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Global Accessibility
Awareness Day
Author: Andy Robertson

19/05/2022 / 22 months ago / Author: Andy Robertson


Thursday May 19 is the 11th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). It's a chance to talk, think and learn about digital access and inclusion. With over One Billion people with disabilities/impairments it's an important subject.

I had seen the day pop up on social media in the past and not really understood what it was for or the importance. But over the last couple of years I've enjoyed an eye-opening journey into understanding accessibility in both video games and board games.
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This has led to us working with Accessibility Experts to add 150 searchable data-points to the database in this area. These enable people to discover games that are well designed for their specific needs. It's a huge task to keep up to date with what accessibility the 2,764 Video Games and 194 Board Games offer, but it's important and fascinating work.

You can read about our Accessibility work and how it provides information in two areas: These 150 data points are designed to highlight accessibility features that video games and board games offer, both from inclusive design and specific accessibility accommodations:
  • Accessibility Search: The accessibility data can be used to discover games with specific features in the Accessibility Search. This enables you to select a range of accessibility criteria in addition to age rating, system, genre and costs.
  • Accessibility Report: The accessibility information is also presented on each game's Accessibility Report to highlight the features that the game offers. This page also suggests similar games with more accessibility features in each area.
  • Accessibility Questionnaire: To improve the coverage and accuracy of our accessibility data we provide bespoke accessibility questionnaires to developers to complete. You can use the link on each game page (that doesn't already have accessibility data) to invite a developer to complete the questionnaire.

We are all different and need to enjoy video games and board games in different ways. The severity of impairments and barriers may vary between us but it's part of the basic human experience to need support to enjoy interactive media.

The most exciting thing about our journey into this area of life has been the people we have got to know (and who have become good friends). I used to think accessibility was something really niche, but now realise that it affects all of us in some way.


So this Global Accessibility Awareness day I want to raise a glass to everyone who works in public or behind the scenes to make digital experience more accessible. Here's to all of you:

Accessibility Resources

Accessibility Experts

  • Brian Chandler. (colour blind board game accessibility) colour blind gamer, designer, developer, proofreader, and reviewer focused on visual accessibility.
  • Michael Heron (senior lecturer in interaction design ) expert and researcher in board game accessibility, computer games, and accessibility in computer games.
  • Sarah Reed (board games) mental health and board game accessibility advocate.
  • Angela Hickman Newnham (accessibility advocate) brings her game design and accessibility expertise to help improve the depth and quality of our data, particularly in the areas of cognitive load.
  • Ian Hamilton (accessibility specialist) has been an ongoing advisor and sounding board for our approach with accessibility and steering the data in some key areas.
  • Brandon Cole (blind accessibility advocate and consultant) has consulted about the accessibility data for sightless players.
  • Sightless (accessibility consultant, gamer without sight) has consulted about the accessibility data for sightless players.
  • Jesse Anderson (low-vision accessibility advocate and consultant) has consulted about the accessibility data for low-vision players.
  • Antonio I. Martínez (accessibility consultant) has consulted about the mobility accessibility data and suggested many games that are now included in the accessibility search.
  • Dr Amy Kavanagh (visually impaired activist and campaigner) provided consultancy about our data for low-vision players and extended our coverage of navigation features.
  • Chris Goodyear (accessibility advocate and business founder) reviewed the deaf and hard of hearing accessibility data and suggested new games to add.
  • Brian (accessibility writer) has helped identify accessibility data for games in the database.
  • Jonah Monaghan (accessibility advocate) has helped enter data on games, contributed to the approach to accessibility game search and worked with the community to enhance the database.
  • Eamon Gaudio (game design student) has contributed accessibility data checking on many games in the database.
  • Adam Kosakowski (specialist in assistive technology) has aided the search for accessible games to add to the database and reviewed the accessibility dataset.
Taming Gaming Book Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships.

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