access:LARP

  Access: LARP provides guides and resources for both LARP organisers and players to help make our hobby more accessible.   This is the Access:LARP player gallery. We will also take questions and comments.

[accesslarp]

Guest Post: Access and Lessons in Medieval Combat

Guest Post: Access and Lessons in Medieval Combat

by Tim Baker This article came about because of the worries expressed by a friend about learning to fight, due to accessibility issues, then wondering both what advice I could offer and how I could adjust my own teaching. For anyone who does not want to read the whole thing for my conclusions, the short version is: communication is powerful and respect each other. Right, if any of you are still…

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[accesslarp]

A new way to support Access:LARP

A new way to support Access:LARP

After some hard thinking I have decided to shut down the Access:LARP Patreon page from 20th September (you won’t be charged for this month). Instead I have created a Ko-fi page for Access:LARP – https://ko-fi.com/accesslarp

Ko-fi is a platform that allows one-off donations as well as on-going monthly support.

As priorities and circumstances have shifted in my personal life I’ve not been able to…

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[accesslarp]

How to Ask and How to Tell

How to Ask and How to Tell

Over the past few years it has been amazing to see how accessibility has improved in LARPs across the UK and even further afield. One small yet crucial part of this is seen in the booking or interest forms for events: that little box which says “do you have any medical issues or disabilities”. That itself goes a long way to creating a dialogue between organisers and players and letting both…

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[accesslarp]

Non-Com? Not always

This is a recurring topic in LARP discussion groups the world over: who is considered a non-com and what do we do with them? In the early days of accessibility in LARP the assumption was that disabled players wouldn’t be involved in combat and would be a “non-com” player. Aside from the fact that this term can cause confusion when people also talk about non-com characters, the idea of non-com…

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[frihtlae]

♿reminders ♿ [ID: nine pastel pink panels with brown-ish lineart illustrations and text in a thin font below each of them[first row] First panel: illustration of a cane with three flowers on it Text: MOBILITY AIDS ARE NORMALSecond panel: illustration of three flowers with three leaves sticking out Text: DISABLED BODIES ARE NOT PUBLIC PROPERTYThird panel: illustration of a palm with an X symbol Text: DON’T TOUCH THEM WITHOUT PERMISSION[second row] First panel: illustration of a brain with two flowers and a bold question mark Text: STOP YOUR CURIOSITYSecond panel: illustration of a disabled person symbol with a standing person symbol next to it Text: RESPECT DISABLED PEOPLEThird panel: illustration of a lock surrounded by flowers Text: DISABLED PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO PRIVACY[last,third row] First panel: illustration of three bold question marks Text: DON’T ASK INTRUSIVE QUESTIONSSecond panel: illustration of an open eye Text: DON’T STAREThird, last panel: illustration of two hands shaking each other with three flowers on them Text: SUPPORT DISABLED PEOPLE]

[decodering]

Dos and don'ts on designing for accessibility

Karwai Pun, GOV.UK:

The dos and don’ts of designing for accessibility are general guidelines, best design practices for making services accessible in government. Currently, there are six different posters in the series that cater to users from these areas: low vision, D/deaf and hard of hearing, dyslexia, motor disabilities, users on the autistic spectrum and users of screen readers.

[…] Another aim of the posters is that they’re meant to be general guidance as opposed to being overly prescriptive. Using bright contrast was advised for some (such as those with low vision) although some users on the autistic spectrum would prefer differently. Where advice seems contradictory, it’s always worth testing your designs with users to find the right balance, making compromises that best suit the users’ needs.

[github]

[kleinsaur]

I’ve been wanting something like this to reference! Boosting for the others that like to dabble in code/design.

[nonelvis]

This is some of the most lucidly written accessibility advice I’ve seen. Making accessible web pages should be the default, not an add-on. It’s really not that hard to do, especially when you think about it from the start – and it benefits everyone.

(Obligatory note that there are exceptions to some of these guidelines, e.g., “bunching” some interactions together is an important way to cue which interactions are related to each other, but that’s why these are guidelines, not absolute rules.)

