Xbox Announces Accessibility Updates for Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) marks an opportunity for Xbox to recognize the more than 450+ million players with disabilities worldwide. Earlier today you might have already seen our articles on some of the Accessibility features such as Keyboard & Mouse Support and the New Accessibility ‘Proteus’ Controller, but that’s not all Xbox is doing for Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

After Xbox released the Gaming for Everyone Product Inclusion Framework for game developers in March, Xbox has been putting the pedal down on being a more Accessible company. In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, today Xbox shared some other new updates and accessible features, community support, resources, and more via Xbox Wire. These additional things include, but are not limited to:  

Expanding accessory updates and options for players with disabilities, which encompasses enhancements to the Xbox Adaptive Controller. There’s a firm commitment to investing in hardware that prioritizes accessibility, partnering with accessibility hardware manufacturers to achieve accreditation as Designed for Xbox partners. Furthermore, avenues are being opened for feedback from the gaming and disability community impacted by unauthorized accessory updates to engage with Xbox.

Spotlighting accessibility features within different games such as Candy Crush Soda Saga, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Diablo IV, and many more.

Introducing fresh gameplay resources, such as revamped accessibility support pages sorted by disability types (including speech, cognitive, vision, mobility, and hearing), enhanced filter and sorting options on consoles facilitating easier discovery of accessible games, and coming in June, a feature allowing players to earn an Xbox Ambassador Accessibility Ally Badge, which interested gamers, can Become an Xbox Ambassador and select the “Accessibility” tab on the Quests page to get a head start.

 A new Game Accessibility Workshop Toolkit for all developers, which includes instructions and visual assets to help game developers conduct Game Accessibility Workshops on their own.

For a full list of all the new accessibility updates, features, community support, resources and more be sure to visit the page on the Xbox Wire.