Identify component function and device status through accessible channels
- 12 minutes
You previously learned about a player who faced accessibility barriers related to physical unboxing and hardware setup. There are many other areas of accessibility to consider.
In this unit, learn about potential barriers that inaccessible hardware experiences can pose for players with visual disabilities. You're introduced to best practices that can improve accessible experiences for these players as they navigate the following types of tasks:
- Locate the ports and buttons on the console.
- Identify the functions of each port and button.
- Identify the correct cable and insert it into the proper port.
Support component discoverability and identification
The visual presence of buttons, ports, and labels on devices are important in guiding successful interactions. For example, a player might want to mute the volume on their gaming headset. However, their headset has multiple buttons that are the same shape and size. Luckily, each button is labeled with power and mic mute symbols. The player uses this visual information to successfully differentiate the mute button from the others.
Consider how this experience might differ for a player who can't see these labels to inform their actions. They might accidentally press the power button and turn off their device instead of muting it, resulting in a negative experience.
The following video discusses these considerations and how to address them through accessible supports in more detail.
Indicate device status through multiple sensory channels
The current status of a device is another important piece of information that guides successful interactions. Device status informs a player of critical information, including the device's:
- Current power state, such as on or off.
- Current battery level.
- Pairing status, like pairing mode initiated versus pairing complete.
These status indicators often use visual cues to communicate this information to players. Visual cues can exclude some players from using this information to guide successful device use.
The following video introduces these barriers in more detail. It presents best practices on how this information can be provided to more players through accessible channels.