Accessibility Tip of the Week

It's all fun and games.

  • Summary: Consider accessibility when planning fun activities.
  • Who it helps: All people, both with and without disabilities.
  • Additional benefits: Play helps create and deepen relationships and a sense of belonging.

Play is for adults as well as children. Activities, board games, and video games can all be accessible - or inaccessible. When planning something fun for a group that may include people with disabilities, plan ahead so that everyone can be included. If a group will be playing together, pick activities that can be adapted. If a group will split apart, provide accessible options so everyone can participate.

What can I do?

Communicate ahead of time and ask your attendees what types of accommodations are needed. Be creative and have fun! For ideas, read the following resources.

Activities

Select activities that can be modified for adults or kids with disabilities. The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK has recommendations for accessible activities .

Use an accessible location. Sites like AllTrails often include filters for wheelchair accessibility. Allow time to to orient your guests to the location. If hosting at a house, try to choose one with wide hallways and little to no stairs from the outside.

Game Nights

Select accessible board games. MeepleLikeUs provides a beta Board Game Recommender for People With Disabilities .

Video Games

Select accessible video games using Video Game Reviews for Accessibility from CanIPlayThat.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0    .

If you are promoting accessibility within your organization or community, sending out easy-to-understand tips can be a helpful addition to your strategy. You are welcome to share the tips here under the mentioned Creative Commons license, as long as you cite Accessible Community as your source.