they're trying to cancel me for Situational Disabilities & Accessibility Design

Summary

Alana, a AAA game studio writer and accessibility consultant, discusses the misconceptions surrounding game accessibility. She emphasizes that accessibility is not just about physical disabilities but includes situational and temporary needs, such as being unable to pause a game due to childcare. Alana explains the three pillars of disability in design—permanent, temporary, and situational—and argues for broader consideration in game design to accommodate a wider range of players without compromising core game principles.

Takeaways

• 😀 Alana is a writer and accessibility consultant at a AAA game studio, with credits on games including God of War Ragnarok.
• 🏆 Alana created the Video Game Accessibility Awards, highlighting games that excel in accessibility features.
• 🎮 In a video, Alana discusses the misconception that accessibility in games equates to an 'easy mode', arguing that it's about enabling all players to experience the game fully.
• 🔍 Alana explains the broader concept of accessibility design, emphasizing it's not just for those in wheelchairs but applies to a wide range of situations and disabilities.
• 👶 She uses the example of a parent unable to pause a game like Elden Ring due to a child's interruption, illustrating the concept of situational disabilities in gaming.
• 📚 Alana introduces the 'three pillars of disability' in design: permanent, temporary, and situational, which are widely recognized in various design fields.
• 🔨 The term 'disability' in design is used to describe any hindrance that prevents a user from completing a task, which can be situational or permanent.
• 🌐 Microsoft's design toolkit is cited as a reference for the three pillars of disability, indicating the mainstream acceptance of these concepts.
• 💡 Alana emphasizes that accessibility design aims to think broadly about all possible situations where a user might be hindered, without changing the core design principles of a game.
• 🚫 She clarifies that not all games or apps need to address every accessibility need, but the goal is to consider as many as possible to enhance inclusivity.
• 🔄 Alana acknowledges the evolving nature of language and is open to changing the term 'disability' in the context of design if it offends or upsets people.

Q & A

Who is Alana and what is her role in the gaming industry?

Alana is a writer on the design team at a AAA game studio, and she also works as an accessibility consultant, having contributed to seven games so far. She is credited as an accessibility consultant on 'God of War Ragnarok'.

What is the significance of Alana's work in the accessibility space?

Alana's work in accessibility is significant as it ensures that games are more inclusive, catering to a broader range of players with varying abilities and situations. Her efforts have contributed to making games more accessible without compromising the intended experience.

What is the 'Video Game Accessibility Awards' and what is its purpose?

The 'Video Game Accessibility Awards' is an award show created by Alana that recognizes and celebrates games that excel in accessibility. It has been running for two years but took a break in the year 'God of War Ragnarok' was released to avoid a conflict of interest.

What does Alana believe about the criticism of 'Elden Ring' being too hard?

Alana disagrees with the criticism that 'Elden Ring' is too hard. She believes that the game's difficulty is not a negative aspect, but rather a challenge that players should embrace and overcome to improve their skills.

How does Alana define accessibility in the context of game design?

Alana defines accessibility in game design as going beyond just catering to players with physical disabilities. It includes considering various types of disabilities such as permanent, temporary, and situational, ensuring a broader range of players can enjoy the game.

What are the three pillars of disability as explained by Alana?

The three pillars of disability are permanent, temporary, and situational. Permanent disabilities refer to long-term conditions, temporary disabilities are short-term conditions like a broken arm, and situational disabilities are context-dependent, like being unable to pause a game while caring for a child.

Why does Alana think it's important to consider situational disabilities in game design?

Alana believes considering situational disabilities in game design is important because it allows for a more inclusive and user-friendly experience. It ensures that games can be enjoyed by a wider audience, including those in unique situations that may temporarily hinder their ability to play.

What is Alana's personal experience with accessibility in gaming?

Alana has tendonitis in both wrists, which is considered a permanent disability. This condition affects her ability to rapidly button mash in games, and she relies on accessibility features such as changing quick time events to press and hold instead of tapping.

How does Alana view the criticism she received for identifying as disabled due to her wrist condition?

Alana acknowledges the criticism but maintains that her condition is indeed a permanent disability that affects her gaming experience. She believes in the importance of recognizing and accommodating various disabilities, including her own.

What is Alana's stance on the use of the term 'disabled' in the context of situational disabilities?

