[games_access] Need officially support from the SIG

[Chris Quinn]

In my MFA thesis, which can be read at AccessibilityFusion.com, I explored the application of WCAG 2.0 to making Warcraft 3 more accessible to players with physical disabilities.  I found that some guidelines could be applied directly to games, and some were not applicable.

I've also used WCAG 2.0 to make Flash games accessible, even if it didn't techically meet the guidelines word-for-word.  For example, I used a custom ActionScript zoom tool to meet the resizable text requirement, also making the images more accessible, which would not have been possible in HTML.  

The other thing about WCAG 2.0 that should be mentioned is they are just guidelines, not rule of law.  Not all guidelines apply to all websites (a blog without video/audio, for example), just like all guidelines would not apply to games. 

I hope this helps,

Chris Quinn

Jonathan Chetwynd <j.chetwynd at btinternet.com> wrote:

>Sandra,
>
>the WCAG2.0 standard is one of a number designed within W3C for web  
>documents,
>it predates HTML5 and the technologies that enable open-web browser  
>based games.
>ARIA & RDF provide potential means to help make such web games more  
>accessible.
>
>The open-web Go game application at http://www.peepo.com follows W3C  
>accessibility guidelines,
>and is accessible to a wide variety of input devices including mouse,  
>keyboard, touchscreen & hands-free.
>
>I have been lobbying for some years, within W3C for a web games group,  
>to help inform development of such  new technologies, including  
>accessibility,
>and in reality professional game developers need to fund and help  
>inform such development.
>
>This is a huge task, and relies on production companies wishing to  
>engage the public in their games through web interfaces,
>much of this promotion is currently proprietary, and may use for  
>instance Adobe Flash.
>
>A more in-depth analysis is covered in my  chapter: Browser-native  
>games that use real-world xml data,
>from the book:  Business, Technological and Social Dimensions of  
>Computer Games,
>and just about to be published: http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/TitleDetails.aspx?TitleId=46177
>
>regards
>
>Jonathan Chetwynd
>http://www.peepo.com
>
>
>On 8 Mar 2011, at 20:49, Sandra Uhling wrote:
>
>>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I need the officially support from this SIG.
>>
>> In Germany we have experts for web and software
>> accessibiity that want to recommend the WCAG2.0 for games.
>>
>> Can we write an officially statement that we do not recommend the  
>> WCAG2.0 for games?
>> Games are not Software, games need their own recommention.
>>
>> I know that some parts can be used and some can be used with little  
>> changes.
>> But the problem is that you need Game Accessibility knowledge for  
>> this.
>>
>>
>> I learnt that experts for web and software accessibility do not  
>> understand game accessibility.
>> They do not understand the special needs and just adapt the rules of  
>> the WCAG for games.
>> Also this would be very bad and can bring trouble to game designers  
>> and game developers.
>>
>>
>> Best regards,
>> Sandra
>>
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>
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