[assemble-the-fangirls]

young web designer: thank you oh my god no one has been able to explain this quite as well and this is just good shit

[studyinthemoon]

[Images descriptions from https://accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2016/09/02/dos-and-donts-on-designing-for-accessibility/ 

Designing for users on the autistic spectrum

Do

use simple colours

write in plain English

use simple sentences and bullets

make buttons descriptive - for example, Attach files

build simple and consistent layouts

Don’t

use bright contrasting colours

use figures of speech and idioms

create a wall of text

make buttons vague and unpredictable - for example, Click here

build complex and cluttered layouts

Designing for users of screen readers

Do

describe images and provide transcripts for video

follow a linear, logical layout

structure content using HTML5

build for keyboard use only

write descriptive links and heading - for example, Contact us

Don’t

only show information in an image or video

spread content all over a page

rely on text size and placement for structure

force mouse or screen use

write uninformative links and heading - for example, Click here

Designing for users with low vision

Do

use good contrasts and a readable font size

publish all information on web pages (HTML)

use a combination of colour, shapes and text

follow a linear, logical layout -and ensure text flows and is visible when text is magnified to 200%

put buttons and notifications in context

Don’t

use low colour contrasts and small font size

bury information in downloads

only use colour to convey meaning

spread content all over a page -and force user to scroll horizontally when text is magnified to 200%

separate actions from their context

Designing for users with physical or motor disabilities

Do

make large clickable actions

give form fields space

design for keyboard or speech only use

design with mobile and touch screen in mind

provide shortcuts

Don’t

demand precision

bunch interactions together

make dynamic content that requires a lot of mouse movement

have short time out windows

tire users with lots of typing and scrolling

Designing for users who are D/deaf or hard of hearing

Do

write in plain English

use subtitles or provide transcripts for video

use a linear, logical layout

break up content with sub-headings, images and videos

let users ask for their preferred communication support when booking appointments

Don’t

use complicated words or figures of speech

put content in audio or video only

make complex layouts and menus

make users read long blocks of content

don’t make telephone the only means of contact for users

Designing for users with dyslexiaDo

use images and diagrams to support text

align text to the left and keep a consistent layout

consider producing materials in other formats (for example, audio and video)

keep content short, clear and simple

let users change the contrast between background and text

Don’t

use large blocks of heavy text

underline words, use italics or write capitals

force users to remember things from previous pages - give reminders and prompts

rely on accurate spelling - use autocorrect or provide suggestions

put too much information in one place

End of images descriptions]

[marauders4evr]

Passionate shoutout to ^ @studyinthemoon ^ for realizing that maybe, just maybe, posts talking about online accessibility should be accessible! Idiots.

[golbatgender]

I do think part of the point is to be able to print the posters. I think they are also aimed at telling abled people what to do; the rest of us are likely to know most of these tips. Also, this is a good time to talk about competing access needs!

Sometimes what helps one person makes the thing less accessible to another person. Writing out the posters in plain text helps people who need screen reading software or scaleable text magnification to read. However, long lists with no visuals are harder for most other people to read, especially for people with learning disabilities or processing disorders. (And tumblr’s handling of lists doesn’t help.) Including both options when possible is best!

In fact, the list is about designing different things for different needs. A good site design will try to combine as many things as possible, especially for an all-access site like a library home page, but if you’re specializing—say, a site for teaching autistic people useful scripts for everyday life, Duolingo-style (and seriously if there aren’t sites like that aimed at adults there should be)—you can tailor that design more to that group specifically. (Though such a site would also mean needing accessibility for motor issues and HoH people by default, because that’s so common with autism. I like big buttons to click and simultaneous text and audio. Honestly, the audio can go faster than normal listening if I have text, I just need to hear pronunciation and tone.)

So basically we need both the text caption and images in this post. Let’s try to make things as accessible as possible, with breadth of accessibility as well as basic standards for each type of access.

