Advancing game accessibility with audio description
Since 2020, game accessibility has gained significant attention from both industry and academia. For players with visual disabilities, features such as screen readers, sound cues, contrast settings and, more recently, audio description (AD) have been a game changer. In fact, research on game AD is s...
| Authors: | ; |
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| Format: | Article |
| Publication date: | 2025 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona |
| Repository: | Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB |
| Language: | English |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ddd.uab.cat:326370 |
| Online Access: | https://ddd.uab.cat/record/326370 https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.47476/jat.v8i8.2025.355 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Audio description Blind and low vision players Game accessibility Interviews Visual disability |
| Summary: | Since 2020, game accessibility has gained significant attention from both industry and academia. For players with visual disabilities, features such as screen readers, sound cues, contrast settings and, more recently, audio description (AD) have been a game changer. In fact, research on game AD is still in its early stages, and more studies are needed to explore user needs and preferences. This paper examines AD as a crucial accessibility feature in games, beginning with a review of its current implementation, which primarily focuses on non-interactive game content. It then outlines findings from the Researching Audio Description: Translation, Delivery and New Scenarios (RAD) Project, specifically focusing on insights gathered from fifteen interviews with blind and low-vision adults in Spain. The interviews cover three topics: lack of game accessibility, potential features for AD in games, and next steps for improving game accessibility. Key interview results highlight the potential of incorporating AD into game design to improve access to non-interactive content. The paper concludes with ten guidelines addressed at developers, researchers, and other stakeholders to enhance game accessibility, stressing the importance of integrating accessibility at all stages of development in collaboration with players with disabilities. |
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