[games_access] Will companies adapt to the CVAA?

[Ian Hamilton]

There's are a couple of other requirements too, like including people with disabilities from early stages of the design process and providing annual contact details... And there's also a separate set of requirements that apply to any instructions provided on how to use the comms functionality, but that isn't very applicable to games. This article is a good read, much easier than trawling the legalese of the full CVAA documentation -

https://developer.paciellogroup.com/blog/2014/04/cvaa-fostering-innovation-change/
________________________________
From: Kyle Abbate <kylea at 6ft.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2018 7:14:53 PM
To: Ian Hamilton
Cc: games_access at lists.igda.org
Subject: Re: [games_access] Will companies adapt to the CVAA?

Thanks Ian =].  I am going to add that to my running documentation.  Those requirements are straightforward and easy to read.  I had transcribed the CVAA video from GAConf.

On Wed, Jul 25, 2018 at 1:04 PM, Ian Hamilton <i_h at hotmail.com<mailto:i_h at hotmail.com>> wrote:
Well, CVAA doesn't work like that, they have the wrong end of the stick!

I've seen the same misunderstanding at another company too, people thinking that CVAA requirements only apply to forms of communication that you choose to implement.

What it actually requires is that if you provide a communication service full stop, the communication in your game and any UI used to navigate to or operate the comms functionality has to meet these ten requirements:

(i) Operable without vision. Provide at least one mode that does not require user vision.

(ii) Operable with low vision and limited or no hearing. Provide at least one mode that permits operation by users with visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/200, without relying on audio output.

(iii) Operable with little or no color perception. Provide at least one mode that does not require user color perception.

(iv) Operable without hearing. Provide at least one mode that does not require user auditory perception.

(v) Operable with limited manual dexterity. Provide at least one mode that does not require user fine motor control or simultaneous actions.

(vi) Operable with limited reach and strength. Provide at least one mode that is operable with user limited reach and strength.

(vii) Operable with a Prosthetic Device. Controls shall be operable without requiring body contact or close body proximity.

(viii) Operable without time dependent controls. Provide at least one mode that does not require a response time or allows response time to be by passed or adjusted by the user over a wide range.

(ix) Operable without speech. Provide at least one mode that does not require user speech.

(x) Operable with limited cognitive skills. Provide at least one mode that minimizes the cognitive, memory, language, and learning skills required of the user.

So the idea of providing voice chat and no text chat would mean you weren't complying with points i, ii, or ix.

The only ways to get out of those ten requirements is to just not provide any communications service in your game.

Or to apply for a waiver on the grounds of it not being feasible, there's a little flexibility with that at the moment for games that started development before the compliamce deadline but in years to come any kind of "too difficult / expensive" argument won't I think wash for a company with EA's resources.

Hopefully these initial experiences will drive developers to put some pressure on engine developers to get some functionality in at their end, something like text to speech really shouldn't have to be implemented from scratch in every individual game.

Ian
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From: games_access <games_access-bounces at lists.igda.org<mailto:games_access-bounces at lists.igda.org>> on behalf of Kyle Abbate <kylea at 6ft.com<mailto:kylea at 6ft.com>>
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2018 4:38:50 PM
To: games_access at lists.igda.org<mailto:games_access at lists.igda.org>
Subject: [games_access] Will companies adapt to the CVAA?

https://www.vg247.com/2018/07/24/anthem-no-text-chat-on-pc/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vg247.com%2F2018%2F07%2F24%2Fanthem-no-text-chat-on-pc%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C1484060edf464554635408d5f244db34%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636681299904146983&sdata=d7J2z3byDKjwrzUEMo3X8zG9se1WgjcdyeQ1SqzRAjQ%3D&reserved=0>

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