[typewritertimemachine]

@vaspider I feel like this is in your wheelhouse

[feministism]

[accesslarp]

Writing an Accessibility Statement | Robin Tynan | Skillshare

Whether you simply want to strive for inclusivity, attract new customers or simply make sure you comply with discrimination laws, having a good accessibility s...

Access:Check I've been a little quiet of late and that's because I have been working really hard on a project.

Access:Check is the non-LARP sibling of Access:LARP. It's there to help people outside of the LARP community improve the accessibility of their events and businesses. Sadly it's always been a bit more difficult to get traction going for Access:Check than Access:LARP.

I worked hard to create a lot of free resources for Access:LARP (and continue to do so) but haven't been able to do the same for Access:Check. That means it's not as easy for people to engage with it and perhaps they aren't sure what they can get out of it or what an "accessibility consultant" does. I wanted to create some non-LARP friendly resources for Access:Check so that other people could still gain the benefit of my work and to help people learn about and engage with the idea of improving the accessibility of their projects.

I have decided to do this by creating a Skillshare class. The first class focuses on what an accessibility statement is and how to write one, as well as the benefits this can have for a project. Though it doesn't event mention the words "roleplay" that doesn't mean it isn't a valuable tool for LARP organisers as well and I hope there is some good crossover and plenty of lessons you can take away from it.

It is being hosted by Skillshare which is a membership service. However by following my referral link (in the video above) you will be eligible for two months free membership - plenty of time to watch this class and any more that take your fancy.

Over time I would like to add more classes to Skillshare for the non-LARPing world to learn about accessibility alongside you guys.

So thank you all for your patience with me while I have been courting the love of non-LARPers. I hope you are able to find some use from it as well.

[accesslarp]

How to find an accessible venue is something I am often asked. It’s a tricky business. That’s why I’ve produced the Guide to Finding an Accessible Venue. Unfortunately there is no…

There is a new guide on the Access:LARP website. The Guide to Finding an Accessible Venue.

While a Guide can't tell you which venue is accessible and which isn't it can help you identify what accommodations you need, how to search for them, what to ask of venue managers and how to work with a venue at the event.

I am also pleased to launch the Access:LARP Venue Survey. This has been in beta testing with Patrons for several weeks now and we have started to gain valuable data. The information about venues gathered through this survey will eventually form a searchable database to make finding an accessible venue even easier.

Next time you are visiting a venue, why not open up the Survey on your smartphone or tablet and record it's facilities and features to help improve the future of accessible events.

Venue Survey: https://goo.gl/forms/x2NGNILhxjJRlbn02

[accesslarp]

Access LARP is creating A resource for LARP organisers | Patreon

Become a patron of Access LARP today: Read 35 posts by Access LARP and get access to exclusive content and experiences on the world’s largest membership platform for artists and creators.

As we approach the end of the month it's time to remind you that Access:LARP has a Patreon page. You can support Access:LARP from as little as $2 a month. If you pay $5 or more you are eligible for exclusive content (including everything I've already shared up to this point) as well as a sticker or even a mug or bag.

Supporting Access:LARP through Patreon allows me to keep as much of the website's content free to access and spread accessibility throughout the LARP world.

[accesslarp]

BSL for LARP

A great new video in time for the winter LARP and player event season! Want to make your LARP more Deaf and Signer friendly? Well this is a great place to start. Incorporating these into our standard calls and LARP vocabulary helps us to communicate more clearly with sign users.

If you want to learn more about Haplocke's experience as a LARP interpreter, and sign language and deaf culture in LARP then head on over to Patreon, become a subscriber and access the full interview there. https://www.patreon.com/accesslarp

[sarahconnorjr]

“Most important, accessibility means different things to different people. For me, it includes something that is less tangible than architecture and communication devices. It is the likelihood of receiving the support, services, and devices necessary for a reasonable quality of life. It involves the totality of life for people with disabilities. Access is then a social construct, not simply an architectural one.”

— Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability Oppression and Empowerment by James I. Charlton

[actuallyblind]

[Image: tweet by Titanium Cranium (@FelicityTC) including three screenshots of a Harry potter book in three different formats on Amazon. Text:

“Harry Potter on Amazon -

Print: $6.39 Audio: $44.99 Braille: $100.00

#CripTax”]

[kimboo-york]

So, let me explain this a bit.

