AbleGamers Foundation Wins Two da Vinci Awards

The AbleGamers Foundation has won two MS Society da Vinci Awards, held at the Ford Conference and Event Center in Dearborn, Michigan, on April 11.

The AbleGamers Foundation was presented with the da Vinci Award for the best product in the category of Communication/Educational Aids for Includification, the organisation’s Game Accessibility Guidelines written by developers and gamers with disabilities. Includification serves as a resource tool to help add accessibility to video games. It is a 48-page illustrated guide on designing video games for people with disabilities. AbleGamers also received the Leo Award for People’s Choice for receiving a combination of the most views and likes at https://www.youtube.com/davinciawards.

The AbleGamers Foundation is a non-profit public charity dedicated to improving the overall quality of life for people with disabilities through the power of video games. The organisation advocates on behalf of the disability community to increase the accessibility of video games and make them more inclusive. Video games provide people with disabilities with an opportunity to experience situations that may be limited in the real world, to participate in one of the world’s most popular pastimes, and to network with others to maintain mental and emotional health.

The AbleGamers Foundation has the world’s largest community portal for gamers with disabilities, where they can discuss new ways to make video games more accessible for themselves and read reviews of mainstream games based on their accessibility. The organisation also provides free consultation to game developers to help make video games more inclusive and delivers grants to the gaming community of assistive technology several times a year.

The International da Vinci Awards reward the most innovative developments in the field of adaptive and assistive technologies that help people overcome physical limitations brought on by multiple sclerosis and other disabilities. Proceeds from the annual event benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter.