I have said before that we disabled gamers out there long to play games ourselves. We want the same experiences we know others are getting, and just watching a Let’s Play isn’t enough, as it is still someone else’s experience. This remains true, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still watch Let’s Plays, to get from some games what we can. We love video games, after all. So, if you’re a let’s player out there, or someone who is thinking about starting a Let’s Play of a game, this one’s for you. You see, there are things you can do, things some Let’s Players already do, that make things just a bit better for us in the visually impaired category. I want to talk about those things, and also give some mention to a couple folks who already set pretty good examples. A quick note before we begin, though. This really applies to any disability, though the examples I give here focus on visual impairment.

A lot of what playing games for people is, or at least what it should be, is knowing your audience. As your viewership grows, so does its diversity. As word gets around about you, you’ll attract various different types of people. Maybe, just maybe, one of these types is visually impaired. If you get a message in a comment, or in live chat, from a visually impaired viewer who enjoys your content, consider doing what you can to give them the best experience possible. In an ideal world, it would be great if all let’s players did these things automatically, but that’s not the world we live in, so doing them in response to learning that you have that audience will suffice.

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, read the text. Even today, many games rely on text-only dialog and story events. If a blind person is watching a let’s play, they obviously wouldn’t be able to read and appreciate these things without your help. Imagine playing an incredible game like Undertale and not being able to read any of the text, or see any of the graphics. Suddenly, the game goes from being the wondrous experience it is to a collection of sound effects. Undertale lives on its story. Take that away, and you essentially have nothing.

Next, be descriptive. We know your audience is likely primarily composed of sighted people, but we’d like to know what that cool thing that just happened was as well. You can disclaim it by saying you’re describing something for your visually impaired viewers if you feel it’s necessary, and no you don’t have to describe absolutely everything, but when an especially neat, or even an especially awful thing happens, it would be nice, and you will be appreciated for it. Again, we know we’re not your only audience. We get that it would take a lot to describe every single room you enter, and every single character you meet. The goal here is to simply provide us as much of the experience you’re having as you can, as you do automatically for the sighted folks who view your content.

Keep in mind that both of these things involve you. They require interaction which, I can’t stress enough, should be a staple quality of any content creator. We blind folks are not likely to watch playthroughs without commentary unless we’re doing it for a second to get a taste of a game’s audio. If you are one of those people who stays involved, if you do communicate with your viewers, great! These are just a couple ways you can keep us involved.

Now, a couple shoutouts. These are people who, for whatever reason, already do the things I’ve described. They set great examples for Let’s Players out there, and should be checked out if that’s what you’re looking for. First, there is Darksyde Phil, who can be found on www.twitch.tv/darksydephil where he streams gameplay almost every day. That gameplay is uploaded to his Youtube channel, www.youtube.com/dspgaming Phil is a colorful individual, and most certainly not PG rated, but he is very considerate of his audience. He reads most, and sometimes all game text, and he ensures subtitles are always on for the hearing impaired as well. Check him out if you want examples of these things with some colorful humor thrown in.

Second, a channel that actually exists for the soul purpose of describing gameplay to the blind. I introduce you to Audio Described Gaming, found at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0liuqhnIvfLbMeL-g3THoA

This individual sadly hasn’t uploaded a new video in a few months, but has several playthroughs, including the previously-mentioned Undertale, that might interest any blind gamer out there. This guy does it all, actually taking the painstaking time to describe every room, every character, and every major in-game moment, along with of course reading the text. He’s a true soldier for us, and I am not alone in wishing he had more content to offer.

That about does it for this particular blog. For my blind readers, I hope I have accurately described the things we’re looking for, and maybe that I introduced you to a new Let’s Player you didn’t know about before. For everyone else, I hope I gave you something to think about in case you ever considered doing a let’s play of your own. Thanks for reading, all, and as always, continue to be awesome!