This MA project, `Vision Without Sight: Developing an Audio Game Engine for Visually Impaired Creators and Players', aims to demonstrate the critical need for technology, particularly development software for media such as game engines, to build screen reader access from its inception.Without screen reader adaptions, many are denied access to digital tools, skills and occupations.A study of common screen reader frustrations outlined typical accessibility issues, including:``(a) page layout causing confusing screen reader feedback; (b) conflict between screen reader and application; (c) poorly designed/unlabelled forms; (d) no alt text for pictures; and (e) 3-way tie between misleading links, inaccessible PDF, and a screen reader crash.'' {Lazar2007} In spite of the study’s age, many of these issues persist in typically visual environments such as game engines. ``Regardless of advancements, game engines remain difficult to access for blind developers or those requiring non-visual interaction. This gap limits the potential for disabled developers to create games and experiences on par with sighted developers, as there are few tools that offer screen reader support or other accessibility-friendly design options.'' {Sutcliffe2024}Creative development software must ensure the inclusion of blind and visually impaired (BVI) users in navigating platforms typically accessed through complex graphical user interfaces (GUIs).To address these accessibility issues, I, a visually-impaired programmer who accesses devices with VoiceOver, Apple’s built-in screen reader, developed the Hodr Engine, an accessible game engine for BVI and sighted creators and players. I created this platform in Python, where users can make audio-based games using HodrScript, a basic programming language, developed with ANTLR, a tool for creating parsers to process text. Programming in HodrScript, running code, and packaging applications are all executed within an integrated development environment (IDE) powered by PyQT, a Python library for building user interfaces.Research methodology involved gathering survey data from BVI users regarding their level of visual impairment, preferred game genres, suggested accessibility-based techniques and play styles, interest in games with visual elements, and previous experience with technology and game development. This helped determine the complexity needed for the user interface, common technological challenges for BVI users featured in software that must be identified and avoided, and the types of games that should be produced by the Hodr Engine. A participant, referred to as Herbert, was introduced to HodrScript through a tutorial, and used the engine to create an audio game and also provided feedback on his experience.Initially, the engine was designed to run through the Terminal, which is a macOS command line interface (CLI), where users could code in a .txt file and bundle games using sound files and splash images. However, research revealed that the Terminal is challenging for some BVI users, especially those less familiar with programming or navigating CLIs. Contrary to my hypothesis that a text-based environment would be more accessible due to its historical use by BVI programmers, the complexity this virtual environment and terminal navigation proved to be a barrier. As a result, I developed a more accessible IDE with features such as a text editor, buttons for running and packaging games, shortcut keys, and tutorials, all in one place. The application can be downloaded from the Hodr Engine website, \href{https://hodrengine.com.This research concludes thasic user interface is more accessible than Terminal for screen reader users who are not experienced coders, even though the latter is text-based. Including navigational shortcuts and accessible design features in the IDE significantly improved the engine's usability for BVI users.
| Date of Award | 7 Jul 2025 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Alex Harker (Main Supervisor) |
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