Happy Disability Awareness Month!
Ann Magill, a disabled woman, created the flag so that each color symbolizes a part of the community.
❤️ Physical
💛 Neurodiversity
🤍 Non-apparent & undiagnosed
💙 Mental Health
💚 Sensory (e.g. blind, deaf)
🖤 Mourning for those lost
The comments in this thread are wild. “It’s called acting, people can act deafness.” Yeah, but they really can’t though and it’s rare to see it done well.
Lemme explain why 🙂✨
Short update: They ended up shifting seats around to accommodate us and my “hearing impairment” only after arguing and calling them out on the ridiculousness of the situation. I’m on the verge of tears. Fuck ableism.
Inspiration porn is the objectification of disabled people and their experiences for the benefit of non-disabled people.
During TEDx, Stella Young explains that it exists “to motivate you so that we can look at them and think, well however bad my life is, it could be worse.”
Reminder that many Deaf and Hard of Hearing people don’t know sign language due to systemic audism.
Only ~1-2% of deaf people across the globe access education through sign language. And many are denied the ability to gain full fluency.
Give deaf kids access to their language!!
Y'all nurses who think this is funny should've picked a different career.
Fun fact, my deafness could have been preventable if people actually listened to me. Ironic, right? Yet here we are in 2019 making fun of patients.
#PatientsAreNotFaking
Community funded game dev friends: Please never, ever, EVER, add accessibility options as stretch goals.
“We’ll add subtitles if we hit the $150k mark!” is not the way to do it 🥲😭🚫
The only seats left were emergency exit. I signed something to my husband in ASL, they asked if I was deaf… and that was that. Despite already demonstrating I can hear via cochlear implants, they decided I was no longer qualified to be seated in my spot. All because I signed.
When folks think of the word “deaf,” they assume that it means the person cannot hear. What they miss is the social, cultural, and medical aspects of being deaf, all of which are complex & intertwined. A hearing actor, no matter how much research, will never be fully informed.
Plus deaf people have to involuntarily communicate with hearing people ALL THE TIME. We can handle working with hearing folks... sounds more like abled folks don’t want to work with us. 😬
And when I see the lazy excuse of “not enough deaf actors” I seriously question the producers’ and directors’ ability to create authentic, high quality content. It’s literally your job to find accurate and qualified cast members. If you can’t even do that, idk what to tell you...
So please hire deaf and disabled actors. There are hundreds and thousands of them out there. And trust me, they’re just what you need in your films, and then some. ☺️🤟🏼
And sometimes we see producers say, “It’s hard to work with deaf people” or “Well, they need to speak sometimes.” DEAFNESS IS A SPECTRUM & VARIES! Tons of deaf people can speak/hear (with limits). Assuming deaf folks can’t do these things at all exemplifies the pure ignorance.
And just as an FYI, it’s painfully obvious to deaf viewers when a hearing actor is casted in a deaf role, even without prior knowledge. It’s somewhere between cringey and comical to watch. 😅
I just didn't realize they actually followed through.
I don't want to be overly critical, but this is setting a very dangerous precedent for accessibility and anyone and EVERYONE who works in accessibility should be very concerned right now.
@AtelierHeidi
Well when he says things like "I paid" and "I bought" it shows he didn't consider you an equal in the marriage. Doesn't matter who is making more. Guys, like Jared, who use money as a leverage in marriage clearly missed the point during the vows.
tl;dr takeaways: Volume controls and output adjustments are great for accessibility, that’s undeniable! But simplified/clear sound design and music can be even better 😄
Hi, I’m Morgan Baker & this is
#WhatAGameDevLooksLike
♿️♥️
I’m here, I’m queer, and most importantly… I can’t hear! 🙉✨
I do all things game accessibility, like chatting about design systems, and have an undying love for research.
I can go into further detail on the differences, picking apart the track piece by piece…
But what I’m trying to get at is I’m genuinely happy this is an option because I adore this song and would be sad to miss it in the upcoming remake.
Accessibility win, for me at least 🙂
UX Designers and Accessibility (
#a11y
) advocates, please pay attention to what YouTube has done to the deaf communities over the past year:
1. Are removing community captions
2. Censoring automated captions
This is a very dangerous road we are on, so please rt for visibility.
