SK Talks: Accessibility Discussions: Location

Believe me when I say this was a hard article to write, but I feel that the time for doing so is long overdue.

When trying to not only play video games, but work in the industry as well, there can be a variety of barriers to overcome.?One of these, which you might not even be aware of, is location.

Location has always been a barrier to entry in the accessibility space.?With circumstances ranging from companies only holding events in person for security reasons, to other mandated constraints that mean that remote work isn't an option, it's been an obstacle for some consultants, including me, for at least a decade.

Here are a few stories from throughout my career so far that all tie into this :

During a trip to the United States for accessibility purposes, I had many great discussions and got many fantastic opportunities, all because I was able to be there in person.

During one such discussion, I was able to have a conversation with an individual who was very keen to have me collaborate with a particular client.?However, they regretted to inform me that, though they would have really liked to get me involved, because I did not live in the US, they couldn't hire me to do so, thus preventing any further efforts from me to assist with what they were working on at the time.

On another occasion, I'd had discussions with people working on a project that I'd have loved to be a part of.?The team involved had even acknowledged me during events and I'd have gladly worked with them directly given the chance.?However, by the time that project resurfaced with announcements of their dedication to accessibility, they'd enlisted a consultant who was far closer to home, once again, in the states.

Finally, in a more recent discussion, I was asked if I'd attended an on-site opportunity for a game that had featured other prominent consultants.?Unfortunately, I had to reply that, much to the surprise of those I was conversing with and as much as it would have been useful to have me there, I had not in fact been in attendance.

For the sake of full disclosure, these stories are simplified for the sake of brevity.?I also understand and acknowledge that even if I did live in the locations required, there may have been other factors at play that might restrict my involvement as well.?However, location was the driving factor in my absence in these projects, at least from an external perspective.

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of working from home and other remote ventures, I had personally hoped that we'd see the accessibility community in general, as well as affiliated studios, publishers, companies and the like fully embracing the opportunity to get more people involved, providing their feedback and lived experience as a core part of future innovations.

However, even with everything that has transpired, with the industry in the state that it is, the fact still remains that location and studio bias still exist.?It is heartbreaking to see and having to constantly keep it in the back of your mind as a point of consideration is something that you should not have to worry about in this day and age.

It will be apparent to most that having a diverse range of perspectives from multiple consultants is much more beneficial than having one person onboard to attempt to give a range of feedback from their own singular viewpoint, though that viewpoint is of course still highly valuable too.

On the point of multiple consultants, even if you can get people involved remotely, I would highly encourage you to also be aware that sight loss is a spectrum, consisting of varying degrees of vision.

Though terminology isn't the direct topic of discussion for this post, it does factor into this aspect of the conversation.?For example, I've felt I have to use the term "Gamer Without Sight" GWS for years, in an effort to make it clear to those who read it or hear me do so that I have no sight at all.?It also serves as a reminder that elements such as high contrast visuals or larger text would not be of use to me; I could not?play more of a game without getting external assistance, even with these features present.

Understanding how accessible what you're making is to people with differing levels of vision, starting from no sight whatsoever like mine, is crucial to creating something that even more people can play.

Just to reiterate in case it wasn't absolutely clear, I am extremely grateful for any opportunities I get, be they remote or in person, to participate in consultancy, events or anything else. That being said, understandably, I also want to be able to share my own expertise, knowledge, insight and ideas with as many studios, publishers and companies as I can. I'm fully aware that others, irrespective of any disabilities they have, yearn for that opportunity too.

We can only achieve this by opening up new avenues for constructive feedback to be submitted, unreliant on being physically present, including being able to play titles, utilise software etc, to give direct and actionable insight on what needs to be improved on an iterative, collaborative, long-term basis.

At the end of what has been, as a gamer without sight, an extremely slow and lacking year in terms of fully accessible releases that can be played without any assistance, I'd be very interested to know what is holding the industry back from utilising remote consultancy and accessibility feedback sessions for example, including a range of players from across the spectrum of sight loss. After all, if the barriers are known, then we can start working out how to best break them down to allow the conversations, innovations and advancements for the benefit of all players, regardless of their level of vision to continue, unhindered by where everyone happens to live.