The defenders of CripTax prices will say that those prices cover the cost of production. This is, without a doubt, true. I work at a university where we often have to take written materials and convert them into braille – it takes a LOT of people hours, special software, and a braille embosser.

But those defenders of higher prices are reversing the argument to justify fleecing disabled readers.

What do I mean by that?

Braille is not magic. It is done by taking plain text and feeding it through fairly affordable translation software, creating a document that can easily be printed in braille.

All that time and effort and special software? IS NOT FOR THE BRAILLE.

It is to take the document provided by the publisher (usually in PDF format, the same file they send to the printers) and turn it into plain, unadorned text, by hand. Text has to be “stripped” (OCR/text recognition); images have to be described; footnotes have to be embedded; special pullouts and other formatting shifted or removed. 

Printing in braille is cheap; reverse engineering a finished text to print it in braille IS NOT.

Same with those audio books. After a book is completed and, often, after it has already been published, the publisher arranges to have the book recorded by a professional voice actor/reader, which usually also involves a recording producer, if not a recording studio, which all stacks up to $$, no two ways about it.

However: that cost? IS RARELY FACTORED INTO THE BUDGET OF PRINTING A BOOK.

Oh, it might be, if the author is JK Rowling and it is well known that readers will want audio versions right away. But most of the time, nope, the audio book is produced only after the hard copy book has become a decent seller, and so it’s an extra cost which is claimed must be covered by making the audio version extra expensive to buy. (Even then it’s somewhat ridiculous, since honestly, creating an audio book is, in the end, cheaper than printing, factoring in the cost of paper.)

If publishers factored audio book production into the assumed costs of publishing a book, they would have very little reason to price it higher.

If publishers factored in creating a “plain text” file – including having editors/authors describe images – that could be used to print braille copies or to be used with refreshable braille readers (electronic pinboards, basically), then there would be zero reason to price those books higher.

tl;dr: Yes, it’s a #criptax, and the excuse that “those formats are more expensive to produce so they have to be priced higher” is only true if you completely throw out the premise that publishers have an obligation to account for disabled readers when they are actually budgeting for and publishing the book.

[actuallyblind]

I’m really glad you brought this up, because this is exactly the sort of argument thatpeople try to use to justify inaccessibility in all kinds of areas. When we tell a company that their website or appliance or piece of technology isn’t accessible, they frequently tell us that they are sorry to hear that but that the accessibility is too expensive and time-consuming to add in now. There is also a provision in the law that allows companies to not bother including accessibility in their products if the cost of building in the accessibility is more than 5% of the total cost to build the whole product in the US.

That seems reasonable on the surface, doesn’t it? Except here’s the thing—the accessibility should have been a part of the original plans to begin with and designed in from the very beginning and should have been considered a necessary element and just another ordinary part of the cost of producing the product, not some extra feature that can be opted out of if it’s too expensive. The problem is that these companies do not understand the fact that if you cannot afford to build the product with the accessibility included, then you cannot afford to build the product and that is that. It’s exactly the same as not being able to afford to make the product with all elements up to safety and health codes and standards. If you can’t afford to meet the legal standards, then you can’t afford to make the product, and it’s that simple. Accessibility is not an exception to this and it should not be considered as such. It should be just as much an ordinary required part of the design process as any other element, not an extra, shiny, fancy feature that you can just choose not to bother with if it costs a little bit of money.

Accessibility should be part of the standard design process just as much as safety codes and health standards and other legal regulations. The ADA has existed for 20 years so companies have had ample time to catch up and learn to plan for accessibility from the beginning as a part of the standard required design process. If you can’t afford to create the product fully up to code, standards, and accessibility laws, then you simply can’t afford to make the product. No excuses, no exceptions.

[andreashettle]

I have often said that, very often, the high cost of disability accessibility is not actually for the accessibility itself. The actual high cost is often due to the lack of foresight and planning for accessibility from the design stage onwards.

