Designing video games for the blind: results of an empirical study

Abstract

Understanding non-functional software requirements and developing realizable operationalizations of them are critical to the success of any information system. Non-functional requirements dealing with accessibility and usability are especially important considerations when developing information systems for visually impaired stakeholders; however, this is not, yet, an area well understood in information systems development. This work aims to better understand the non-functional software requirements and realizable operationalizations needed to address the accessibility and usability challenges in computer gaming for the visually impaired. Building on previous work, this paper provides the analysis, results, and recommendations stemming from a systematic qualitative analysis of elicited qualitative text using adaptations of the grounded theory method. To do so, the authors developed a PC version of a 1980's, 2D, Arcade style video game incorporating joystick controls and sound effects and gathered user experience data from six visually impaired users through a closed, pre-game and post-game interviews. The contribution of this work is part of a larger effort to develop systematic requirements engineering approaches, utilizing qualitative methods, to elicit, analyze, and operationalize non-functional software requirements within the information systems development process, to provide equal access to information systems for visually impaired users.