Alana is open to changing the term 'disabled' if it causes discomfort or offense. She understands that language evolves and is willing to use 'situational impairment' instead if it aligns better with societal preferences.

How does Alana approach the challenge of fulfilling every accessibility need in game design?

Alana acknowledges that it is nearly impossible to fulfill every accessibility need due to the vast number of requirements. However, she advocates for thinking broadly and considering as many situations as possible to make games more accessible without compromising design principles.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Accessibility in Gaming: Beyond Easy Modes

Alana, a writer and accessibility consultant at a AAA game studio, discusses her role in the industry and her work on seven games, including 'God of War Ragnarok'. She emphasizes that accessibility in gaming is not just about easy modes but is a broader concept that can affect anyone at different times. Alana challenges the misconception that accessibility is only for people in wheelchairs, explaining that it includes situational disabilities like having a child interrupt a game session, which prevents pausing the game.

05:01

👶 Situational Disabilities in Gaming Design

Alana elaborates on the concept of situational disabilities in game design, using the example of being unable to pause a game like 'Elden Ring' when a child is in danger. She introduces the three pillars of disability in design: permanent, temporary, and situational. She explains that while accessibility design should aim to be as inclusive as possible, it's not feasible to accommodate every need. Alana also touches on the broader implications of accessibility in app and web development, where the goal is to ensure users can complete tasks without being 'disabled' by situational factors.

10:02

🔊 The Language of Accessibility and Its Impact

In the final paragraph, Alana addresses the potential discomfort some may feel with the term 'disability' in the context of accessibility. She acknowledges that language evolves and is open to changing the terminology if it makes people more comfortable. Alana suggests that 'situational impairment' could be a more acceptable term. She also reflects on her personal journey with accessibility, starting with her own wrist condition that affects her gaming experience, and how it led her to become an advocate for accessibility features in games.

Keywords

💡Accessibility Consultant

An accessibility consultant is a professional who specializes in ensuring that products, such as video games, are designed to be usable by people with a wide range of abilities. In the video, Alana mentions her role as an accessibility consultant on 'God of War Ragnarok,' highlighting her significant contributions to the game's accessibility features, which align with the video's theme of discussing the importance of accessibility in gaming.

💡Video Game Accessibility Awards

The Video Game Accessibility Awards is an event created by Alana to recognize and celebrate games that excel in providing accessible experiences for players with disabilities. Although the awards took a break in the year 'God of War Ragnarok' was released to avoid conflicts of interest, this concept underscores the video's emphasis on the value and impact of accessible game design.

💡Elden Ring

Elden Ring is a video game that has received criticism for being too difficult. Alana uses this game as a case study in her video to argue against the notion that accessibility features are only for making games easier, but rather for allowing a broader audience to enjoy the full experience of the game, challenging the misconceptions about the purpose of accessibility in gaming.

💡Accessibility Design

Accessibility design refers to the practice of creating products that can be used by people with various disabilities. The video emphasizes that accessibility design is not limited to physical disabilities but also includes situational and temporary disabilities. Alana explains that accessibility design is crucial for ensuring that games can be enjoyed by a diverse range of players, including those with situational limitations like being a new parent or having a temporary injury.

💡Permanent Disabilities

Permanent disabilities are long-term conditions that affect an individual's ability to perform certain tasks. In the context of the video, Alana mentions permanent disabilities as one of the three pillars of disability in design, giving examples such as individuals with one arm or blindness, to illustrate the need for inclusive design in gaming and other software interfaces.

💡Temporary Disabilities

Temporary disabilities are conditions that are not permanent but affect an individual's abilities for a limited time, such as a broken arm or an ear infection. Alana uses this term to expand the understanding of accessibility beyond permanent disabilities, showing that accessibility design should consider a wide range of scenarios, including those where users may have temporary limitations.

💡Situational Disabilities

Situational disabilities refer to conditions that are not inherent to an individual but are caused by external circumstances, such as having a child or being in a loud environment. Alana explains how these situational factors can disable a person from fully engaging with a game or software, emphasizing the importance of considering such scenarios in accessibility design.

💡Design Principles

Design principles are the fundamental guidelines that inform the creation of a product, ensuring it meets its intended purpose while also being user-friendly. The video discusses how accessibility features should be added without changing the core design principles of a game, maintaining the integrity of the gaming experience while making it more inclusive.

