For more information about the conference, you can can check out their website – Games for Health 2011

I will be presenting Team Epic Wedgie their award for their great work towards accessible video games during this year’s Global Game Jam, as well as talking about the time it takes to incorporate game accessibility into game and how start making accessible games during pre-production.

Speaker/s: Tara Tefertiller (Pursuit of Happiness Foundation)
Day / Time / Location: Friday 2:00- 3:00 Room 230, East Mezzanine Room number has changed. Please see GDC website for details.
Track / Format: Game Design / Roundtable
Description: The IGDA Game Accessibility SIG is dedicated to spreading game accessibility awareness and education, being a hub for new ideas and solutions that promote accessible game play, and providing a resource for all who are interested in the topic- gamers and developers alike. At this round table, discuss where the GA SIG should focus the energy provided by the newly elected steering committee, meet the new chair, or become a new member. We are always looking for more people and more input from all areas of the development community!
Takeaway: Attendees will meet other developers who are interested in game accessibility and be provided with an environment that promotes the exchange of ideas and the latest news on the topic. The roundtable will also discuss the recent work done by the steering committee, such as revamping the SIGs web presence, and help shape the SIGs goals for the next year.
Intended Audience: Anyone who has special interests in making games accessible for any demographic, those who have their lives directly affected by the implementation or lack thereof of accessible game designs, those who are interested in usability.
Eligible Passes: Expo Pass, All Access Pass, Main Conference Pass

Speaker/s: Michelle Hinn (IGDA Game Accessibility Special Interest Group) (Not listed as the speaker since Michelle submitted it- but I am on the roundtable)
Day / Time / Location: Thursday 9:00-10:00 Room 113, North Hall
Track / Format: Game Design / Roundtable
Description: One key issue that comes up whenever game studios include accessibility features in their games is how to announce these features so that gamers with disabilities and their friends, family, etc can easily find out this information while shopping for games. While there are a few review sites dedicated to providing the disabled gamer with this information, there has yet to be an industry-wide standard for including symbols on game boxes and in mainstream gaming websites and magazines. The purpose of this session is to discuss how such a system can be created, who would be the responsible group to approve accessibility ratings, and what design features this sort of rating system would include. Come help contribute to the discussion of an exciting new ratings system that can help even more gamers play your game!
Eligible Passes: All Access Pass, Main Conference Pass

Accessibility Arcade: Bringing AAA Game Titles to the Disabled through Controller Hacks
Speaker: Michelle Hinn (Chairperson, IGDA Game Accessibility Special Interest Group), Tara Tefertiller (VP Game Industry Relations, Right to Fun Foundation)
Date/Time: TBD
Track: Game Design
Secondary Track: Production
Format: 60-minute Poster Session
Experience Level: All

Session Description
Interested in learning how exactly many gamers with disabilities play commercial games? Want to increase the size and diversity of your game’s audience by including gamers with disabilities? Find out what some disabled gamers are doing through hacking into commercial game controllers in order to play your game titles for every major game console. Try some of the most popular game controllers being used by this market – several game controllers will be on display – are as well as get a list of key design changes to help gamers use these controllers more easily with YOUR game.

Intended Audience
Designers, developers, programmers, console and game controller engineers, and publishers interested in a crash course to learn and ask questions about the types of game controller hacks that exist for gamers with disabilities – issues that gamers with disabilities face every day as they try and play your games. Information given will concrete solutions to assist gamers who are using these alternative assistive technologies. No prerequisite knowledge is required  just come with an open mind and willingness to seriously consider making games accessible to MORE!

Takeaway
Session participants will learn about what hackers have been doing to create game controllers that gamers with disabilities have been using, especially gamers with mobility and cognitive disabilities. Audience members will come away with concrete examples of how gamers with disabilities currently game and how game designers can help assist these gamers through design variations to make their game play experience the best possible experience!

My notes are up on Thoughts from a Gamer. Feel free to check them out.

InterFaces 2009 Overview

System and Combat Design

User Generated Content