I just didn't realize they actually followed through.
I don't want to be overly critical, but this is setting a very dangerous precedent for accessibility and anyone and EVERYONE who works in accessibility should be very concerned right now.
Friendly reminder that if it’s available in the game, a gameplay feature or option is not considered “cheating” 🤗
Change the difficulty! Level that skill! Use the weapon! Summon that ally!
Do what is fun & accessible for you 💖
@Imani_Barbarin
Kinda high key hate when non-disabled people have to create “I was XX for a day” videos to get a point across rather than just like…. Listening to actual folks who directly experience this stuff.
I’ve been hearing, hard of hearing, and deaf—so I have a very strong understanding of sound. There are plenty of games I’ve replayed through all these stages. I know exactly what this song sounds like.
I can barely comprehend the newest version, but the original crystal clear.
This is, by the strict definition, not equal access to content and user experience & makes me question YouTube's practices. Not only is it patronizing, but extraordinarily ableist.
CC
@rikkipoynter
because I'm sure she has a thread on this. Girl, my mind right now...
Folks are missing one of the core reasons why sometimes ASL > subtitles.
Not only does ASL express tone and emotion, but for many it’s their primary language. Do you know how exhausting it is to constantly do things in another language? For your hobby? This IS accessibility ☺️
I never thought I could work in games bc there was no one in games that are deaf like me.
It doesn't help that during my first games interview, in the final round, the director at [REDACTED] asked me, "So what do you plan to do about the whole deaf thing?"
That messed me up 😭
Still thinking about the sheer number of job interview offers that were "rescinded" from me after I disclosed my deafness.
And then people ask why there aren't enough devs with disabilities in the games industry... 😫
I am completely deaf, meaning I can’t hear at all. However, I have cochlear implants—an electronic device that can create an artificial sense of sound. It’s surgically placed and involves a removable outer processor.
It’s neat and can be helpful (for me) but sound quality sucks.
CI sound is distorted and robotic, lacking accurate tone, texture, timbre etc.
Which makes sense! The cochlea has a bazillion receptors whereas a CI can only simulate a very small %.
Meaning, audio that is more complex is harder for me to perceive, distinguish, and comprehend.
Y’all joke but this is an entire subject in game accessibility.
Accessible onboarding is an essential part of inclusive design. Tutorials, reminders, demonstrations, interactive learning… it’s all tied to cognition 🙂
Not to be confused with approachability 😉
It’s finally here!!
#Harmonium
🤟🏼🎶
I poured my soul into the game design and writing for Harmonium. Being a Deaf musician myself, it has a very special place in my heart. I can’t wait for everyone to experience it. Congrats to the
@TheOddGentlemen
team 💜
The team at the Odd Gentlemen believe that they can develop a new type of gameplay by making their worlds accessible to all. Their newest release was created with the Deaf community in mind. This is Harmonium: The Musical.
#TheGameAwards
.
I’m not here to criticize the latest video about curing deafness, mostly bc I’ve already discussed this many times before. But I ask that people raise their consciousness and consider biases when consuming this type of content.
Here’s an essay I wrote:
cw: maine shooting, death, ableism
Four deaf people were murdered, and some folks are more focused on how the interpreter looks “funny” and is “distracting” in the press release. Some even calling the Certified Deaf Interpreter as “fake” looking. Please, just let us grieve…
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), who previously opposed a ban on assault rifles, says he's asking "for forgiveness" and now calls on Congress to ban the weapons after Wednesday's deadly shootings in Lewiston, Maine.
"The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure."
Reminder to game devs that adding a disabled character to a game does not make it accessible. And making a game accessible does not mean your game has authentic disability representation.
Disability Inclusion = Representation + Accessibility
Representation =/= Accessibility
Got my hair cut today by the kindest hair salon. I shared in advance that I am deaf & they were swift to make my experience accessible and welcoming, with all kindness and no fuss. 🥹♥️
Hello games accessibility hivemind & disabled gamer friends! ☺️👋🏼
I’m putting together a list of folks & outlets who provide video game reviews that touch or focus on accessible player experiences.
