Emily Shiel 
As of July 9th, 2020 it’s been announced that the online edition of the ‘Game Accessibility Conference’ will be taking place between the 28th and 29th of September!
The conference, hosted by the IGDA’s accessibility SIG, aims to spark conversations across all facets of the industry and discusses new ideas on how to make games more inclusive for disabled players. It features talks from prominent industry figures, including developers from both the indie and AAA sector, offering perspectives from those on each side.
These talks raise awareness on topics such as the blind gaming community and dive into strategies that studios can use in-house to alleviate concerns for these players. Through individual case studies and user experiences that are spoken about over the two days, developers are able to gain a deeper insight into who is playing their games, as well as how they can adjust certain features to accomodate everyone.
This years’ roster of panelists include team members behind the indie action game ‘Sequence Storm’, as well as accessibility advocates and disabled gamers Clint Lexa, Michael Feir and Randy Fitzgerald. It will certainly be an exciting and informative line up to look out for.
There are also a number of networking opportunities available and many attendees and panelists in previous years have even gone on to obtain work at prominent AAA studios as a result of their appearances. One such speaker is Brandon Cole, a blind accessibility advocate and consultant. After a talk he did back in 2017 where he shared his personal experience with games he was unable to play, he was approached by Lead Game Designer at Naughty Dog Emilia Schatz and eventually brought in to work on ‘The Last of Us: Part II’. Whilst there are limitations that come with online communication, these opportunities are still possible for aspiring game industry folk who have a passion within this space.
Fortunately for those wishing to attend this years event, it will come at no cost and will be held through video conferencing and Discord. For more information, you can follow the official GAC Twitter Account or visit their website for more details!
