Accessibility in video games for the visually impaired population in Colombia

Abstract

In recent years, the change in the design of video games has become evident, one of them is accessibility for people with different disabilities, despite the laws, which are very limited, there are no standards that require companies, industries and producers from different sectors implement this resource in their projects.

From this research, the objective is to investigate the importance that these inclusion games comply with the response to stimuli provided by the industry, in this field, and that the support that the country is giving to this need to be felt is also felt. this visually impaired population. Based on the mixed research methodology, different sources are investigated in order to demonstrate how necessary it is that there are models of inclusion in video games, both entertainment and educational (serious), thus reaching an identity model that. The lack of laws and resources that promote this industry is evidenced.

The project made it possible to describe the main strategies and resources that have been proposed and/or implemented in terms of accessibility for people with visual disabilities in Colombia, investigating and comparing the information obtained from the state of the art, and in this way conclude with the impact of these development methods, in the visually impaired population. An important impact has been the technological evolution that other countries have managed to develop for this type of population.

As a conclusion, a disparity was found in the development of this project, which is precisely the little accessibility that people with visual disabilities have to video games in Colombia, because beyond the interaction that exists with some, much more access is required. And above all more investment and enactment of laws that support this resource.

Using the mixed research methodology, different sources are investigated in order to demonstrate how necessary it is that there are models of inclusion in video games, both entertainment and educational (serious), thus reaching an identity pattern that gives as shows the lack of laws and resources that promote this industry. From this type of research, it was concluded that the lack of resources has been a legible mark that passes through these industries that have the panorama quite compromised by the demands of the market, but that due to this lack of economic resources they cannot reach the levels of implementation. to its mission and vision.

Observing what was said above, it becomes complex to be able to carry out a research that clearly defines the inclusion processes for this type of people with said disability in Colombia. Each model of each industry is defined in a different way, since not all of them have this offer in their services. Common to this type of population. What, then, allowed us to conclude this research, finding social differences in each production of a video game? The project allowed us to describe the main strategies that have been proposed and/or implemented in terms of accessibility for people with visual disabilities in Colombia, investigating and comparing the information obtained from the state of the art, as mentioned above. Thus, then, different responses were found to this inclusion, not only in entertainment games but also in educational ones, which in the end are also very important in the classroom, because not only should one think about the distraction game, but also about the playful nature of teaching, thus helping teachers in the development of their classes. In this way, we conclude with the impact of these development methods on the visually impaired population.

Another important point that could be evidenced is the evolution of technology, which has brought haptic systems, immersive and dynamic audio, as well as braille itself in digital systems, this, of course, has allowed progress towards much more logical and dynamic resources, but they continue to be limited precisely because they cannot be implemented correctly, due to their high purchasing value. We must think not of people who suffer from visual disabilities, but rather we must think of all social strata with this type of disability who can, with their resources, access this type of technology.

Each part of the intervention exercise with state and private companies led to results that concluded in the population with visual disabilities that does not have the possibility of accessing this exercise of inclusion, and beyond the common interest in popularizing these video games, the limitation of certain sectors is seen that do not find in this undertaking a great industry, since the majority assures that it is more lucrative to invest in video games for people without no limitation or disability than investing in this other type of video game

In conclusion, the disabled population in Colombia is 3,134,037; this number is very high if we also consider the rural populations that live without any type of resource or technological reach; Due to their socio-economic condition and location, they are people who have a deterioration in services, then what is the extent of the disabled population in these areas that do not have the support and resources to improve their quality of life? It is almost null, there is no possibility that in the most vulnerable places and far from the reach of the government, inclusion exercises will be carried out with the visually disabled population, because simply in the last population census that was carried out in Colombia in 2018, more than 50% of the population They do not access the Internet, this added to governments that waste state money, it could be said that the level exceeds that percentage. If so, it is very possible that the reach of this population to these technological resources is very bad. A lot of economic investment is required on the part of the state, and for the designers of these technologies to expand to cover their creative enterprises, to the entire population, without the right to exclusion. For this reason, in this project a disparity is evident, which is precisely the little accessibility that people with visual disabilities have to video games in Colombia, not only from entertainment, but from their spaces in the classroom, which is what many demands. academics for their models and resources to work with this population, because beyond the interaction that exists with some (very few), much more access is still required and above all more investment and enactment of laws that support said resource.