Disabled friends create platform about accessibility in video games

Susan Banks had a love of video games but found that her deafness would sometimes prevent from playing certain games. In one particular occasion, she bought a video game that at a certain stage requires players to be able to listen to the game’s environment – Susan couldn’t do that so she could not advance in the game. “I died about 15 times before I realized I wouldn’t be able to do that part. Being that it was maybe an hour into the game, I’d just wasted $60”, Susan explained.

The game didn’t have any warning advising for the fact that players with hard-of-hearing conditions wouldn’t be able to play. So, Susan was inspired to create a blog where she would review games based on their accessibility. Together with her friend Courtney Craven they launched OneOddGamerGirl.com, in 2014. Courtney has lupus, which sometimes affects her hands, making it sometimes uncomfortable to use game controllers or computer mouses. As a consequence of another disease, she also became har of hearing.

To review the games, Susan would first play it and take not of all the parts she struggled with. Courtney, who doesn’t have hearing problems, would then play it herself to see if she also struggled with the same parts or if Susan’s struggles where indeed related to her deafness. They would then play it together to see if there was something Susan was missing because she couldn’t hear.

Their project was very successful and in 2018 they expanded it and launched “Can I Play That”, a game review platform aimed at the entire disabled community of gamers. The platform focuses “exclusively on the ever-growing presence and adoption of accessibility features within the gaming industry” with the objective of “influencing game updates, keeping disabled gamers informed, and providing a voice for one of the largest player bases in the industry.”

Adapted from: https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/deaf-gamers-making-gaming-more-acce...
https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/who-better-to-review-a-game-for-acc...
https://butwhythopodcast.com/2019/08/15/interview-a-conversation-about-a...

More information: https://caniplaythat.com/
https://caniplaythat.com/about-can-i-play-that/