Xbox has shared new updates and accessibility features, community support, and resources in honour of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD).
GAAD is a day solely to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital access/inclusion and people with different disabilities.
Here are the initiatives Xbox have announced to bring more inclusiveness to their hardware and software:
- Providing additional accessory updates and options for players with disabilities, including updates to the Xbox Adaptive Controller, a continued commitment to investing in accessibility-focused hardware, working with accessibility hardware manufacturers to become authorised Designed for Xbox partners, and providing means for the gaming and disability community who have been impacted by the unauthorised accessories update to give feedback to Xbox.
- Announcing the Proteus Controller (available for preorder), a Designed for Xbox video game controller kit featuring innovative ‘snap and play’ parts that easily connect together and allow players the ability to play their favourite Xbox and PC games right out of the box.
- Spotlighting accessibility features within different games, including Candy Crush Soda Saga, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, and Diablo IV.
- Showcasing new gameplay resources, including new accessibility support pages categorised by disability (including speech, cognitive, vision, mobility, and hearing), improved filter and sort settings on console that help players find accessible games more easily, and coming soon, a way for players to earn an Xbox Ambassador Accessibility Ally Badge.
- A new Game Accessibility Workshop Toolkit for all developers, which includes instructions and visual assets to help game developers conduct Game Accessibility Workshops on their own.
- Sharing new research that delves into how developers can think about accessibility within gaming AI experiences, and more!
Earn the new Xbox Ambassador Accessibility Ally Badge
Xbox has also announced a new community badge, the Xbox Ambassador Accessbility Ally badge. This badge can be earned after completing quests and knowledge checks to reach a new top level in the Xbox Accessibility Explorer Path on the Xbox Ambassadors website.
This is only the surface of what Xbox has announced. Check out the full Xbox Wire blog here.
