775650906112
Announcement of the Accessibility Games Database
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyrobertson/2021/05/20/new-accessibility-database-aids-discovery-of-suitable-video-games/?sh=38ccfe802f91
Diamond award given to Miles Morales
https://dagersystem.com/2020-diamond-award-winner-marvels-spider-man-miles-morales/
PhD project that aims to offer auto-generated audio description for streamed footage
https://twitter.com/DavidLibeau/status/1395273555114405892
A close look at the various accessibility features in Psychonauts 2
https://twitter.com/DoubleFine/status/1395512738529566720
Launch of accessibility tag search and accessibility reports, in partnership with the VSC ratings board
https://www.askaboutgames.com/news/global-accessibility-awareness-day-gaad-new-accessibility-tools-aid-video-game-discovery
Showcase of games enjoyed by autistic people, put together in collaboration with Autistica's Play Ambassadors
https://twitter.com/TamingGamingDB/status/1395382684214562818
Interview with Randy "N0M4D" Fitzgerald
https://twitter.com/FOX9/status/1395381053888544773
Article by Melanie "melly maeh" Eilert, including chat with Jan Wawrzik of Ubisoft
https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/barrierefreiheit-im-videospiel-damit-alle-spielen-koennen-17349109-p3.html
Tips for making YouTube videos more accessible
https://twitter.com/gamemakerstk/status/1395316932900003841
Germany's games industry body sharing research showing that 7.6 million German gamers are disabled, 10% of whom use assistive devices
https://twitter.com/game_verband/status/1395320896697499651
30 minute TV show on game accessibility (Portuguese)
https://globoplay.globo.com/v/9096805/programa/
Footage of colourblind simulation testing
https://twitter.com/GrimoireGroves/status/1395288189431017474
Twitch stream highlighting accessible games
https://mobile.twitter.com/luneetetoiles6/status/1395538482681024521
Full day of Twitch fun
https://twitter.com/nohandsnoexcuse/status/1395136854148542465
Announcement of accessibility featureset for Mine 2 the Beat
https://twitter.com/HuntersonStudio/status/1395372754430566402
Annual GAAD game accessibility trivia quiz
https://forms.gle/KaiWBb1otnizL1B68
GAconf accessibility quotes screensaver
https://igda-gasig.org/what-and-why/accessibility-quotes-screensaver/
Game accessibility top ten refresh
https://igda-gasig.org/how/sig-top-ten/
Accessibility category for Austrian Game Developer Awards, and reworking of accessibility criteria for all other categories
https://mobile.twitter.com/The_AGDAs/status/1395541683383664643
Unveiling of captioning functionality for important sounds
https://twitter.com/GamesFriendo/status/1395410709811499009
Long tweet thread announcing the full accessibility featureset for Ratchet and Clank
https://twitter.com/insomniacgames/status/1395407201355845633
Guide for gamers on some of the ways games can be made more accessible
https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/guidance/accessibility-video-games-designed-for-everyone/
Showcase of ten accessible games
https://www.inverse.com/gaming/best-accessible-games-gaad-2021/amp
Twitch chat with Tara Voelker
https://twitter.com/JamesonDurall/status/1395016150266826757
Showcase of past content
https://twitter.com/BGFH79/status/1395368881661775877
Steve Saylor co-hosting
https://twitter.com/stevesaylor/status/1394740874735669254
Announcement of a new accessibility awareness event for tabletop games this october, called Everyone Games
https://twitter.com/brailleknights/status/1395323616070447107
Week long highlighting of accessibility features that are important to him
https://twitter.com/search?q=%40onehandmostly%20day%20week&src=typed_query&f=live
Chief accessibility officer Jonathan Avila shares why game accessibility matters to him
https://www.twitter.com/LevelAccessA11y/status/1395559410932625412
Creator spotlight twitch stream series, with Jay Justice, Radderssgaming, nohandsnoexcuses, and Steve Spohn
https://twitter.com/search?q=%40logitechg%20accessibility&src=typed_query&f=live
Announcement of the Adaptive eSports Tournament
https://twitter.com/LogitechG/status/1395416681875484673
60 second accessibility tips
https://twitter.com/ManyCatsCIC/status/1395289028124098560
Showcase of accessible games created in Dreams
https://twitter.com/mediamolecule/status/1395393798440689665
Launch of the Xbox Accessibility Insider League, a new feedback mechanism within the insider hub to allow developers to get accessibility feedback direct from players
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/05/20/introducing-the-xbox-accessibility-insider-league/
Updated Xbox Customer Support Page for Accessibility
https://support.xbox.com/en-SG/help/accessible-gaming
Launch of a new resource - the Gaming and Disability Player Experience Guide, a supplement to the Xbox Accessiblity Guidelines that organizes common barriers to gameplay and related best practice guidelines by type of disability
http://aka.ms/GDPlayerExperienceGuide
Showcasing winners of CIPT, DAGERS and TGA accessibility awards in the Xbox and Windows stores
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/collections/GAADGFY21/XBOX
Donations to AbleGamers, Warfighter Engaged and Special Olympics
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/05/20/xbox-celebrates-global-accessibility-awareness-day/
GAAD wallpaper
https://www.xbox.com/en-US/wallpapers/
Understanding Function to Design for Disabilities - a framework outlining the cognitive, mobility, vision, hearing, speech, and sensory demands of the technology we all use daily
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/inclusive-tech-lab/understanding-function-to-design-for-disabilities
Xbox ANZ video with Humphrey "nohandsnoexcuses" Hanley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzT3nB6insk
Tara Voelker & Steve Saylor Twitch stream
