BlindDefender: An Educational Game for the Visually Impaired

Publication Date

1-1-2026

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Title

Conference Proceedings IEEE SOUTHEASTCON

DOI

10.1109/SoutheastCon63549.2026.11476558

Abstract

Video games are increasingly being used as educational tools, not just for entertainment. However, many games depend heavily on visual information, creating barriers for visually impaired players to access their entertainment and educational value. This paper presents BlindDefender, an educational 2D shooting game designed with blind accessibility. The game uses spoken instructions and spatial audio cues together with visual elements so that players with different levels of vision can access the same gameplay information. The game is intended to help players develop spatial awareness, listening skills, and decisionmaking abilities. The design of BlindDefender is guided by the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to support inclusive access. This paper describes the game design, accessibility features, and learning objectives. Playtesting results show that the accessibility features are effective in supporting inclusive gameplay for visually impaired players. We believe that this work is significant for raising the awareness of challenges faced by visually-impaired people in learning and even entertaining, such as playing video games, and is a small step towards improving accessibility and inclusiveness in education and in video games.

Funding Sponsor

WITH Foundation

Keywords

Blind accessibility, Educational game, Game development

Department

Computer Science

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