How to Solve It

Significant elements include doors, items, resulting actions, and so on. Blind players should not be assumed to be experiencing the same game as sighted players, but this does not necessarily mean they are unable to enjoy the game. Non-time-dependant games such as point-and-click adventures (especially those with a significant amount of dialogue) may be enjoyed irrespective of their graphical displays, if audible navigational tools are included. 3D sounds representing directional points[md]North, Northwest, and so on[md]can be used, for example.

Chris Bateman tells an anecdote that illustrates this point nicely. He worked on several point-and-click adventures while he was with Perfect Entertainment (who made the popular Discworld series [1995 onwards] of point-and-click games). At a convention, he met with a blind girl who was a huge fan of the games. Chris was surprised and amazed that she could play a game that depended to a great degree upon seeing what was on-screen, but she assured him that although it took her a long, long time to make any progress, she could at least play these games, because when you clicked on a tag the game spoke.

Players with visual disabilities are much more patient with videogames than many typical gamers. Because such players are inherently limited as to which games they can play, they are much more likely to tolerate what might, to a sighted player (or game designer), seem intolerable. By providing reasonable audio feedback -- and especially if this feedback can be provided in full 3D so such players can orient themselves properly -- the door can be opened for many players with visual disabilities to enjoy games that otherwise would be impossible for them to play.