Hi Tom.
Well while you are certainly correct generlly that access has to be specific
and while i would not disagree at all that universal access is probably an
impossibility in most games, I will say i've seen some quite surprising
things with access. One of them were the games Archaeist and To hell with
johnny from Michi nu software, both of which I helped beta test.
Those games are accessible in a low vision sense (and since you can pretty
much set the graphics down to white on black in about as low a vision sense
as possible, they even have fully speaking menues using sapi), and also have
immunerable control options, cursers, mouse control, one switch, as well as
the ability to pretty much customize every aspect of gameplay imaginable,
from when you receive extra lives, to what enemies show up, to whether your
harmed by specific in game obstacles. Both games are sort of complex action
games with many elements, (archaeist even features route planning, item
management and a little stratogy), so there is a lot to customize.
Of course, they are not "universally!" accessible, since you still need at
least some vision to play them, and they do not use voice recognition, but
it's surprising how far they go.
A more modern example might be Codename Cygnas on the Iphone which can! be
played with voice recognition, or controled with the mobility access
features of the Iphone, though again you'd have a problem with that game if
you were deaf.
As I said, I don't disagree about universal accessibility, I'm just
sometimes quite surprised by how far some games have gone.
One other thing, is you say "simple one switch games"
That is actually something of a missconception, indeed it's a bit of an
irony that if you are motion impared you get a far wider choice of game
genres, I've heard of one switch and mouse only accessible rpgs, adventure
games, arcade games, stratogies, tetris style puzzlers etc, (indeed michy nu
who I mentioned before making Archaeist and johnny produced Round again, a
tetris varient with fullly customizable controls, and Alice amazed, an
adventure/maze game with similar options).
While of course it's great that such things are! so much more frequently
considdered by game developers (especially retro ones), at the same time I
do think it's a shame that vi and blind access don't get the same sort of
exposure. This is likely a consequence of the fact we all knowthat the
majority of blind people are over the age of 50, and usually the business of
computer games is held to be a thing for younger people, (although this may
change in the future), and after all motor imparements do seem a lot more
socially visible, (witness the wheel chair being something of a cultural
symbol for any sort of disability).
This is again though why audeasy and actual reasonable online presance and
discussion of vi and blind gamers would be a really good thing, to try and
change the sort of usual views which some people (and unfortunately some
organizations), have, of blind people being either eldily or incompitant.
Beware the Grue!
Dark.
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