Accessibility: the Shades of Doom example

When I talk to clients about accessibility, they sometimes ask "does this mean I have to use plain text?" and "does this mean I cannot design my systems to look nice?"

I've discussed this issue in a previous post but a friend recently showed me something that illustrates just how far you can go to make technology accessible to those with disabilities. You may have heard of or played one of the Doom games or another 3d shooter. Well, GMA Games has come up with an entirely audio-based game inspired by Doom. Shades of Doom is an impressive example of what you can do without relying on graphics. If you have a moment, take a look at the GMA Games website and see what other games they have come up with for the visually impaired.

Whilst I'm not saying that you should come up with audio-only versions of your software or websites, Shades of Doom shows just what you can do when you think afresh about accessibility issues.