Tech Companies Committed to Making Technology Accessible and Inclusive

Whether you are developing smartphones or gaming controllers it is essential for brands to develop products that are inclusive. People with disabilities need access to technology that considers individual needs. It’s important for everyone to have access to technology because it creates opportunities for us, socially and economically. According to the Capgemini Research Institute, 84% percent of tech workers admit that tech products are not inclusive. But major brands like Apple, Microsoft, and Ubisoft are taking the lead in making everyone feel included.

Apple is a leader when it comes to inclusive technology, especially with advanced artificial intelligence. Apple’s accessibility settings allows users with vision, mobility, hearing and cognitive disabilities to personalize devices to fit needs. Their artificial intelligence helper, Siri, helps users set up devices with features such as VoiceOver, which is a screen reader, and a braille display. The voice control features allow users to navigate devices without even having to touch the screen, this is perfect for individuals with mobility disabilities. The brand developed hearing aids that can be used with devices and have apps such as sounds recognition and conversation boost to aid people with hearing disabilities. Apple’s spoken content allows users to listen along while reading and offers background sounds to help minimize the level of distractions on your device which is perfect for people with cognitive disabilities.

Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more, has also contributed to making technology more accessible and inclusive. During Microsoft’s 12th annual Ability Summit, they celebrated the launch of the new and improved Inclusive Tech Lab. The purpose of this lab is to study, learn and produce technology that is accessible for people with disabilities. The Inclusive Tech Lab is recognized as an embassy for people with disabilities and isn’t just a focus group of individuals. They come together to create functional products. In 2018, Microsoft launched the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which was intended to meet the needs of gamers with limited mobility. The wide range of external switches and thumbsticks allows gamers to customize the controller setup that best suits needs. Just last fall, they launched the Surface Adaptive Kit. Included in the kit is a collection of openers, labels and indicators for people who are blind, visually impaired and have limited mobility.

David Tisserland, Senior Manager of Accessibility at Ubisoft, began his expedition to make the brand a whole more inclusive in 2017. The journey began when Tisserland expanded his accessibility team by creating more than 20 roles in customer support, website design, and gaming development. Ubisoft’s accessibility team has played an important role in the development process of gaming products and updates. The brand began with minimum levels to make games more accessible. To make games more accessible for vision and cognitive disabilities, they have improved the quality of in-game narration. Considerations for the color blind include remappable controls. Higher quality subtitles and good font size also make a significant difference.

Organizations for Gamers

There are organizations that allow gamers to be a part of a community that focuses on building friendship, awareness and support.

In November 2018, Susan Banks and Courtney Craven developed a hobby site called “Can I Play That?” (CIPT), which was developed as a community forum for disabled gamers. The CIPT forum shares personal gaming experiences and reviews on new games and updates. The site has quickly become a destination for gamers who want to know if the latest games are inclusive. Executives from major developers like Playstation and Xbox also contribute to the site. 

The AbleGamers Foundation is an organization that allows gamers to come together and be a part of gaming communities. Part of the AbleGamers mission is to fight social isolation and to connect gamers on a global scale. Game developers work with AbleGamers to test the accessibility of products.

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