Hi Dark, Well, I don't know about your thesis, but I agree that the definition of accessibility is flawed. Most people use the word not thinking about what it truly means in terms of equal effort to access and use the same thing as a non-disabled person. It requires a slightly higher intellectual way of looking at things or personal experience to really see what accessibility means. Case in point.
When Esther and I moved into this place we were given a microwave as a gift from her family. They asked if I would be able to use the microwave. She responded once I labeled all the buttons it would be accessible. that, of course, was actually over stating the case. I could braille the buttons on the microwave and therefore it was usable, but not accessible. There are still plenty of features such as the clock I can't use, and I can't see the time remaining on the display as food is cooking. I can't set the time and date on the clock either because it requires reading the prompts or at least memorizing them. There is a way to change the power level from low, to medium, or high and I obviously can't read the display to see what power level it is set at causing problems with over cooking or under cooking food. So to be safe I set the power level out of habit before setting the time. So there is a simple but prime example of just because I can use something doesn't mean I necessarily get full functionality out of it. Its usable, but not fully accessible. The same principle applies to mainstream games. I've recently gotten my hands on some of the wrestling games, and I can say a blind player can play them, but I won't say they are accessible. It takes some memorization to get through the menus, and the controls are slightly different for each wrestler because some are brawlers, grapplers, and powerhouses. A powerhouse type wrestler might perform a lot of throws like body slams where a grappler is best at headlocks and submission moves. A brawler can perform punches, kicks, etc. You have to learn what button does what in the context of the game. It can certainly be done, but takes more effort than anyone else to learn the game and to access the menus etc. Cheers! On 2/6/12, dark <d...@xgam.org> wrote: > Hi Tom. > > This is actually a general problem with the defifnition of accessibility, > rather than a specifically game related matter. > > commonly, governments, individuals and institutions use the word > "accessible" to mean "have access to" irrispective of the amount of trouble, > effort or inconvenience this access causes. > > Thus, a building can be considdered "wheel chair accessible" even when it > has only one rampk, which requires the wheel chair user to go right around > the outside of the building for a long distance and pump their chair up a > three floor long incline then back round once again, where as everyone else > with working legs can just walk streight up the steps to the front door. > (this is not an exaggeration, I've seen a theatre that does this and claimes > that they are accessible to wheel chairs). > > thus, the deffinition I'm working on for my phd thesis, says that > "accessible" refers to how equalized the amount of effort betwene an average > disabled person and an average none disabled person are with respect to any > particular thing, and while the difference in effort is so utterly > unreasonable, we can't say that a thing is accessible even if it is > something that a disabled person is not actually utterly precluded from > doing. > > So, while absolutely all games may be playable, and some may be playable > with less effort than others on the part of a blind user, only those that go > some way towards equalizing the effort are in any sense accessible. > > So, though I don't blame people for talking about "accessible" mainstream > games, I do think it results from a rather faulty deffinition of what > accessible means, and indeed the deffinition in the guidelines for what > games are and are not allowed on the audiogames.net db, is the one I've just > outlined based on effort. > > Btw, it's nice to know my Phd is already! being practically useful :D. > > Beware the grue! > > Dark. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Thomas Ward" <thomasward1...@gmail.com> > To: "Gamers Discussion list" <gamers@audyssey.org> > Sent: Monday, February 06, 2012 12:03 PM > Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Game accessibility was, Re: FINALLY! There is a Wii > game for the blind! > > >> Hi Dark, >> >> Yes, exactly. that's a point I've been trying to make for quite a >> while now. I want some of the mainstrfeam game players to use the term >> playable rather than accessible when talking about mainstream games >> like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter etc because technically we can >> play them with practice and experience, but in no way is the game 100% >> accessible to us. I can't pick up Street Fighter IV and access the >> menus without my wife's help or at least writing it down in braille so >> I can remember what option is which. That's clearly not accessible in >> the strictest sense, but is functional if I choose to put extra effort >> and work into making it so. Calling something usable or playable by no >> means says fully accessible as most people understand it. >> >> Cheers! >> >> >> On 2/6/12, dark <d...@xgam.org> wrote: >>> Hi Dan. >>> >>> While that's absolutely fine and a great creddit to your skills of >>> persistance and memorization, I'm afraid that as far as myself and >>> audiogames.net are officially concerned, games which require memorization >>> >>> of >>> a menue or unusual learning of in game sounds, beatemups included, are >>> not >>> considdered accessible games. This isn't to say they aren't playable or >>> that >>> people shouldn't try to play them, or that they can't be extremely good >>> fun, >>> only that as per the guidelines of the site, a game is only "accessible" >>> and >>> will only be included in the db or news when a totally blind person can >>> play >>> it with approximately the same amount of effort as a sighted person, >>> screen >>> readers or turning on of a compatibility mode not withstanding (provided >>> such a mode can be turned on without sighted assistance). >>> >>> Afterall, theoretically a totally blind person could play absolutely any >>> game if they spent enough time memorizing every single in game object, >>> how >>> long to hold the control in required directions etc, thus every single >>> game >>> ever produced is "playable" it's just that to play them would require >>> ridiculous and unreasonable amounts of effort on the part of blind or vi >>> gamers, though obviously some games, because of their sounds or gameplay >>> structure are more playable than others. >>> >>> However, when we say to mainstream companies we want more accessible >>> games >>> on consoles, we mean "fully" accessible, no need for heavy reading of >>> Faqs >>> to learn in game text, memorization of menue options or memorization of >>> game >>> sounds beyond what a normally sighted gamer would do, and all in game >>> information just as available to a blind player as to a sighted one. >>> >>> As I said, this certainly isn't to say that people shouldn't try to play >>> soul calibur, mk, streetfighter, blazblu or whatever, only that the games >>> can't really be considdered in the strictest sense "accessible" >>> >>> Apart from obviously logical desire for true accessibility in games, the >>> other reason is that if the accessible gaming community starts promoting >>> games that require memorization and a lot of shenanigans to play, >>> mainstream >>> companies will turn around and say "accessible games? ---- we already >>> make >>> them, so bog off, no speaking menues for you!" >>> >>> Something like this actually happened when I addressed Capcom Uk over low >>> vision access in platform games, their response was "well if you can play >>> >>> 2D >>> platformers, half of the levels of Mega man x 7 and 8 are accessible, so >>> we've already done what you want" >>> >>> Of course, a game where I could play "half of the levels" is a pretty >>> feeble >>> access solution really, ---- when I asked them what I did for the rest of >>> the game that I couldn't play their response was "get someone else to >>> play >>> those bits" which was down right offensive! >>> >>> So in short, I'm quite happy with people discussing how to play >>> mainstream >>> games, posting recordings or whatever, but as far as officially promoting >>> the games as accessible is concerned, it's a no no, unless, like >>> something >>> like sound voyager a totally blind gamer could play them absolutely from >>> the >>> start as easily as a sighted gamer. >>> >>> Hope this makes sense. >>> >>> All the best, >>> >>> Dark. >>> >>> >>> --- >>> Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org >>> If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to >>> gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. >>> You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at >>> http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. >>> All messages are archived and can be searched and read at >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. >>> If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the >>> list, >>> please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. >>> >> >> --- >> Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org >> If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to >> gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. >> You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at >> http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. >> All messages are archived and can be searched and read at >> http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. >> If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the >> list, >> please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. > > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, > please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. > --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. 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