Accessibility Design Channel

[open jetty]

I have suggested a similar channel on other game development servers, as this is an often overlooked part of game design that comes with its own unique set of challenges and designs that often get drowned out in the noise when briefly discussed. We all have huge libraries of games to play, but not everyone does simply because the design of a game's features are not accessible to them. So, I think a channel that focuses on implementing accessibility design, UI, features, where people can ask questions and get answers, etc would be a solid addition to the community-- and a place we can learn from those who have done so how to tackle/handle various accessibility design features without it getting lost. We are all, usually, too lost in our games and ideas without thinking that with (sometimes) small changes, more people, can play our games... and we can increase the number of accessible games for everyone. We all get old, and we we never know what life throws in our direction, and someday we, ourselves, may very well find ourselves in a situation where we need those features to play our own games. So, let's make it easier for all of us to include accessibility features with a channel dedicated to doing so.

[woven canyon]

Generally our criteria for adding new channels is centered around how much engagement a topic receives in the existing channels.

If there is a large engagement in existing channel with a particular topic that starts to drown out or overtake the core conversation of that channel, we will break it out into its own.

Another consideration is how well will people understand the purpose of the channel and the topic itself. If it is not easily understood to a high degree, it can lead to offtopic chat which detracts from the channels intent (our previous design channels are a perfect example).

With these 2 things in mind, unfortunately, I don't see how breaking this particular topic out into its own channel will result in constructive discussions for the most part.

There is no large engagement with this topic in existing channels (perhaps due to the second point I will make below), which means that the existing channels are still well equipped to be able to handle whatever engagement does exist.

The topic itself is not easily defined such that the majority of people can understand the purpose and intent of the topic in its own channel. We had this exact issue with previous design related channels for which it got so bad that we had to archive them.

We welcome you (and the wider community) to further refine the request for such a new channel to address this last point.

[open jetty]

This is a part of the problem with accessibility design, it is not a widely discussed issue.

And the lack of resources and existing awareness of including it is a huge part of the problem why there is no discussion.

[woven canyon]

You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.

Unfortunately, even if we were to add the channel, there is no evidence to suggest that it will increase engagement in the topic itself. If it doesn't have engagement now, its because it isn't a high priority for people. Nothing we can do about that. We cant force people to make it more important for them.

[open jetty]

But we can give them the opportunity and the resources, right at their fingertips. Sometimes, on something like this, that is enough to make a change.

Nobody is looking to 'force' anybody to do anything-- just give them an easy, right there, resource. 🤷‍♀️

I will amend it to "Accessibility for People with Disabilities"

So, now we have a clear purpose. 🙂

[swift bobcat]

That's far too long for a channel name though 😛

[open jetty]

Haha, ye, it's a bit long... but, I'm sure it can be shortened. 😄

[fast cypress]

I agree and disagree a bit. Fundamentally I believe I'm in support of a channel discussing accessibility. I'm a believer that not all topics are discussed when there isn't a clear place to discuss them at. I imagine this topic would likely come up in maybe #umg or #ue5-general or I'm not sure, maybe #audio ? like, I dunno. That being said, it's a minority issue, and waiting for it to have a large volume of people discussing it in other channels seems counter-intuitive because it's a minority issue. Many studios are now putting a lot of effort and making large strides in the realm of accessibility, and (just from a purely marketing perspective) it drives a lot of free marketing for games that put in great efforts, or are creative with their accessibility options. I don't think it'd be a hugely popular channel, but I do believe it'd be an important one, and one worth considering at least.

I'm in support of this (at it stands, and we'll continue discussions on this topic internally as well as on this thread) to see if it's truly something we need in the server, or if it's something that is better off waiting for future developments to do.

[woven canyon]

I think as it stands right now, the idea of the channel isnt well enough fleshed out that I can stand behind it for the last point i brought up.

There is only (what i feel) a vague sense of what the channel is supposed to do. It needs more work before i can support it.

[swift bobcat]

Even as a place to put stickies about the different types of colour blindness it might be useful. That seems to be the most common accessibility thing in games.

[fast cypress]

Fair enough, that's what these forum threads are great for, and I agree, It's not fleshed out enough of an idea yet, but I hope this thread continues on with ideas of ways to utilize and properly define it's purpose, usage, and content. ^_^

[open jetty]

I think a good starting point could be a place for putting the most well-known resources for implementing features into the hands of people, at least as a starting point. I would hope, it would be a place that would draw people who have experience, who have made games with accessibility features for disabled people that could help others. To my earlier statement, it's just so often unthought of and overlooked-- even for myself. I didn't even consider it until someone said about a thing I was working on. "Your game would be great for blind people if you did X." And then I found a world of resources and discussions I did not even consider that existed. Discussion about what this would look like is a great starting point.

[open jetty]

I would like to think all of us could think of ways to make it a implementable idea. I'm sure, being in the mod team, you see/hear things I don't, or have a better sense of the over-all community. What do you think would be a good way to chisel this down, so that the whole community here could have the option of taking advantage of it should they want to?

[fast cypress]

Just an update, after a short discussion internally, it seems we will be adding a channel to serve these discussions. I've changed the topic status to "in progress".

[open jetty]

Just lemme know when there's a channel, I'll join in-- and may be able to pull in some people who work in the field to offer some sage advice too.

[signal kite]

as an alternative, maybe a forum style channel that has threads for accessibility resources and maybe one discussion post that can afford to be "dead"

and now i read up, it appears everyone already said that lol

but i do agree an accessibility channel would be amazing

as someone that finds accessibility to be a major concern, not only knowing common methods of increasing accessibility, but potentially as discussion on how to implement them in an unreal game, could be quite value

[open jetty]

Yup, I'm getting old myself-- and who knows, in a couple years or so, I might need my own accessibility features.