Drop names, and feel free to make shameless self promotions! 😃⤵️
Y’ALL! My brain still can’t cope with the fact that I designed a game that will be sold at actual stores and played by tons of actual people. Holy F*CK 🤯
Your deaf girl has come far y’all 🙏🏼♥️
“These are all features able-bodied gamers can benefit from, but they may also be the difference of whether a disabled can even play the game or not.”
It’s as if accessibility, whether by design or through options, objectively makes our games better or something ♿️♥️♥️
Subtitles, by a Deaf Game Dev ✨
Things to consider:
1. Accuracy
2. Speaker labels
3. Intonation & emotion
4. Efficient sound effects
5. Font & size
6. Backdrop & color
8. Positioning
9. Length & line breaks
10. Time & synchronization
11. Directionality
Sometimes, just a small change can make a game more accessible ☺️
In Minecraft, Mojang changed the ore textures, making it easier to differentiate for colorblind folks, as well as improves cognitive accessibility. Can’t wait for Caves and Cliffs update!
Deaf person: I can’t play this game because I can’t hear the audio cues.
Hearing person: Don’t worry! The sound is annoying and the game sucks anyway.
This ain’t it, y’all!!! We still want to play games. Good, bad, or annoying. 🙃✨
I tweet about the audism I experience because I want folks like me to know they aren’t alone, and for others to learn what Deaf and Hard of Hearing people go through on a daily basis. We still have a lot of work to do ♥️
Subtitles in 11 language????
Signed in 4 languages!?!?!
Holy crap my inner deaf child is so happy right now look at how much more inclusive this community is getting 😭♥️
Tune in tomorrow for the most accessible
#UbiForward
to-date!
💬 Subtitled in 11 languages
🧏 Signed in 4 languages (🇺🇸🇬🇧🇩🇪🌐)
🗣️ Audio described in English
👉
Ok, can we talk about how accessible remote work is for employees with disabilities? It's been a life changer for me, personally 🙂
In fact, a 2022 analysis found that remote jobs saw the largest increase in the share of employees with disabilities 🤯
@YomiWrong
@JetBlue
Same airport and j*tBlue staff that tried to turn me down from a flight cause I’m deaf. Don’t even know their own protocols and backpedaled when I called them out ☹️
Policy via
@JetBlue
:
-Be able to hear well enough to understand instructions shouted by crewmembers without assistance; may wear hearing aids.
-Be able to speak English well enough to give information verbally to other customers
All of which I can do, clear cut ableism 🥲
The only seats left were emergency exit. I signed something to my husband in ASL, they asked if I was deaf… and that was that. Despite already demonstrating I can hear via cochlear implants, they decided I was no longer qualified to be seated in my spot. All because I signed.
Games Accessibility does not always mean options.
Designing with accessibility in mind not only means that more players can play our games, but it can also bring out the best in our design. And that's pretty neat 😃♥️
Gamers™️ be like:
Adding accessibility is bad, you have to play the game AS intended!! Anyway look at this bug exploit I found. I’m level 500 with infinite money and can one shot the final boss. Git gud mates 🥱
Alaqua Cox says the whole
#Echo
cast and crew took ASL classes
"When I arrived on set, I was greeted with, 'Hello, how are you?' in sign. It was the basics, but it was so nice to be able to communicate. It made me feel way more comfortable and welcomed"
(via
@Variety
)
My
#NewProfilePic
by the one and only, talented
@AngryangryD
! His incredible art captures my joy and energy 🥺💕
Please go check out his work! Forever obsessed with his style &
#SpaceMaria
🥰💫
What’s wild is that since the saw me using sign language, they assumed I would not be proficient in spoken English.
And they explained all of this to me, in spoken English. To which I replied, in perfectly executed spoken English 😳
ABLEISM IS WILD Y’ALL 😫
@BlondeHistorian
Don’t assume you should ask 😅
I’ve been in many situations of being quizzed on my disabilities by total strangers. Some going as far as trying to touch and physically move me. I felt uncomfortable at best, and completely unsafe at worst.