Gaming Accessibility Fundamentals Learning Path

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Overview

The Gaming Accessibility Fundamentals Learning Path is a free course offered on MS Learn to broaden the understanding of what “game accessibility” is. This resource is intended to establish foundational knowledge that will help bridge the disability divide and increase the number of people coming into the field by providing ways to ‘validate’ accessibility knowledge of the learner. At completion of the course, the learner receives a virtual “badge” to certify completion and sharable.

Goal

This fundamentals course is geared toward those in gaming who are interested in learning more about game accessibility for the first time or solidifying the basics they already know.

We noticed that as the availability of accessibility information has grown over the past years and as the gaming industry's desire for creating more accessible experiences has grown, that there is a lack of gaming-specific accessibility training. What started as an opportunity to provide standardized trainings for our testers, blossomed into a larger opportunity to provide a world class training course for members of the gaming industry to certify their accessibility knowledge as well as provide pathways into the gaming industry for our members of the gaming and disability community.

Learners should leave the course with a deeper knowledge of the holistic gaming experience and how these experiences can be approached through the lens of disability and accessibility. This is an important first step in establishing the foundational understanding needed to delve deeper into the game accessibility space.

Course content

The Gaming Accessibility Fundamentals course introduces accessibility throughout the different phases of development end to end. It includes these five different modules:

  • Module 1: Introduction to Gaming and Disability: This module provides learners with a basic understanding of how gameplay can be assessed through the lens of accessibility. It outlines standard game elements and mechanics that commonly pose barriers to access for players with disabilities. It then introduces the Gaming and Disability Community and discusses the impact that each of these barriers can have on their individual gameplay experiences.

  • Module 2: Disability Community Collaboration for Accessible Design: In this module, learners will be introduced to the meaning of the slogan “nothing about us without us.” This module discusses the importance of active disability community involvement throughout the gaming development process. It offers guidance on how those new the accessibility space can connect with members of the Gaming and Disability Community for inclusive design opportunities, and best practices to follow during these collaborative sessions to ensure a delightful experience for all parties.

  • Module 3: Gaming Assistive Technologies: This module introduces learners to common assistive technologies that players with disabilities may use during gameplay experiences. It outlines both hardware and software-based assistive technologies and discusses the influence that these technologies can have on gameplay. Learners are then introduced to possible approaches that can be taken to support players in using their existing AT within the experience they are developing, or providing novel assistive tools at the game-level if existing technologies cannot be supported.

  • Module 4: Accessibility Best Practices for Games and Platforms: This module summarizes the accessibility best practice guidance found in the Xbox Accessibility Guidelines. It describes the foundational best practice principles that each specific XAG works to support. It also provides learners with a thorough understanding of XAG components, and how these components can be used to assist in navigating through the XAG resource to locate guidance related to the specific experience they are developing.

  • Module 5: Accessibility Best Practices for Gaming Hardware: Module 5 targets gaming hardware developers and designers looking to create more accessible devices. It delineates the difference in design approaches for creating bespoke accessibility products like the Xbox Adaptive Controller, as compared to accessible design and development opportunities appropriate for standard controller, console, and headset gaming devices. It then outlines best practice guidance for various components of standard devices and device packaging to create more accessible experiences.