[games_access] Second draft. Gentle Petition. Suggestions?

Wed Dec 5 13:21:20 EST 2007

Here is the second draft Of the petition.  Basically left everything I did
say before if it needs to come out or change let me know when you get a
chance.  Everything underlined is what I added with the more positive and
encouraged gentler side.  I don't know if that can be in with the other
stuff also let me know.  I thought it could.  It is what it is.  The
situation.  I think the other parts about discrimination lets people know
that the issue has become that serious but we are still looking at it from
me positive standpoint.

Game Accessibility Petition

Author.  Robert Florio

Organization. IGDA Accessibility SIG

December 5, 2007

Second draft.

Description/History:

In 2007 the game design industry has continued to fail making games
accessible for people with limitations. Since the conception and marketing
of videogames in the early 1980s, videogames have grown in complexity in
design and development as well as extremely profitable receiving billions of
dollars each year.  In the United States and across the world abroad, the
game design industry has never been remotely understanding in its efforts to
make games accessible for people with limitations.  The understanding is the
misunderstanding comes from the consumer market for games being accessible
has not been proven profitable.  However, the support of accessible game
design enriches the industry with a very positive message that is
encouraging innovation and experimentation unlike ever before with new and
refreshing marketable concepts.  Limitations such as, paralysis or injury
making it impossible for someone to play with a product with their hands and
fingers, a loss of hearing or site of vision, and even a cognitive ability
to understand and play.

With the ever-growing number of people missing out on enjoyability of this
industry and feeling neglected and discriminated against, people with
disabilities and equal opportunity consumers are disadvantaged time and time
again, and now are looking for a solution to make games reach out to adapt
to their needs as well.  This petition will reach out to the voices who can
make a difference supporting the idea that games designed and are accessible
to those with limitations, is not only marketable but gives a very positive
win-win situation for the industry and its market.

Petition:

We, the undersigned, hereby petition the marketing of commercial country and
worldwide videogames, design accessible videogames to a set standard.  The
requirement should include gamers with physical, visual, audio and cognitive
impairments be given an equal chance in the design of individual videogames.

Please sign this petition if you believe that all gamers should be treated
as equals and videogame should be designed to a set standard of
accessibility for videogames according to their individual game designers
target market.

  _____  

From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of Robert Florio
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 12:45 PM
To: 'IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [games_access] Gentle Petition. Suggestions?

Okay cool.  If you got a chance to look at the petition I wrote I guess the
suggestion is to make it seem more positive?  Which part?  I think the
beginning part of the history that I wrote says " it is 2007 in the industry
as failed to make games accessible" is there a better way to say that
because that's when it is?  Is that what you mean if that is I will look
through it and adjust other things.

I do like the idea of not keeping it short and simple like the petition web
site suggests.  So it's hard to fit a lot in.

I think Berrie also suggested a softer petition.  Let me know what you mean
that would be great.

Ellke gave up his pass?

Wow are you sure?  In my mind I thought I wasn't going but I think now I
have to reconsider my options and then get back to you as soon as possible
if it is absolutely still possible for me to take the offer.  I would say if
I can afford the trip, and I will talk it over with the people helping me to
get there, let him not completely decide to not go.

I appreciate the talk here and I don't mean to piss anybody off I just think
it's better to talk about the issues in the open so we are all more open
with each other.  I understand about the timing.  I'll be graduating
December 13 so between now and then I'll be busy myself.

Robert

  _____  

From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of d. michelle hinn
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 11:53 AM
To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
Subject: Re: [games_access] Gentle Petition

Yes, going down a serious government track often ends up that way here too
-- I think just getting the message out that games can help from a positive
psychology standpoint helps raise awareness amongst legislators. I received
an email yesterday -- the daily ECA bulletin -- apparently a report came out
yesterday that put the game industry in hot water again. Apparently "games"
are even worse for us than ever was the gist of this report and the ESRP got
slammed. So the industry is STILL having to defend it's existance daily. So
anything we can do to help put games in a positive light, I think the
industry would get behind. So a "pledge of support" for game accessibility
may be what we want our next move to be.

For more on the ECA (I'm a founding member!), go to http://www.theeca.com/
-- The IGDA has agreed (and are totally backing the ECA, which is consumer
aimed rather than developer aimed) to let us partner with them in fighting
to keep the game industry healthy. Reid and I talked with them at E for All
and I've been emailing them -- they are helping us get some major names
(I'll announce things officially when we have the written support) in gaming
to join in with us.

I think to avoid the lawsuit mess that is tying up our courts and actually
really messing over different entertainment industries because what they
thought was a good idea actually ended up thrown back in their faces, we
should definitely work on this "positive awareness" versus legislation idea.
Robert has started things going -- if we could all take a little time in the
next week or so (I know so many of us are slammed giving exams and/or taking
exams right about now because we are either instructors or students (or
both!) so this week and next is probably pretty rough on time) and help the
petition become something we as a SIG can stand behind and feel that it is
not anti-industry but that it is positive industry, that would be great.

You know...we've also never gotten the industry to get behind us in a formal
way so why not take this energy and do this now? Sure, it's not about
changing laws but it's perhaps even more important. Because the industry
needs us and others that know that gaming is important because it's a route
to leisure, which is what makes life, well, fun! :) So if we change our
wording in the petition to something positive and inspiring, well that could
really, really work. And remember -- GDC is SOON! And Robert is one of the
few of us that has a pass (Thanks again to Eelke who generously gave his
pass up so Robert could attend) so, hey, let's turn this opportunity into
something we can go into to GDC with -- it's a great talking point!

Michelle

a couple of years ago I tried to talk to the Swedish government with a
similar approach and get their attention by writing a letter to the minister
of culture, but only got a polite reply that they didn't have time for a
meeting to discuss with me

perhaps things have changed now (new administration) so I can give it a try
again

/Thomas

5 dec 2007 kl. 00.49 skrev d. michelle hinn:

I agree -- We haven't gone down the road of the politics at all yet and I
think if we approach it the right way that it would be well received and
maybe even result in awareness amongst gamers, developers, and people who
would be gamers but don't know that they could be. So a more gentle petition
to say "hey, we agree that games are important and here's why adding
accessibility is a good idea..."

There's no reason we can't send an informative brief to let legislators know
about game accessibility even in the US -- when done, this is a GOOD thing
about games. We send the good things about game accessibility and games to
start things out versus something that is anti-industry, which we don't want
to do at this point.

And, hey, maybe in 50 years there won't be a need for legislation because
there will be some incredible breakthrough that none of us can even imagine
yet! :)

Michelle

Robert (and others) - regarding the petition why don't you consider a
compromise? I know in the UK you can quite easily go down the political path
to get things to the government:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/SupportAT/

What about starting a very simple petition - "We the undersigned want to see
more accessibility features in games...." - with a bit of an explanation
(But not too much) - and some translations into other languages.

It would be nice to have something to take to developers, indies,
home-coders to say lots do want this - it's not just us few people
contacting you! And a few years down the line if we're still getting no
where - but have everything in place that we can do - then maybe the
political path is the way to go.

Let's face it - in 50 years - accessibility in software will very likely be
legislated for (and let's hope it will be so much easier to bring into
being) - so Robert's not so far off the mark. It's just so.... slow....

What do you think re. the gentle petition?

Barrie

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