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...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Larreina-Morales, María Eugenia|||0000-0002-4783-4331, Mangiron i Hevia, Carme|||0000-0002-6421-8581
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:326370
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/326370
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.47476/jat.v8i8.2025.355
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Audio description
Blind and low vision players
Game accessibility
Interviews
Visual disability
Descripción
Sumario: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.