Wow, guys this one slid by me without me noticing this great bit of accessibility news to be honest! However, I am now super excited to reveal that in-game communication is now subject to US. Accessibility law (effective Jan 2019). Meaning that in-game voice chat, text messaging and other video messaging has to be accessible for individuals with disabilities. The law I am referencing is the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) into law in 2010 by President Obama.
Personally, I am a big gamer and I enjoy many online games that include the ‘Battle Royale’ format which requires players to communicate with players in their two or three person teams, constantly. The need for constant communication is a must for the team to be successful within the game. As a gamer, I am truly excited that gamers with disabilities are now being included, too. I hope to be receiving accessible communication from gamers with accessibility needs in the near future!
Finally, we will be hosting a video game event in the near future so look out for that blog post in the coming months. Thanks for reading!
