Disabled Gamers: Accessibility in Video Games

Video games have become an increasingly important cultural medium. At the same time, a significant portion of the population has a disability, which often leads to difficulties playing video games. Through the analysis of the disabled gaming community and a selection of mainstream computer games, we have uncovered several issues not previously noted by existing publications, either from within or without academia. Specialized alternative input devices, a commonly cited solution for gamers with mobility impairments, does not see widespread adoption, possibly due to the difficulty in obtaining them. Modern mainstream games, while cognizant of accessibility features, will only implement them so far as permitting basic gameplay, while leaving disabled gamers with a reduced gameplay experience. We have also uncovered issues that merit further investigation, such as that of digital game distribution platforms, such as Steam, and microtransaction games with revenue dependent upon player failure.