Design for All in ICT: Curriculum Guidelines
Masters level module: Accessibility in Games and Consumer Electronics
Accessibility in Games and Consumer Electronics
Description of purpose
This module uses the domain of games and consumer electronics to explore new
paradigms of interaction and accessible interface development. It emphasises the
fact that ICT is having a significant impact on our everyday lives including leisure and
entertainment and that this must be accessible to all.
“Have you ever been to an amusement park with your friends or family, and because
you are scared of heights, you have to wait by the exit of the parks giant roller
coaster? Can you imagine that? What would you do while you wait? That is what
happens to so many disabled gamers; while their friends go off and have a great
time in the latest title from that summer blockbuster, they wait because more often
than not simple "best practices" were not followed, leaving the disabled gamer
waiting by the exit for their smiling friends to exit the ride. Once again, they missed
a shared experience.”
The AbleGamers Foundation
http://gameaccessibility.org/component/content/article/15/38.html
Accessed 02/11/09
Qualifications structure and credit level
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Prerequisites: Successful completion of Module 1, Fundamentals of design for all
and accessibility in ICT
Parallel running or successful completion of Module "AT"
15 ECTS
Aims and objectives of module
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To provide a novel domain from within which to explore accessibility and design
for all
To elaborate on opportunities for innovation in leisure and entertainment
including training environment that is derived from the needs of users at risk of
exclusion
To provide an understanding of the product life cycle from basics over design,
development and implementation to evaluation and testing affecting both
hardware and software issues
© 2009 Design for All@eInclusion
Design for All in ICT: Curriculum Guidelines
Masters level module: Accessibility in Games and Consumer Electronics
Student-centred learning outcomes
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The aim of this module is to provide the student with a critical understanding of
"Accessibility" in the novel contexts "Games" and "Consumer Electronics" and the
latest practices with respect to a range of current and novel ICT solutions
By taking this module the student will understand and communicate basic
guidelines and methodologies, advanced techniques and strategies in games and
consumer electronics and opportunities for including or training people at risk of
exclusion from information society in ICT.
This module consists of: theoretical concept building, critical evaluation of
existing guidelines, strategies and methodologies, and practical research
activities.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module the student have the knowledge to able to:
 Critically identify and describe:
o Standards in Assistive Technologies related to Hard- and SoftwareAccessibility for diverse user groups
o Standard input- and output-devices
o AGA – Active Games Accessibility and its guidelines
o Standard scenarios in games and consumer electronics
 Evaluate and compare new technologies, methodologies and devices on the
market
 Demonstrate understanding and give examples on "Game Like Interfaces"
 Critically analyze:
o the state of the art in (accessible) games & consumer electronics and
o relevant information repositories on this topic
On successful completion of the module the student will have the skills to be able to:
 Communicate and work effectively both independently and as part of a team with
designers and developers of games and consumer electronics on accessibility
and consult them on the needs of diverse user groups and possible accessible
solutions.
 Critically apply existing best practice examples on games and consumer
electronics.
Content (syllabus list)
Single items / possible topics:
 Software
o Basic barriers in software use
o Alternative user interfaces
o Software accessibility standards and guidelines
o Software accessibility APIs
o Best practice in accessible software-design
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Hardware and Design for All
o Strategies and structures
o Existing / built in devices enabling/facilitating the use by diverse user groups
© 2009 Design for All@eInclusion
Design for All in ICT: Curriculum Guidelines
Masters level module: Accessibility in Games and Consumer Electronics

Games and Consumer Electronics
o State of the Art in Consumer Electronics – existing adaptations facilitating the
use for different user groups
o State of the Art in games and accessible games (new scenarios, new
contexts, new in- output methods and devices)
o Guidelines for Games Accessibility
o Scenarios and solutions for possible barriers deriving out of specific scenariotypes
o Game Like Interfaces
o Adaptations & user profiles (navigation, system-feedback, complexity & levelstructure for inclusive use)
o Evaluation of accessibility, usability and user tests
Methods of achieving learning outcomes
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Combination of lectures introducing the theoretical background enriched by
hands-on self-awareness activities (testing games and consumer electronics
under different premises / extreme use cases) – in any case by using AT and
consulted by, but best also presented / guided by peers using AT for their gaming
/ everyday activities
Self-dependent research activity within a given (best: online and Wiki-style)
information repository
Learning, teaching and assessment strategy
Student work should be assessable and gradable.
100% coursework
Literature study on a relevant related topic chosen at the beginning of the module
followed by a compilation of self dependently researched best practice examples and
a Wiki-Style essay subsuming the findings and activities (independent or in small
groups) to be presented within the group.
Sample activity
Where facilities exist the students should work directly with a user group to determine
accessibility needs.
In group working, the students make an accessible game for special target group (if
they are from computing and informatics field) or analyse accessibility of a game,
making suggestions to improve the game’s quality (if they are from human science
studies).
Or in an multidisciplinary setting the students can work together: the students from
human sciences background make the analysis of both the game but and target
group, and the technical background students develop the game.
© 2009 Design for All@eInclusion
Design for All in ICT: Curriculum Guidelines
Masters level module: Accessibility in Games and Consumer Electronics
Reading Material
Atkinson, M.T. and Machin, C.H.C., (2009): Proof-of-concept 3D level creation tool
for blind gamers. California State University, Northridge Center on Disabilities' 24th
Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference (CSUN
2009), 16-21 March, Los Angeles, CA.
Atkinson, M.T. and Machin, C.H.C., (2007): Accessibility: a case of "us and them"?,
in DSAI 2007: Software Development for Enhancing Accessibility and Fighting Infoexclusion, 8-9 November, Vila Real Campus of University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto
Douro (UTAD).
Atkinson M.T. et al, (2006): Making the mainstream accessible: redefining the game.
In Proceedings, Sandbox Symposium 2006, ACM SIGGRAPH Symposium on
Videogames, Boston, Massachusetts, July 30-31, pp. 21-28.
Additional links to online resources
The AGRIP project - The first adaptation of an existing mainstream first-person
shooter for the sighted that is accessible to blind people and one of the first
multiplayer accessible action games.
http://www.agrip.org.uk
The Game Accessibility project, a research project that focuses on the accessibility of
electronic games for gamers with disabilities and aims to inform disabled gamers
about the availability of accessible games, and functions at the same time as an
academic resource for developers, publishers and researchers in order to stimulate
accessibility in games :
http://www.game-accessibility.com/index
Design for All in ICT: Curriculum Guidelines
This work is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
License. To view a copy of this licence, visit
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Attribution: This work is supported by the Design for All at eInclusion (DFAEI)
project which was funded by the European Commission under the Sixth Framework
Programme for Research and Technological Development (contract No. 033838).
Design for All in ICT Curriculum Guidelines. S.Keith, G.Whitney (eds)(2009) were
developed in collaboration with partners from 23 European countries. The
Guidelines describe various modules which are intended to support the creation of
new bachelor and master level programmes in Europe. For further information go to:
http://www.dfaei.org/curricula.html
© 2009 Design for All@eInclusion