Resources for developers on accessibility in games Computer and video games are an important part of the lives of many people living with disabilities. Games can support the social and cultural participation of the affected community, enable them to have new experiences, and help them stay in touch with others and make new friends. However, like other media and areas of life, games are not free of barriers. Game companies are continuously working to improve the accessibility of their titles, for example through the use of various technologies or new game design approaches. On this page, developers will find a selection of open resources and helpful links for further increasing accessibility in games, provided by companies and institutions in the games industry.
Resources Accessibility guidelines for gamescom Accessible offerings at events help ensure that as many people as possible can enjoy their visit independently, safely, and comfortably. Many measures can be implemented with minimal effort and noticeably enhance the quality of the visitor experience. For its exhibitors, gamescom has developed a guide featuring best practices for improving the accessibility of booth spaces and offerings. The guide can provide guidance to all booth organisers at a wide range of gaming events. Guidelines EA Patent Pledge for Increasing Accessibility Publicly shared patents by Electronic Arts for accessibility-centered technology Website Game Accessibility Guidelines Comprehensive guidelines developed as a joint effort by varoíous game studios, accessibility experts, and researchers Website InclusiveGameLab Learning Material As part of the InclusiveGameLab project at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences expertes in video game accessibility have created open educational resources that are freely available to game developers. The educational material consists of lecture notes, accompanying presentations, videos, and supplementary material. The content for game developers offers guidance on accessibility in areas such as game design, art, programming, and sound – structured by difficulty level (basic to expert) and available in English. Material Netzwerk Barrierefreies Gaming (Network Accessible Gaming) The German-speaking network brings together people from the games industry, game development, science, and video game players with and without disabilities. The network’s Discord channel hosts regular discussions on topics such as best practices in game development. Discord “Practical Game Accessibility” by Unity Learning content in the form of video tutorials for implementing accessibility settings in Unity Website Unreal Engine Learning On this “Learning” subpage by Unity developers can find content and tutorials on inclusive game design with Unreal Engine Website “White paper on accessibility for developers” by AEVI and ONCE Guideline for game developers with practical tips and examples for greater accessibility in games. Published by AEVI (The Spanish Video Game Association) and ONCE (Spanish National Organization of the Blind Foundation) and available in English Website Xbox Accessibility Guidlines Xbox guidelines with accessibility best practices for game developers, created in collaboration with industry experts and members of the games community Website Note: The resources listed here represent a selection of publicly available guidelines and materials on accessibility in games for game developers, which will be updated over time. These are non-binding recommendations.
