Seattle Indies joins game industry leaders, individuals, and universities for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Started in 2012, GAAD shines a light on the importance of making technology and products accessible to everyone. With over 1 billion people worldwide impacted by disabilities, it is our collective responsibility to design and build games and interactive experiences don’t leave people with disabilities behind. This year, Seattle Indies is coming together to educate our communities, learn and share insights, talk about inclusive design practices, and drive forward the creation of more accessible and innovative games.
6-6:30: Make Your Game More Accessible with Unity 6
Speaker: Bianca Marina Stana, Senior Software Developer & Agile Leader, Accessibility @ Unity
We’re gonna talk about accessibility — not the checkbox kind! I’m talking about building apps that don’t fall apart the moment they meet real-life conditions. You know… bright sunlight, one-handed scrolling, full mental burnout from too many meetings? That’s the real world! You can make it better. You’ll get a crash course on why accessibility matters — and then we’ll dig into how Unity 6 empowers you to do something about it. Screen reader support? Yeah! An accessibility hierarchy you can debug? Got it! System settings APIs? Absolutely! Because accessibility simply means making your stuff better for everyone.
Bianca Marina Stana is a senior software engineer and agile leader at Unity. Her expertise and dedication have been instrumental in shaping Unity’s accessibility initiatives. Beyond her contributions to the development of accessibility features in the Unity Engine, she actively assists creators on Unity Discussions, meets with Unity customers to discuss how the Unity Engine can support their accessibility goals, and has delivered talks at events such as the Game Accessibility Gathering in Brighton and the Global Game Jam.
6:30-7: Accessibility for Nearly Free – What You Should Know
Speaker: Benjamin Ritter
Unlock the power of inclusive design without breaking the bank! This session dives into practical, low-cost strategies to make your games and products accessible from the start. Discover how understanding the experiences of users with disabilities, such as navigating with a screen reader or relying on captions, can profoundly impact your design choices and prevent costly retrofitting. We’ll explore simple yet effective techniques like embracing plus-one thinking for sound and captions, leveraging the inherent accessibility of HTML5 for web-based experiences, and the invaluable practice of user testing with the very players who will become your most passionate advocates. Learn how to build accessibility into your development process early and often, creating more inclusive and ultimately better products for everyone.
Benjamin Ritter of Themis Games makes games that can be played by blind and sighted players at the same time, without compromises. He is a graduate of DigiPen Institute of Technology with twelve years in the mobile apps and games industry.
7-7:30: Fireside Chat w/Joanna Blackhart and Jonathan O’Duffy
Joanna Blackhart (they/them) is an Accessibility & DEI Specialist known for their work on games such as Ikenfell and Frogsong. A fifteen-plus year industry vet. Blackhart has been featured in websites such as Huffpost, Gamerant, Xbox Ambassadors, Twitch, and spoken at engagements such as San Diego Comic Con and most recently the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York. Blackhart takes the most enjoyment in teaching and sharing knowledge with others and is always open to share access to any and all resources they have available.
Jonathan O’Duffy is a Principal Applied Research Engineer in XR & AI for Digital Health Innovation for Virtual Therapeutics. After experiencing a life-changing eye injury that left him functionally blind for several years, Jonathan was forced to reinvent his entire design philosophy. His journey—from fully sighted to disabled and slowly regaining partial vision—gave him deep insight into the importance of accessible design and the unseen barriers faced by millions. Jonathan now focuses on creating tools and technologies that not only support healing but actively prevent injury. Through his own company Dragonfly Optics, he blends neuroscience, and machine learning to improve vision and mental health through peripheral stimulation and immersive design.
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Seattle Indies strives to be an inclusive and welcoming community for everyone. By attending our events, you are agreeing to follow our code of conduct: [https://www.seattleindies.org/code-of-conduct/]
