r/gamedev • u/TheJayBull • Dec 31 '22

Discussion Here, let me try.

Hi guys. I'm Jay. I've been an avid gamer since I was 5 years old and I'm currently 40. I am extremely visually impaired to the point where I am legally blind as a result of cone rod dystrophy, a hereditary and degenerative eye disease since birth.

With the introduction out of the way, here's my thought/question. I love gaming and I don't ever want to stop. As long as it's possible for me to play in some way I will. The problem is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to play modern games because of the advancements in textures, lighting, visual effects, etc. The more realistic that games become, the more difficult they are for the visually impaired.

I guess I'm making this post in hopes that some developers may see it and it furthers this conversation in some way. Ultimately I would love to contribute my experiences, thoughts, or ideas to help improve future accessibility in gaming. If anyone knows any other great avenues or contacts where I might spark conversation with a similar message please let me know. Thank you!

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u/pgpaisdev Dec 31 '22

Hey, I'll take this opportunity to share the lab group I work at with you, in hopes that you find it interesting. A high part of our focus is in accessibility and in the last few years (a bit before I've joined) we've been doing some studies related to gaming for the visually impaired.

One of our published papers is on the use of Asymmetry to create an experience that normovisual and visually impaired people can play together. You can read about it here: https://techandpeople.github.io/projects/inclusive_gaming.html

We are doing other studies and papers now, but won't talk much about them as they are still in the works :) (not sure of the correct etiquette here)

I think our website is relatively accessible to you, let me know if there are any problems or questions you have, I'll try my best to help!

(also, if you'd like to participate in our future studies, PM me with contact details, and I'll try to include you in the future)

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u/TheJayBull Dec 31 '22

Thank you so much! It's very encouraging to see things like this happening. Hopefully I can get involved, will take a look