Video games have come a long way since the days of Pong and the Atari, and so have the people playing them. Gaming is no longer a pastime of “basement dwellers” – it’s now a billion-dollar industry that’s looking to get anyone and everyone involved as gamers.
Now more than ever, gaming is providing a safe space for players to escape into, as well as a place for communities to grow. For gamers with disabilities, it seems the tide is finally turning both in terms of representation and accessibility.
The last few years have seen an increase in conversations around disability and gaming, with more and more companies working to make games accessible for everyone. From peripherals like the Xbox Adaptive Controller, to game settings like “Dyslexic-Friendly” mode, the way that games can be played is finally beginning to change.
Recently, we reported on The Elder Scrolls Online’s Amalien, the first TES character who uses a wheelchair, and the overwhelmingly positive response to the character’s addition in the MMORPG.
We spoke to charity, Everyone Can, an organisation which aims to make gaming a reality for those with disabilities.
Community engagement and fundraising officer, Nikki Jones, said the following: “Game developers are paying a lot of attention these days to ensuring games are accessible for disabled gamers to play; which is incredible! But by going that extra mile and including visibility of disabled people in the game is also important. It shows gamers that there are no barriers and has the potential to make gamers from all walks of life feel included.”
The tide might be turning as gaming becomes both more inclusive and more accessible, but there’s still a long way to go before disability representation becomes the norm for video games. It begs the question: how can we make gaming more accessible?
Logitech G has been talking about accessibility and representation in the world of video games. Get involved in the conversation and hear the discussion in the Logitech G podcast below!
Featured Image Credit: Xbox