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• Towards Handicapping for Online Competitive Video Games: A Taxonomical Review of Intervention Studies

  Pete Gordon, William Kavanagh, Thomas Howson, David Lavallee · 2026 · ACM Games

  The paper addresses how skill disparities in online competitive video games create a "playerbase-diminishing feedback effect": weaker players suffer repeated defeats and quit, leaving the next tier to become the new bottom — a cycle that ultimately restricts access to only the…

  game accessibility · accessible gaming · inclusive design · literature review · player experience

• RAVEN: Realtime Accessibility in Virtual ENvironments for Blind and Low-Vision People

  Xinyun Cao, Kexin Phyllis Ju, Chenglin Li, Venkatesh Potluri, Dhruv Jain · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  RAVEN is a GenAI-powered system enabling blind and low-vision (BLV) users to query and modify 3D virtual environments in real time through natural language. Rather than relying on developer-defined static accessibility features (such as fixed audio descriptions or color…

  blind and low vision · virtual environments · generative AI · 3D accessibility · natural language interaction

• How Well Can 3D Accessibility Guidelines Support XR Development? An Interview Study with XR Practitioners in Industry

  Daniel Killough, Tiger F. Ji, Kexin Zhang, Yaxin Hu, Yu Huang, Ruofei Du, Yuhang Zhao · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This study is the first systematic evaluation of how well existing 3D accessibility (a11y) guidelines transfer to extended reality (XR) development in industry. The authors conducted 25 semi-structured interviews (1.5–3 hours each) with XR practitioners spanning freelancers,…

  extended reality · virtual reality · augmented reality · XR · game accessibility

• Shared Control for Game Accessibility: Understanding Current Human Cooperation Practices to Inform the Design of Partial Automation Solutions

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Matteo Manzoni, Filippo Corti, Sergio Mascetti · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper investigates 'shared control' in video games — an accessibility practice in which a player with a disability (the 'pilot') delegates inaccessible game actions to another agent (the 'copilot') so the pair jointly drive a single character. Shared control is…

  game accessibility · shared control · partial automation · human-AI collaboration · motor disability

• MoveTogether: Exploring Physical Co-op Gameplay in Mixed-Reality

  Pin Chun Lu, Wen-Fan Wang, Che Wei Wang, Ting-Ying Lee, TsaiHsuan Lin, Duo-Jie Hsiao, CheHan Hsieh, YuTing Tseng, Neng-Hao Yu, Mike Y. Chen · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper introduces MoveTogether, a mixed-reality (MR) co-op gameplay mechanic in which two co-located players jointly operate a single tracked physical prop that is virtually transformed inside a Meta Quest 3 MR scene (a ring, a trampoline, a bubble nozzle). The core…

  mixed reality · shared haptic controller · co-located collaboration · tangible interaction · accessible gaming

• MYOLINK esports: Exploring EMG-based Control Interface through Muscle Activation and Inhibition to Enable Common Gameplay Mechanics among Players with and without Physical Disabilities

  Masato Shindo, Shiina Takano, Shuto Sako, Akihiro Miyata, Ryosuke Aoki · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Shindo, Takano, Sako, Miyata, and Aoki (NTT and Nihon University) propose MYOLINK esports, a paradigm for inclusive competitive gaming that shifts game control from kinematic inputs (body position and posture) to kinetic inputs (muscle force). Four surface-EMG sensors are placed…

  esports · inclusive esports · electromyography · EMG · game accessibility

• AmblyOverlay: An Input-Transparent, Assistive Overlay for Binocular Visual Therapy and Dichoptic Filtering

  Pooja Thaker · 2025 · Proceedings of the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2025)

  AmblyOverlay is a proof-of-concept software tool that applies dichoptic color filters to any application window in real time, enabling binocular vision therapy during ordinary computer use — particularly gaming. The system targets people with amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus…

  amblyopia · visual therapy · dichoptic vision · assistive technology · binocular vision

• Understanding How Visually Impaired Players Socialize in Mobile Games

  Zihe Ran, Xiyu Li, Qing Xiao, Yanyun Wang, Franklin Mingzhe Li, Zhicong Lu · 2025 · Proceedings of the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2025)

  This study examines how visually impaired players in China use mobile games as platforms for socialization, going beyond the typical focus on gameplay accessibility to investigate the social dimensions of gaming. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 30…

  game accessibility · blind and low vision · social interaction · mobile accessibility · Global South accessibility

