Assistive technology in gaming: A survey of gamers with disabilities

Abstract

Assistive technology (AT), i.e. products to assist people with disabilities (among others), can enhance accessibility, yet we know little about their use in gaming. This study aims to answer the following research questions: 1. Do people with disabilities use assistive technology for gaming? 2. What assistive technology do people with disabilities use for gaming? 3. Why people with disabilities do not use assistive technology for gaming? The questions are addressed with survey data of 92 gamers with disabilities. The findings suggest that people with disabilities use different ATs for gaming. The most mentioned products were screen readers and custom controllers. However, the analysis has shown that people who are not currently using assistive technology could benefit from them, but barriers, such as price and lack of knowledge impede this use.