Let me explain what I mean with an example. Take accessibility in a building. Usually making a building accessible means you need things like braille signage, ramps to entrances, wide doorways that leave plenty of room for a wheelchair to pass through, and so forth. If you design a new building from scratch to incorporate all of these design elements from the beginning, literally before the building is a hole in the ground, then the total cost of integrating accessible features into the building is less than one percent of the total cost of constructing that building.

On the other hand, if you don’t bother to account for the need for disability access and just build the building first, and then go, “oops, we didn’t design for accessibility”, then you will need to literally tear down parts of the building and reconstruct it from scratch. If this is your primary approach to accessibility, then of course the cost of accessibility may seem expensive. But it’s not actually the ramp or the wide door ways that are expensive. What is expensive is all the extra cost and effort of completely undoing parts of what you had already created wrongly so that you can recreate it correctly. In other words, the actual expense is the lack of planning ahead for accessibility.

This is the first I learned how books could be more cheaply accessible if this was planned for ahead of time. But it’s the same principle at work. Unfortunately, most people don’t understand all this and blame disabled people for wanting accessibility instead of blaming designers, architects, inventors and book publishers, and so forth, as well as the people responsible for contracting them, for having failed to consider the needs of disabled people when there was still time to integrate accessibility during the design and initial construction phase, when it could have been done cheaply.

What we need is for more designers, architects, inventors, book publishers, policy makers, program managers, and so forth to learn about the principles of universal design.

[accesslarp]

Accessibility for Hearing Impairment

Hello folks! There is a new Guide – The Guide for Accessibility for Hearing Impairment – now available in the Organiser’s section of the website. As always it is free to download…

There is a new Guide  – The Guide for Accessibility for Hearing Impairment – now available in the Organiser’s section of the website.

As always it is free to download and for use under the Creative Common’s license.

This 14 page Guide covers different types of hearing impairment and possible accommodations to suit a variety of players. It is also suitable for people who have auditory processing issues due to neurodivergence and other cognitive difficulties.

Patreon patrons will be getting some additional content later this month.

[accesslarp]

Interview with Under the Stars!

I had a chat with the organisers behind 80s prom horror game Under The Stars which, as well as leaving the players more than happy, was also congratulated on it’s accessibility. Read on to se…

I had a chat with the organisers behind 80s prom horror game Under The Stars which, as well as leaving the players more than happy, was also congratulated on it’s accessibility. Follow the link above to see what Emma, Izzy and Shek had to say about the event.

The blog post text has been edited lightly to remove repetition in answers and for brevity. The full text with everything that Emma, Izzy and Shek had to say is available to Rogue and above Patreon Patrons. If you would like to support Access:LARP as a Patron and get regular updates and bonus content then follow this link.

[accesslarp]

Top 5 Tips for Players

Following on from the General Guide for Players, here are my Top 5 Tips for LARPing with Access Needs. Talk to the organisers This is one of the biggest things you can do. Hopefully plenty of infor…

Getting ready to go to a LARP? The take a look at the Top Five Tips for Players With Access Needs, are aimed at a broad audience of people with access needs.

This video and blog post are the condensed version of the General Guide for Players. But if you want more in depth advice I recommend reading the Guide. 

Patreon supporters got a bonus 6th tip too! To become a Patreon Supporter and receive regular updates, previews and extra content the visit the Access:LARP Patreon page. 

[accesslarp]

There is a new Player Guide available on the Access:LARP website. The General Guide for Players with Access Needs This covers a wide range of access needs to make your life easier preparing for, pl…

There is a new Player Guide available on the Access:LARP website. The General Guide for Players with Access Needs This covers a wide range of access needs to make your life easier preparing for, playing and recovering from a LARP. This is a great starting point if you are new to considering access needs for a game, or want to improve your game experience. In time there will be more "condition specific" guides available with more tailored advice or you can check out The Guide for Players with EDS and Hypermobility or The Guide for Players with Chronic Fatigue .

If you want to contribute to a Player guide about your condition or access needs then feel free to get in touch with Access:LARP through the contact page.