Saturday 26th February 2022, 2-5pm Central European Time (CET)

Some 15% of the world’s population identifies as disabled. Discourse around disability usually approaches the topic from a medical standpoint, as something to be treated and fixed. Consequently, the Game Design & Disability workshop—conducted by designer and theorist Chris Solarski—aims to explore disability in games from an aesthetics standpoint with the understanding that we are all people, only with different sensory perceptions. The 3-hour event wishes to raise awareness of these multiple realities by engaging in speculative design by reimagining our favourite games with avatars that have some form of disability. In doing so, designers are encouraged to experience and embody new sensory forms to heighten empathy and extend the aesthetic scope of games by examining how a game’s design must change to accommodate various disabilities.

This is a free guided workshop during which Chris Solarski will outline sensory game design concepts and set pen-and-paper challenges for each participant. Minimum required materials include only grid paper (ideally) or A4 paper and a pen/pencil. All game design and UX levels welcome, from complete beginner to advanced.

The PlayBern Festival for Games and Creativity organises events around game art, indie games, game design, and accessibility as well as philosophical and educational questions surrounding games and game culture. Please visit www.playbern.ch for more information. The Game Design & Disability workshop is kindly sponsored by the Swiss Arts Council, Pro Helvetia, and hosted by IGDA Switzerland on behalf of PlayBern.

Register today!