[games_access] Deaf-Blind Computer Games: Braille or Morse - food for thought

[Ian Hamilton]

One that I know of that has been designed with that in mind is sightlence:
http://sightlence.com/
That has been played by profoundly deaf-blind adults and children . The adults he tested with had never played a game before, I don't know whether the children had. I'm not sure if Mathias Nordvall is on the mailing list or not but he'd be able to give some more information. 
If anyone reading isn't familiar with what Barrie means by braille output, this what braille displays look like:
http://www.blinksoftinc.com/Products/Refreshable-Braille/Brailliant_in_use.jpg

There is a game that has been made specifically for braille displays, a version of Tetris where you can feel the objects moving down the display:
http://www.audiogames.net/db.php?action=view&id=Dotris
Braille displays work with screenreaders, the text is just output to the pins instead of to speech synthesis. But reading speed is far slower than audio screenreaders. So there are a fair few screenreader compatible games that are suitable for people who are deafblind, but anything involving dynamic notifications etc is probably out.

As far as how many people with very little vision/hearing actually do that or not I don't know, I've dropped Sense a line though, they should have an idea.
Ian
Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:14:05 +0100
From: barrie.ellis at oneswitch.org.uk
To: games_access at igda.org
Subject: [games_access] Deaf-Blind Computer Games: Braille or Morse - food	for thought

Does anyone out there have any knowledge of any deaf-blind computer games that exist and/or methods to play?
I'm aware of Morse Code based data-entry systems for switch / sip-puff users. I'm aware of modern day braille output for computers. I've heard of Morse buzzers so people can feel messages coming through.
I'm not aware of any examples of people actually playing computer games who are deaf-blind (I'm thinking almost no sight, and almost no hearing).
It seems text based adventure games would be quite possible. But do people actually do this.

It seems grid based games that are tactile could be played over the internet, using braille+keyboard or morse entry and morse buzzer... Probably lots of other methods too.... Things like whack-a-mole seem plausible.
You could even have hybrid action + text games (obvious survival horror thought.... describe an environment.... you can hear foot-steps..... prepare to defend yourself...... - then recreate the foot steps in gentle buzzes that get a bit louder... when you hear a panic buzz - mash your button to fend off the attacker)... then go back to text description and maybe an interface as simple as one tap for yes, two taps for no or braille for yes/no. Here's some weird-stuff slightly related: http://www.enigmaresearchgroup.com/article023.htm
Being less obvious, you could recreate anything in a text adventure with action / randomising elements, a bit like Regret of the Wind for Dreamcast/Saturn.
Any idea if any of this has ever taken place/takes place today?
Seems like a logical progression for some of Eelke's V.I. work, maybe? Maybe with hybrid display for those who have partial sight (and could aid in the learning of braille / morse)....
Barrie

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