Accessibility Idol: Season Finale!

Speakers: Brenda Brathwaite, Chris Quinn, Dimitris Grammenos, Eelke Folmer, Ellen Guon Beeman, Ernest Adams, Frank Cabanski, Michelle Hinn, Noah Falstein, Reid Kimball, Richard Van Tol, Robert Florio, Sander Huiberts, Sheri Graner Ray, Thomas Westin

Track: IGDA

Format: Panel

Experience Level: All

Description: That’s right…the reality show that’s taken the world by storm is now about to name THE FIRST ACCESSIBILITY IDOL! Game industry veterans have long been bemoaning the fact that they’ve already seen it all, done it all – what is possibly left to be done in gaming that they didn’t already do in 1970…er…1980…make that 1990. Then IGDA TV came to them with the challenge that they could not ignore – the next chapter in total global gaming dominance…making sure their games could be played by the 10-20% of the population with disabilities. It’s been a big year (ok, last few months) for our famous game designers who have made it to the finale of Accessibility Idol. Haven’t seen the other episodes of the season yet? Not to worry! We’ll share the tears, the jeers, and the controversy that has followed our brave finalists to the end and then, for the first time, YOU can witness the CARNAGE…LIVE. Amongst the finalists is Ernest Adams who won immunity in the last challenge. But who will the other finalists be? You must wait for the decision of the tribal council (we’ve got ratings to worry about, man, we can’t tell you EVERYTHING). Why should you care? Why should you NOT care? This isn’t fashion, people – it’s games and glamour and grit and gore and about making games for the REAL heroes of the gaming world – gamers with disabilities. Come and steal tips from the IGDA Game Accessibility SIG and our finalists so you can create designs that will help ensure you can start tapping into this significant market share. This is about making games for those gamers with nothing but pure determination to play your inaccessible games despite all the barriers you’ve put into your games. So come early and grab your seat, bring your cameras (it makes the contestants nervous, which is great for ratings) and maybe, just maybe, YOU’LL have the chance to participate in the NEXT season of ACCESSIBILITY IDOL!!

Idea Takeaway: The pressure of the road to becoming the First Accessibility Idol, including the tears, the psychotic breakdowns, and touching moments that will tug at your heart…only to be topped by the drama and shocking conclusions of the live finale where nothing, at all, has been scripted. Oh -- and, also, tips on making your next game titles accessible for gamers with disabilities.

Intended Audience: Designers, programmers, and publishers interested in learning about how they’ve been ignoring 10-20% of the population. Those who need/want to be schooled by catty game accessibility experts and witness the carnage that results.