How Xbox does accessibility proper
From the release of the adaptive controller to tackling the loneliness of the elderly, Xbox has proven the creative freedom brands that advocate for accessibility offer
London's Victoria & Albert Museum isn't the first place you're looking for video game history. In 2018, the museum's Rapid Response Collecting program acquired a surprising new item – the Xbox Adaptive Controller. The device was developed in the same year and has 150% larger buttons than standard controllers. It can be connected to foot pedals or joysticks so users can customize it as needed. It's the first piece of hardware for people with disabilities on the mass market, and according to lead designer Chris Kujawski, it took a lot of research to come up with the right design.
"We can throw a rock off campus and meet a hundred Xbox players and it's really easy to let them in and give feedback on a Tuesday afternoon," he told CR of the process. "It is much more difficult to find players with disabilities and it is often more difficult for them to get on campus."
The controller wasn't just a one-off project, however. Xbox has continued its engagement with a wider audience with a number of creative campaigns including a project with visually impaired gamer Steve Saylor that turned his playful dreams into a 3D audio story and his Beyond Generations initiative that showed how games work can bring different age groups together.