https://twitter.com/stevesaylor/status/1394740874735669254
Talk by Ryo Morishita of for GAAD Japan
https://twitter.com/GAAD_jp/status/1393768944654114820
CanIPlayThat community management workshop
https://twitter.com/CyclopediaBrain/status/1394317294185091076
Xbox DACH & Tino Albrecht tips for an Xbox Adaptive Controller setup for duchenne muscular dystrophy
https://news.xbox.com/de-de/2021/05/20/xbox-adaptive-controller-tino-albrecht/
Showcasing accessibility features, including three new ones
https://twitter.com/PlayCraftLearn/status/1395334748076191746
Blind playthrough of Mario Tennis Aces
https://twitter.com/dontRunOff01/status/1395154901383122951
Interview with Steve Saylor
https://mobilesyrup.com/2021/05/20/steve-saylor-blind-gamer-global-accessibility-awareness-day-interview/
Sharing a collection of resources
https://twitter.com/NetspeakGames/status/1395312283400740864
Video preview of accessibility features in Agent Intercept
Https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1502710/view/3044975266209076695
Blog post showcasing the company's work on accessible hardware, software, workplaces, and support of partner organisations
https://www.sie.com/en/blog/creating-a-world-with-no-limitations/
..including opening up their internal inclusive language guide as a publicly available resource
https://www.sie.com/uploads/sites/15/2021/05/Sony-Interactive-Entertainment-ABLE@PlayStation-Inclusive-Language-Guide-1.pdf
London Studio sharing the collection of accessibility resources they use to educated themselves on making games accessible to all
https://twitter.com/LondonStudioHQ/status/1395369490607714309
Detailed look at some of the key accessibility considerations in Ratchet & Clank
https://www.sie.com/en/blog/inside-the-accessibility-features-of-ratchet-clank-rift-apart/
Interview on accessibility consultancy with Morgan Baker, Paul Amadeus Lane and Brandon Cole
https://www.sie.com/en/blog/accessibility-consulting-opening-new-doors-for-all-gamers/
Announcement of new accessibility menu for COD Warzone
https://twitter.com/RavenSoftware/status/1395504396906024963
Fundraiser and blind gaming video
https://www.rnib.org.uk/donations-and-fundraising/do-your-own-fundraising/gaming-rnib
Blind gamers podcast
https://twitter.com/scottish_nerd/status/1395389522893053953
Tweets from Simon Brewer
https://twitter.com/search?q=%40rocksteadygames%20accessibility&src=typeahead_click&f=live
Internal panel session with Stacey Jenkins, Amy Kavanagh, Ben Bayliss and Kyle "onehandmostly" Abbate
https://twitter.com/StaceyofGotham/status/1394330057607368707
Thread of resources
https://twitter.com/SoftLeafStudios/status/1395340128655224833
Thread on their experiences of working with the community on text to speech and audio description for Stories of Blossom
https://twitter.com/SoftLeafStudios/status/1395306909100617731
Thread of dev tools
https://twitter.com/SoftLeafStudios/status/1395375632805158920
Demo of text to speech and audio description
https://twitter.com/SoftLeafStudios/status/1395356645270724608
Launch of a wide-reaching accessibility update
https://caniplaythat.com/2021/05/20/solas-128-accessibility-update-becomes-available-during-gaad/
Blog post on embracing and sharing accessibility
https://www.specialeffect.org.uk/specialeffect-news/embracing-and-sharing-accessibility-for-gaad
Week long series of internal talks
https://twitter.com/splashdamage/status/1394289679579721737
Internal talk series with Steve Saylor, Kyle Abbate and Regine Gilbert
https://twitter.com/SquareEnixMtl/status/1394729591575654401
Showcase of Gears 5's new features
https://twitter.com/CoalitionGears/status/1395394542036131841
Showcase of past accessibility articles
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/05/20/introducing-the-xbox-accessibility-insider-league/
Front page takeover with Steve Saylor, Radderssgaming Steve Spohn, Tiffany Witcher, DeafGamersTV, Ewok, nohandsnoexcuses, Brandon Cole, and more!
https://blog.twitch.tv/en/2021/05/20/celebrate-global-accessibility-awareness-day-on-twitch/?utm_referrer=https://t.co/dIzxcLTO6a
Session on how to make twitch streams more accessible, with Steve Saylor, Veronica Ripley and Humphrey "nohandsnoexcuses" Hanley
https://twitter.com/stevesaylor/status/1395156335692500995
Video showcasing where the company is today
https://twitter.com/Ubisoft/status/1395390558185693185
Video showcasing accessibility efforts from Naughty Dog, Xbox and SpecialEffect
https://twitter.com/gTV_tweets/status/1395318381981487104
Video showcasing Björn Jönnson and his participation on workshops on Division 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRGbktongxk
Case study of an inclusive design sprint for State of Decay 2
https://www.stateofdecay.com/inclusive-design
Tweets & articles highlighting the work of accessibility organisations
https://twitter.com/uk_ie/status/1395288423947292679
https://twitter.com/uk_ie/status/1395303506072965120
https://twitter.com/uk_ie/status/1395333805704159232
Twitch stream with Brian Peddie
https://twitter.com/UYU/status/1395140534730174465
A deep dive into his accessibility journey and set-up
https://twitter.com/uncannyvivek/status/1395327488490975236
Announcement of accessibility consultancy
https://twitter.com/WaywardStrand/status/1393048950878310407
Twitch stream on indie accessibility, with Access Unlocked
https://twitter.com/WaywardStrand/status/1394493859766308871
Interview with Pixelsift
Profile article on disabled streamers who are changing the industry
https://www.wired.com/story/disabled-streamers-transforming-games-industry/
Article on accessibility making games better, with personal experiences of accessibility for narcolepsy
https://www.wired.com/story/more-accessibility-options-make-games-better/
GAAD 2022 is set for May 20th!
Republished from ian-hamilton.com/blog
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