💡Time Wars

The term 'Time Wars' is used by Alana to describe a current trend where corporations aim to capture as much of consumers' time as possible. In the context of accessibility, this could mean designing software that is so engaging that users do not encounter any 'situational disabilities' that would cause them to disengage, thus keeping them within the software ecosystem.

💡Tendinitis

Tendinitis is a medical condition characterized by inflammation or irritation of a tendon, which can limit one's ability to perform certain actions, such as rapid button mashing in video games. Alana shares her personal experience with tendinitis in both wrists, which has made her more aware of the need for accessibility options in gaming, such as the ability to change quick time event (QTE) actions to press and hold instead of tapping.

💡Corporations

Corporations are large companies that often drive the development of products and services. In the video, Alana suggests that while some corporations may be motivated by a genuine desire to include all users, others might be influenced by the 'Time Wars' phenomenon, where they aim to keep users engaged with their products for as long as possible, which can indirectly promote the consideration of accessibility in design.

Highlights

Alana introduces herself as a writer and accessibility consultant at a AAA game studio.

She is credited as an accessibility consultant on 'God of War Ragnarok'.

Alana created the 'Video Game Accessibility Awards', now in its second year.

She discusses the negative reviews of 'Elden Ring' for being too difficult.

Alana disagrees with the notion that games should be easier and advocates for players to 'get good'.

Accessibility design is broader than just physical disabilities, it includes situational and temporary disabilities.

Accessibility features are not just for those in wheelchairs but can apply to a wide range of players.

Alana explains the concept of situational disabilities in gaming, such as not being able to pause a game.

She introduces the three pillars of disability in design: permanent, temporary, and situational.

Alana provides examples of situational disabilities, such as having a heavy accent affecting voice command usage.

Accessibility design aims to alleviate situational disabilities without changing the core design principles of a game.

Alana clarifies that accessibility features are not about making games easier but about allowing more people to experience them.

She emphasizes that accessibility design is about thinking broadly and considering many situations.

Alana discusses the importance of language in accessibility and the potential for terms like 'disabled' to change over time.

She shares her personal experience with tendonitis, which led her to become involved in accessibility advocacy.

Alana acknowledges the role of corporations in promoting accessibility to ensure user engagement with their software.

She concludes by expressing openness to changing the term 'disabled' if it makes people more comfortable.

