Game A11y Gathering 2025

An independent gaming accessibility micro conference.

About this Event

The Game Accessibility Gathering is a micro conference which brings together developers and advocates from across the industry to discuss accessibility in games. The event hosts a selection of micro-talks from industry professionals, a roundtable and a casual mixer for you to meet people in the accessibility sphere and expand your network.

The Game Accessibility Gathering is sponsored by Sony Interactive Entertainment PlayStation Studios, Games User Research, PlaytestCloud, Scopely, and hosted at Unity Technologies.

This year the Gathering is proud to partner with Nothing Without Us, through which we hope to support remote attendance of the event.

Students and carers are welcome, please see the FAQ for more details.

The Team

We will have a team of people who are able to provide assistance for requests on the day, those people are:

Organisers:

• Cari Watterton (she/her)
• Jozef Kulik (he/him)

Nothing Without Us:

• Mollie Evans (she/her)
• Jarvs - Sadie Tasker (she/her)

Volunteers:

• Adriaan Scheepers (he/him)
• Amy Baldock (she/her)
• Marion Mony (she/her)
• Rodrigo Sanchez (he/him)

Unity NDA

As the event is hosted at Unity Technologies, all attendees are required to sign an NDA for security purposes. A link to this will be sent to you prior to the event, and you will be required to complete the NDA to be admitted.

The content of the talks and roundtable are not under any kind of NDA, it is just in place for security for the venue. If you have any problems filling out the NDA, get in touch with us at: Z2ExMXlnYXRoZXJpbmcgfCBnbWFpbCAhIGNvbQ==

Code of Conduct

To ensure a welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment for all attendees, speakers, sponsors, and volunteers at our event, we have established the following code of conduct. We expect all participants to adhere to these guidelines.

Do:

• Be respectful and inclusive. Treat everyone with respect, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, religion (or lack thereof), age, or technology choices. Be inclusive and considerate in all interactions.
• Respect personal space and boundaries. Do not touch people or their belongings without explicit permission. Be mindful of the comfort levels of others in all physical and verbal interactions.
• Adherence to venue rules. Follow all rules and regulations set by the event venue, and follow instructions of security, staff and volunteers.
• Ask before taking photos. We kindly ask to get consent before taking photos of attendees at the event.
• Stay home if you’re sick. If on the day you feel like you might be unwell or coming down with something (e.g. cold, flu, COVID), please don’t attend to help ensure our event is safe for everyone. You can contact us for a refund if you are unable to attend due to illness.

Don’t:

• Harass anyone. Harassment of any kind, including but not limited to offensive verbal comments, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
• Discriminate against anyone. Discrimination against any individual or group based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, religion, age, or any other attribute.
• Threaten or be violent towards anyone. Any form of violence, threats of violence, or threatening behaviour.
• Disrespect boundaries. Ignoring personal boundaries, including personal space and requests to stop certain behaviours or interactions.
• Consume alcohol. Alcohol is not permitted at the event.
• Partake in illegal activities or substance use: Participation in illegal activities, including the use or distribution of illegal substances, is not permitted.

If you witness or experience any behaviour that violates this code of conduct, please report it immediately to event organisers. Security will be on hand throughout and event staff will be clearly identifiable through bright yellow lanyards and badges.

Consequences of Unacceptable Behaviour: Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behaviour is expected to comply immediately. Event organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender, expulsion from the event without a refund, and reporting the incident to the relevant authorities.

Agenda


🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Registration & Sign In

Info: An hour for attendees to arrive, sign in, and get comfortable.

🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM
Introduction & Housekeeping

🕑: 12:20 PM - 12:35 PM
Advocating Accessibility at Studio Gobo
Host: Adam Russell (he/him) - Lead Designer, Studio Gobo

Info: This talk from Lead Designer Adam Russell highlights the multiple ways in which Studio Gobo has built a culture of championing accessibility across multiple projects working with multiple different studios to achieve better experiences for our players.

🕑: 12:40 PM - 12:55 PM
Why Words Matter: Accessible Language in Games
Host: Steph Carter (they/them) - PhD Candidate, iGGi

Info: The words we use - whether in menus, dialogue, or instructions - shape how players understand and interact with game worlds. In this talk, Steph shares why language is a crucial part of games accessibility, drawing on their experience as a neurodivergent player, an accessibility consultant and linguistics specialist.

🕑: 01:00 PM - 01:15 PM
How approachability is shaping accessible design at ustwo games
Host: Megan Matthews (they/she) - Game Designer, ustwo games

Info: This microtalk explores how approachability differs from accessibility, but the two can work together to inform inclusive design from the start. We'll look at where approachability succeeds, where it falls short, and how it can be a handy tool for small or indie teams.

🕑: 01:20 PM - 01:35 PM
Everyone Deserves To Be Scared: Accessibility In Horror Games
Host: Li Brady (they/them) - Accessibility Specialist & Dev

Info: A brief overview of common accessibility hurdles found in the Horror Genre and leading examples of how it's been addressed in Horror Gaming so far. A taster-style talk designed to help get Game Developers and Genre Fans alike thinking of how accessibility is needed and can be implemented into Horror projects.

🕑: 01:40 PM - 01:55 PM
The Past, Present, and Potential Future of Autistic Gaming Accessibility
Host: Laura Kate Dale (she/her) - Consultant, Access-Ability

Info: Laura Kate Dale, an autistic gamer and accessibility consultant, believes that video game accessibility could be doing more to support the needs of autistic gamers.


In this talk Laura will explore accidental autistic player accessibility accommodations of the past, deliberate accommodations of the present, and ways video games in the future could be made more proactively accessible for those with sensory and social disabilities.

🕑: 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
Roundtable hosted by Nothing Without Us
Host: Mollie Evans (she/her) Nothing Without Us

Info: A guided roundtable with questions submitted by you and our speakers.

🕑: 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Networking Mixer

Info: Light refreshments and an open floor for you to ask speakers questions and build connections.

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