When it comes to covering video games, nothing brings us more joy than covering special organizations that dedicate their time to help others. This past week, we were introduced to one such organization, and the issue that they are tackling has been and will be life changing for gamer's with disabilities. The AbleGamers Charity is on a mission to bridge the gap between games and gamer's with disabilities, by building a platform based on bringing game developers and gamer's with disabilities together during the development of the games.
By bringing gamer's with disabilities on board to give their ideas and input during development, game designers now have a much better chance of truly bringing to the market games that allow those with disabilities to fully enjoy, as well as have the same opportunities as other gamer's who make a living as streamers, tournament gamer's, etc.
- After reading through the article, we at Atari Edge ask you to help support The AbleGamers Charity by sharing the article with others and using social media shoutouts including @AbleGamers, #AbleGamers, and #SoEveryoneCanGame.
One of the leading names in the fight for gaming accessibility — The AbleGamers Charity — today announces the launch of Accessible.Games, the charity’s brand-new website that connects progressive game developers and gamers that share a passion for bringing accessibility to the forefront of the conversation about game development.
AbleGamers helped pioneer game accessibility — bringing it from a niche video game topic to a key design consideration. With increased awareness of disabled players as a major gaming community audience, industry professionals are increasingly consulting with AbleGamers for new ideas and resources on how to ensure their games include every person, everywhere.
Accessible.Games features two core components in its goal to connect developers with the community:
- Accessible Player Experience Portal (APX): The APX Portal is a user-friendly hub for developers to learn what it means for a game to be truly accessible. Visitors can study the “APX Triangle” and the 22 design patterns that serve as tools for developers to fine-tune their design choices and help them create highly accessible video games.
- AbleGamers Player Panels: Player Panels place a direct one-on-one bridge between gamers and game creators. The panels give players with disabilities a way to have their voices heard within the industry by testing games and directly providing feedback, while developers are able to bring an idea or an in-progress project to players with disabilities to gain deep insight and valuable accessibility feedback.
AbleGamers Community News:
In an upcoming article, we will be featuring AbleGamers spotlighting Quest To Game grant recipient Milan Patel, a streamer and hardcore gamer with muscular dystrophy. Milan found that his disability was growing into an immense barrier that prevented him from continuing to enjoy his favorite hobby: video games. This is where AbleGamers helped Milan kickstart his quest to game, and he hasn’t looked back since. Look out for this follow up post and video in the upcoming days.
