While guidelines such as Universal Design exist (Center for Universal Design‚ 1997)‚ design and development practices have room for improvement‚ mainstream games still vary widely in their accessibility for blind or low-vision players. According to the RNIB’s Accessible Gaming Report (2022), 76% of gamers with sight loss reported their condition significantly impacted their ability to play, while only 15% of game developers reported a sufficient understanding of their needs — a gap that reveals how far design practice has to travel (see Figure 1). Accessibility is often discussed in terms of superficial features like
ramps‚ font size‚ or colour contrast‚ but cross-sensory design is under-explored‚ particularly regarding the inclusion of blind and low-vision participants in the design process. This is especially true in play and leisure contexts‚ such as board games‚ toys‚ and other forms
of play media. This dissertation therefore explores how blind and low-vision people play with and within physical play. Whereas research into accessibility in digital play is growing‚ the inclusion of blind and low vision audiences in the design of physical play experiences‚ including board games‚ toys‚ and other interactive play has received less attention.