Transcripts

allow me to explain hello everyone if

you don't know me I'm Alana and I work

9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at a AAA game

Studio I am a writer on the design team

but I also work as an accessibility

consultant and I've done that on seven

separate games so far uh I'm credited as

an accessibility consultant on God of

War Ragnarok because that is the much

work that I did on that game was in the

accessibility space and I also created

my own award show called the video game

accessibility Awards uh We've run that

for 2 years I took a break last year

because God of War Ragnarok came out and

it would be very weird to have an award

show the same year as the game that you

worked on accessibility even though I

don't vote on it it's voted on by a full

panel of disabled Gamers but uh it's a

thing that I care a lot about and know a

lot about um more than most people

though there are certainly people who

like full-time do accessibility in the

space Who would know way more than I do

but earlier in the week I made a video

that I called Elden ring is too hard in

quotations um and majority of that video

I think it's like the first eight

minutes I'm just basically talking about

the negative reviews that Elden ring has

gotten for being too hot and saying that

I disagree with them majority of that

video is me saying no I think that you

should get good like I did literally say

get good in it the second part of that

video I wanted to talk about something

that I'm just going to give with more

detail now about accessibility

design and why when people talk about

being against a game being accessible I

think it's really silly because their

accessibility is so much broader than

just a guy in a wheelchair which is what

most people seem to think of when they

think about accessible design but when

it actually comes to that design it is

much much much broader than that and

will definitely apply to you at some

situation in your life so in this video

I was talking about that I was saying

when people ask for accessibility in

games they aren't asking for an easy

mode because they also just want to

experience the hard game they're not

trying to get it to just be easier and I

was saying you know accessibility design

is so much bigger than than people think

it is an example I used and to be clear

I wasn't even advocating for this I

didn't say that I think it should be

there it was just an example an example

I gave uh where I let me just show you

the clip first let's let show you the

full clip and people that are asking for

accessibility are not actually asking

for an easy mode that isn't the intent

there are also multiple kinds of

disabilities especially where gaming is

concerned there are long-term

disabilities there are situational

disabilities there are temporary

disabilities it counts as a disability

where a video game like Elden ring is

concerned if you have a kid you have a

2-year-old you're trying to play Elden

ring you can't pause that is a

situational disability that you have

where the game not having the option for

you to be able to pause for example is a

hindrance for your

particular disability a situational

disability you may need to pause to stop

your kid from putting a fork into a a

sock so I basically explained three

pillars of disability as it pertains to

design I did not invent this term this

term has been around for a long time

there are variations of the term and

it's multiple facets of Design This is

used in web design it is used in app

design it is used in software design and

it is used in game design or development

design or development either really

works as it turns out to actually even

broader than that um I've learned this

week from people contacting me about it

that situational disability is also

considered in like commercial build

buildings um apparently it's not even

just app development it is much bigger

than that and there are three pillars of

design there is permanent which is the

thing that I think most people think of

when they think of the word disabled

person who has one arm somebody who is

blind uh let me pull this up literally

just give you a direct example this is

from Microsoft design toolkit and I'm

sourcing them because they are the

company that most of you will know the

name of will be familiar with but you

can find examples of this all over the

place in this space so we have permanent

on this side which is for example

someone has a perent disability someone

with one arm someone who is blind

someone who's deaf or someone who is

nonverbal then there are temporary

disabilities which is like if you broke

your arm you broke your wrist you have

an ear infection then there are

situational disabilities this is example

that's used here as new parent a driver

who is distracted a bender I can explain

the Bender one because people confused

about that as well and a heavy accent

people are also reacting to the heavy

accent one so let me explain what the

situational disabilities mean here maybe

an app can't understand your voice

because you you have a heavy acccident

that is considered a situational

disability you are disabled you are

unable you can't cannot proceed uh

through whatever software or whatever

task you are trying to complete uh

because of something that is situational

to you and it is situational also to the

context of that game like the

situational here means having a heavy

accent is not considered a disability in

layman's terms you would not be called

disabled all over the world none of

these things are like if you have a

heavy accent you're disabled it's not

that it's just the situational

disability in terms of design is that

you are disabled from using the

interface in the way that a user should

be able to because of your situational

disability that's the term the bartender

example here um is referring to a really

loud environment so if you are somewh

loud they could also use Music Festival

but they're just using someone who

functionally regularly Works in a

certain environment so if they're in a

loud environment and they can't hear a

particular thing on whatever app

whatever interface that they are trying

to use the accessible design would aim

to alleviate that situational disability

it's not saying bartenders are disabled

in the way that the public Associates

the term disabled I feel like distracted

driver is pretty obvious the new parent

one um the example that I used which

again is fairly commonly used I didn't

invent the it's been around for a really

long time is if you're a parent you're

trying to play a game like Elden ring

and you are halfway through your boss

fight and your kid runs across the floor

and does something dangerous you have to

drop the controller and go and get them

that would be considered a situational

disability in that in that situation you

are unable to complete the task that you

are trying to complete because of

something that happened to you

situationally you have been disabled

from completing the task the way this

pertains to accessibility isn't to say

that all games all apps all processes

need to alleviate all of these things

that's not the intent either like it's

