About AltAccess
Origins
I picked my very first game when I was four. It was Pong on a ZX Spectrum, with the incentive from my older brothers. A new world had been opened to me. That wonderful world, however, became harder to be enjoyed when my severe myopia worsened. As games evolved in their graphics and mechanics, so did my short-sightness. There were several games where I could only play if I was really close to the screen. Others were virtually impossible. The whole thing worsened when I was diagnosed with glaucoma. Games became harder and harder for me.
I’m not the only one with a disability. Like I mentioned on why I Care about Accessibility and You Should Too, there are billions with a disability in the world. Mine affects my vision - others afect their motor, hearing or cognitive capabilites. Billions that can’t play certain games, because they are not accessible.
We don’t need a VISOR from the 24th century Stark Trek to be able to enjoy our lives. We just need a more accessible world. And in this growing Digital Era, we need more accessibility features and options, either in software, in our phones and in our games.
Foundation
I’ve been streaming since 2021, and from day one, accessibility in videogames has been very present. A topic quite unknown in my circles, and generally in gamers. It’s a topic that leaves some uncomfortable, others ignore, some even despise it. But it is a topic that needs to be talked about. I’ve been a software developer since 2017 and even in software development, accessibility is still somewhat unknown.
In 2024, I decided to take a step further in my career and started AltAccess. With the purpose to help out developers, either in gaming or software development, in making their products more accessible and show how necessary it is.
Mission
The more digital our world becomes, the more we need it to be accessible. This is particularly true in videogames, where we still have barriers that prevent gamers to enjoy them. AltAccess provides consultancy in making videogames more accesible, no matter the stage of development and to test out how accessible and what can be improved on.
Collaborations and Projects
I have previously collaborated with PlayStation Portugal on the release of its Access Controller, as well as publish several opinions and reviews on gaming products. Check (some) of them out on my Portfolio!
Have a sneek peak of some recent ones!