• Exploring The Affordances of Game-Aware Streaming to Support Blind and Low Vision Viewers: A Design Probe Study

  Noor Hammad, Frank Elavsky, Sanika Moharana, Jessie Chen, Seyoung Lee, Patrick Carrington, Dominik Moritz, Jessica Hammer, Erik Harpstead · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '24)

  This paper investigates how game-aware streaming systems can be made accessible to blind and low-vision (BLV) viewers on platforms like Twitch. Live game streaming is a major social and entertainment medium, but the experience is overwhelmingly visual — viewers watch gameplay…

  game accessibility · blind and low vision · live streaming · Twitch · sonification

• Accessible Gaming Through Better Captions: A Study on Captions Preferences and Inclusivity of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Players

  Wajdi Aljedaani, Marcelo M. Eler, Lorene E Keeland, Hamed Jalali, Khaled Al-Raddah, Mohamed Wiem Mkaouer · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A '24)

  This study surveys 73 deaf and hard-of-hearing (d/Deaf) individuals about their preferences for caption design in video games, addressing a significant gap: while captioning standards exist for television and film, there are no universally accepted standards for video game…

  deaf accessibility · captioning · game accessibility · video games · user preferences

• Amaze3D: Making 3D Worlds Accessible to Blind Gamers

  Greg Gay, Matthew Ralston · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract presents Amaze3D (The Accessibility Maze 3D), a proof-of-concept demonstrating that Unity-based 3D game worlds can be made independently navigable by blind players. Built as a WebGL-based 3D adaptation of an earlier 2D JavaScript Accessibility Maze, the…

  game accessibility · blind users · Unity · 3D worlds · educational games

• Reimagining Machine Learning's Role in Assistive Technology by Co-Designing Exergames with Children Using a Participatory Machine Learning Design Probe

  Jared Duval, Laia Turmo Vidal, Elena Márquez Segura, Yinchu Li, Annika Waern · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This paper fundamentally reframes the role of machine learning in assistive technology, arguing that ML models do not need to be accurate to be valuable — they can serve as sources of play and motivation rather than diagnostic tools. The researchers developed Cirkus, a…

  machine learning · participatory design · exergames · children · sensory processing

• Uncovering Visually Impaired Gamers' Preferences for Spatial Awareness Tools Within Video Games

  Vishnu Nair, Shao-en Ma, Ricardo E. Gonzalez Penuela, Yicheng He, Karen Lin, Mason Hayes, Hannah Huddleston, Matthew Donnelly, Brian A. Smith · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper investigates how visually impaired players (VIPs) gain spatial awareness within 3D video games by comparing four leading spatial awareness tool (SAT) approaches. The researchers built Dungeon Escape, a 3D third-person adventure game using Unity, featuring four dungeon…

  game accessibility · visual impairment · blindness · spatial awareness · audio navigation

• SoundVizVR: Sound Indicators for Accessible Sounds in Virtual Reality for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Users

  Ziming Li, Shannon Connell, Wendy Dannels, Roshan Peiris · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper presents SoundVizVR, a Unity plugin that visualizes sound information in virtual reality environments for Deaf or Hard-of-hearing (DHH) users. Sounds in VR provide critical spatial cues, interaction feedback, and ambient information that contribute to immersion, but…

  virtual reality · Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing · sound visualization · audio accessibility · game accessibility

• A Participatory Design Approach to Creating Echolocation-Enabled Virtual Environments

  Ronny Andrade, Steven Baker, Jenny Waycott, Frank Vetere · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This participatory design study investigates how echolocation can be implemented in virtual environments to make them accessible to people with visual impairment. The researchers worked with three expert echolocators—people who have developed the ability to use sound and its…

  echolocation · virtual reality · participatory design · visual impairment · game accessibility

• Two-In-One: A Design Space for Mapping Unimanual Input into Bimanual Interactions in VR for Users with Limited Movement

  Momona Yamagami, Sasa Junuzovic, Mar Gonzalez-Franco, Eyal Ofek, Edward Cutrell, John R. Porter, Andrew D. Wilson, Martez E. Mott · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper addresses a significant accessibility barrier in virtual reality: the requirement to use two motion controllers simultaneously for bimanual interactions. Many VR applications assume users can hold and manipulate two controllers, excluding people who have use of only…

  virtual reality · VR accessibility · motor impairment · input techniques · bimanual interaction

