#a11yTO Meetup Group

Join us on March 19 for an in person a11yTO session focused on accessibility in game design.

We all want our games to be engaging and enjoyable. But what happens when the mechanics that make a game fun create barriers for some players? How do we build accessible games while preserving the core loops and interactions that define the experience?
In this 40 minute talk Rick will share lessons learned from building accessible first web and mobile games at Relish Digital & Games. Accessibility was not treated as an afterthought. It was a requirement from day one.

Working with organizations such as TFO, PBS Kids, the American Heart Association, and the NFL, Rick and his team developed games designed specifically for children with a wide range of disabilities including blindness, low vision, Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities, physical impairments, neurodiversity, and intellectual disabilities.

He will walk us through real examples of the games they built, the challenges they encountered, and the practical decisions made to preserve gameplay while embedding accessibility throughout the experience.
You will learn:

• How to integrate accessibility into core mechanics instead of layering it on later
• Ways to design meaningful customization options
• What works and what does not when building inclusive interactive experiences
• How lessons from children’s games can apply to broader digital products

Whether you design for kids or adults, web or mobile, games or other interactive experiences, this session will provide practical insights and inspiration for building products that welcome more people into the experience.