Fun, Enabled: Unpacking Game Accessibility in 2017

Accessibility has gained somewhat wider acceptance in the games industry in recent years, as what was once basically an afterthought for most developers is now a more popular design paradigm. In particular, the move towards games-as-a-service has forced devs to be in touch with the disabled community more often, incorporating more of its feedback. This being said, disabled gamers still find themselves all too often at the fringes of gaming, particularly when it comes to more mainstream products. This talk will explore how the indie community is well-positioned to forge further ahead in harnessing a relatively untapped audience, in the context of the current state of accessible design. We'll also explore how the growth of this player segment -- and the industry as a whole -- may hinge on a more diverse workforce, including the differently abled.

Johnny Richardson is a veteran games and web engineer based in Boston, MA. With several shipped games and mobile apps, and countless web apps under his belt, he strives to build world-class software and games. Perhaps most of all, though, Johnny is passionate about improving accessibility in games and has given many talks and workshops on the topic, all while working extensively with The AbleGamers Foundation and fellow developers on advocacy and strategy. He is currently the Lead Developer at the Engagement Lab at Emerson College, and prior to this spent several years at Disruptor Beam as a consultant and then Lead UI Engineer.

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