Creating the Xbox Adaptive Controller required the Microsoft Devices team to reexamine their own practices and ultimately challenge their biases and assumptions to embrace more inclusive design.
In this talk from GDC 2019, Bryce Johnson (Inclusive Lead, Microsoft Devices) and Erin Muston-Firsch (Occupational Therapist, Craig Hospital) discuss the process of designing the Xbox Adaptive Controller and how doing so required them to rethink how they designed and engineered controllers altogether.
The talk offers game developers advice on how to apply those same principles to their own projects, like how to recognize when a design excludes people with limited mobility and how to design control schemes and input with accessibility in mind.
In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.
Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.