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Blind People Want To Play MMOs Too
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Being blind is horrible. You miss out on so much. One of these things is the wonderful world of video games. How many video games do you know that would be good for a blind person? Not many, right?
And that, according to Alexander Stern of California, is a serious problem. Stern sued Sony for not making their MMOs blind accessible. This allegedly violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which states that "No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation." Stern claims that Massively Multiplayer Online games are a "place of public accomodation" and should therefore be made so that blind people can play them as well.
While I feel bad that anyone has to be left out of the wonderful world of MMOs, I'm not sure how a blind-friendly interface might be implemented. There are a number of video game titles for blind people out, but this is taking the issue a step further. Are online video games a public place? And does the Disabilities Act's power extend to the world of online interactions? It's up to the courts to decide that now.
Meanwhile, the social MMO Second Life has been a step ahead of the game. A new sound-based system is being developed for Second Life, to allow blind people to play the game. The system will let the player know who is speaking with distinct sounds, as well as which way they are facing, walking, and their position relative to you. These are still in early development, but the idea is there. Maybe with the help of this lawsuit (whether or not he wins), other video games and MMOs will follow suit.
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