just a way in which accessible design is

much broader than people think it is in

the ways that it can help a lot more

people than people think it can and it's

also definitely a reality in

accessibility where it is basically

impossible I would argue to fulfill

every accessibility need on the planet

that is very very very difficult to do

there are so many of them the

situational ones are so numerous but

it's just a means of looking at design

that would allow the people who are

doing the accessibility design to think

about it as broadly as possible think of

as many situations as possible in which

somebody is disabled from completing the

task somebody's unable to complete the

task somebody is hinded from completing

whatever task they are trying to

whatever function they are trying to

complete and whatever software they are

engaging with I think the word

disability is probably really common

used in the text Bas because we use

disabled a lot like a function was

disabled this feature has been disabled

Bluetooth has been disabled it is no

longer able to work not because it's

been turned off or it doesn't exist it

has just been disabled I think that's

probably why it's widely used and not

considered to be offensive when it comes

to design and there are also I've

definitely seen people say having kids

isn't a disability it's just a

responsibility go do something else and

that's totally valid yes if you that can

make you a shitty parent the intention

is not to allow parents to be shitty

parents the intention is to allow them

to not be punished or have a negative

consequence in your product because of

something like that where possible and

like a very good example of I think

people misunderstanding it as a design

ethos and not a thing you have to do is

I've seen people say oh what so I'm

disabled if I can't pause in a

multiplayer game when I need to no one

would ever argue to take away from the

design of the game so like if that is

the purpose of the game is an online

multiplayer experience where you are

having interactions with people in real

time and that is the core of the game no

one is going to argue that the game

fundamentals should ever change that's

not what people are asking for no one's

going to say you need to have a pause

menu in an online game like that that

obviously is functionally impossible it

is just about thinking about the most

accessible options for the thing that

you are making without changing design

principles you would never change design

principles you would still want your

core game to function exactly as is The

Last of Us Part Two again I think is the

most accessible game ever made they

clearly created exactly what they

intended to create and then added all

the accessibility features to make it an

extremely accessible game and the

purpose of sheets like this and

information like this again is not to

say that like your game's not going to

be no one is going to be furious if it

doesn't hit pillar it's just that there

are a lot of pillars a lot of this comes

of course from people who actually care

about Gamers who have disabilities I am

one of those it started in a very

selfish way I mentioned it in the video

but I have tendonitis in both my wrists

this means that I can't rapidly Button

Mash I've had that for like maybe 10

years now and so I have trouble playing

any game that just requires like if you

have a QT I will always change to press

and hold in the accessibility menu

rather than tapping because I will

eventually like my wrist will lock up

and I won't be able to do it that's how

I got involved in accessibility and

technically that is considered a

permanent disability I do call myself

disabled because I have that like in

general terms I'm not going to say I'm

disabled but I've actually had people

who most people would identify as

disabled in the accessibility space

criticize me for that like I've had

criticism that it's basically aana you

are disabled and by being afraid to use

that word you are preventing other

people from realizing that they also

have disabilities that's a whole thing

but technically that is considered a

permanent disability in so far as it is

permanent it's not going away and I have

trouble playing video games and so I

need accessibility features that's how I

got involved in the space now as I was

saying a lot of this obviously comes

from people who have disabilities who

care about disabilities who actually

genuinely care but I'm also sure that a

lot of this comes from the app

development and the web development

where they just want to make sure that

you will never turn off the thing part

of it is surely corporations being very

time hungry we call it the time Wars

here on this channel where I've spoken

many times about right now being in an

era where corporations just want as much

of your time as possible so I don't

doubt that some of this when it comes to

higher ups is also coming from the time

Wars where you know the corporation

wants to make sure that you don't have a

situational disability that prevents you

from engaging with their software that

makes their software frustrating that

makes you want to put down their

software in any capacity it is

definitely mostly people who care in my

experience I don't think I've ever met

any of those people but I don't doubt

like that the term probably came from

web development or app development where

they were just trying to make sure that

you wouldn't have some situation that

would disable you from completing the

task on their website that they want you

to stay on now if people are upset or

offended by the term disability or

disabled here I I don't think you're

ever wrong to be upset by a word or

offended by a word if that's how you

feel and that that is how you feel this

has been this way for a long time it is

used in the space all the time it is

used by disa permanently visibly

disabled people on a regular basis in

the accessibility space but language

changes according to societal

preferences all the time so if people

were to you know just be learning about

this term this week which it seems like

is the case for a lot of people and are

really offended by the use of disabled

or disability in this context I'm not

not against changing it I'm an

accessibility consultant but I'm not on

the kind of boards where they make these

terms or make these docks I've just

helped on games specifically with the

permanent disability side not the

situational disability side but if

you're upset about the term I'm not

going to tell you you're wrong to feel

that way uh if it made you uncomfortable

to hear that kids are considered a

situational disability again it's not

that kids are though it's that the

context of which the child appears and

does something disables you from

completing a task whatever semantics but

if you would like to change the term and

if people would be more comfortable if

when I speak about this again in the

future which I'm sure I will I many

times before that I call it a

situational impairment instead I'm

totally fine to do that it's just a term

disabled exists in this context because

of the industry from which it was born

but I'm not against it being changed