• Teaching Accessibility Awareness with Games

  Greg Gay · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents the Accessibility Maze, a web-based serious game developed at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) to teach web accessibility basics through experiential learning. The game was designed with three goals: provide a high-impact introduction…

  education accessibility · game accessibility · web accessibility · screen readers · keyboard accessibility

• Multi-touch Exploration and Sonification of Line Segments

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Cristian Bernareggi, Sergio Mascetti, Federico Pini · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents SoundLines, a mobile app designed to help children with visual impairments develop spatial exploration skills through touchscreen interaction coupled with audio (sonification) feedback. The app is structured as a game where a kitten must be guided to find its…

  visual impairment · sonification · spatial cognition · mobile accessibility · tactile accessibility

• Beyond Fun: Players' Experiences of Accessible Rehabilitation Gaming for Spinal Cord Injury

  Gabriele Cimolino, Sussan Askari, T.C. Nicholas Graham · 2021 · The 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2021)

  This paper explores how accessible rehabilitation games can affect the experiences of patients with spinal cord injury beyond simply making exercise more fun. Six participants with spinal cord injury (three with tetraplegia, three with paraplegia, aged 23-33) played three…

  spinal cord injury · rehabilitation · game accessibility · digital games · assistive technology

• Echolocation as a Means for People with Visual Impairment (PVI) to Acquire Spatial Knowledge of Virtual Space

  Ronny Andrade, Jenny Waycott, Steven Baker, Frank Vetere · 2021 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study investigates whether echolocation—the use of sound reflections to perceive spatial information—can enable people with visual impairment (PVI) to acquire spatial knowledge of virtual environments. The researchers built a virtual world using Unity 3D and the SteamAudio…

  visual impairment · blindness · echolocation · virtual reality · gaming

• Game Changer: Accessible Audio and Tactile Guidance for Board and Card Games

  Gabriella M. Johnson, Shaun K. Kane · 2020 · Proceedings of the 17th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents Game Changer, an augmented workspace system that makes board and card games accessible to blind and visually impaired (BVI) players through a combination of audio descriptions and tactile modifications. The system uses an overhead webcam to track ArUco…

  game accessibility · blind and low vision · board games · tangible interaction · audio description

• Establishing a Serious Game on Relationship Boundaries for People with Developmental Disabilities

  Samantha Conde · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This short paper presents "Boundaries," a serious game designed to help adults with developmental disabilities explore and discuss personal relationship boundaries — a topic motivated by alarming statistics on sexual violence against this population. People with developmental…

  developmental disability · serious games · safeguarding · sexuality · cognitive accessibility

• Teacher Views of Math E-learning Tools for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

  Zikai Alex Wen, Erica Silverstein, Yuhang Zhao, Anjelika Lynne Amog, Katherine Garnett, Shiri Azenkot · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper examines how teachers use math e-learning tools with students who have specific learning disabilities (SLDs) in grades 5-8, a population where approximately 5% of US public school students are identified as having an SLD. SLDs predominantly affect reading (dyslexia),…

  learning disabilities · education accessibility · educational technology · dyscalculia · dyslexia

• Playing With Others: Depicting Multiplayer Gaming Experiences of People With Visual Impairments

  David Gonçalves, André Rodrigues, Tiago Guerreiro · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This study investigates the multiplayer gaming experiences of people with visual impairments, an area largely unexplored despite growing research on game accessibility. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 blind adults and 10 visually impaired minors,…

  game accessibility · visual impairment · mixed-ability interaction · social inclusion · multiplayer gaming

• A Study on Customizing Interaction in Adaptable Games

  Caio Pinheiro de Carvalho, Suzane Santos dos Santos, Gabriel de Magalhães Escudeiro, Kelly Vale Pinheiro, Nelson Cruz Sampaio Neto, Marcelle Pereira Mota · 2019 · Proceedings of the 18th Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems (IHC)

  This paper from the Federal University of Pará (Brazil) investigates customization features for adaptable games designed as assistive technology tools for children with disabilities, where healthcare professionals configure the games to match each child's therapeutic needs. The…

  game accessibility · assistive technology · cognitive accessibility · intellectual disability · personalization