Accessibility and Kinect

At Microsoft, we believe that interactive entertainment should be enjoyed by as many people as possible. We recognize that each person has unique abilities and not all users will be able to play all of the titles available for Kinect for Xbox 360 because of the inherent physical nature of the gameplay. A number of titles available for Kinect for Xbox 360 can be played by users with various physical and sensory impairments. In an effort to continually improve the Kinect experience, we actively seek feedback from the accessibility community on how we can improve our Kinect and Xbox technology for all users. We continue to use this feedback as we work on future versions of Kinect technology. We have made technical improvements since Kinect technology was first released, broadening our gameplay to include some players who were previously unable to enjoy Kinect. As new technologies like Kinect for Xbox 360 become available, improvements based on feedback can be made with each new edition released.

Seated users can enjoy several features and games developed for Kinect for Xbox 360. Currently, the ability for Kinect to work with seated users is largely dependent on the actual game itself. Some games are more accommodating of seated users than others. Game developers do have the ability to design their games in such a way that activities which are troublesome for some users can be skipped over or completed in a different way. To that end, we are educating publishers on this point at various development events in an effort to provide an entertaining gaming experience to a broad audience. Navigating the dashboard and enjoying controller-free entertainment features on Xbox LIVE, such as Zune and Video Kinect, are experiences that can be enjoyed while seated or standing. The latest update to the Xbox 360 Dashboard also includes several apps that are compatible with a seated user experience.

• Features. The latest update to the Xbox 360 Dashboard also includes many apps that work for seated users, as well as controller-free entertainment features on Xbox LIVE, such as Zune and Video Kinect.
• Games. There are currently five Kinect games that work when seated (click the link to see a demo of the game):
  • Forza Motorsport 4
  • Fruit Ninja
  • The Gun Stringer
  • Kinect Joy Ride
  • Kinectimals

Other than your initial Kinect calibration, you don’t need to do anything to play the games listed above.

To get the most enjoyment out of using Kinect, consider the following factors:

• Chairs. Smaller wheelchairs, such as hospital-style chairs or racing chairs, seem to work best with Kinect.

  Also, large protruding arm-rests (such as the control arm on some motorized wheelchairs) may inhibit recognition by Kinect as the sensor might recognize them as another set of arms. Try to move these arms out of the sensor’s view.

• Kinect placement. For best recognition when seated, position the Kinect sensor at seated chest level or slightly higher; do not place the sensor lower than seated chest level.
• Lighting. Make sure that the room in which you are playing has adequate lighting.
• Surfaces. Shiny surfaces may cause problems for Kinect. Consider covering any reflective surface on your chair.

At present, Kinect does not support sign language as a form of command input to the sensor.

In an effort to deliver the appropriate response to user commands, Kinect's voice recognition is designed to respond to specific speech patterns. This feature helps to limit the amount of unintentional on-screen responses from environmental sounds (dogs barking, phones ringing, etc.). This can affect Kinect's ability to track and respond to sounds and voices that it is unable to map to the Kinect multilingual database of recognized spoken commands. Kinect has tackled some amazing technological challenges since its release in 2010, and we believe consumers will be delighted with the latest updates available this season, including enhanced voice recognition that will allow gameplay to be possible for more users than ever before. We have been working hard to find ways to overcome some of the challenges that face Kinect users and, as the technology evolves, ideas thought to be impeded by obstacles often become more feasible to implement.

At present, Xbox 360 does not support closed captioning. However, Microsoft is engaged in planning and development for closed caption TV and video content through Xbox 360. While a definite release date has not yet been set, we aim to have this feature available in the near future.

In an effort to continually improve the Kinect experience, we engage with the accessibility community to help us improve our Kinect and Xbox technology for all users through our Xbox 360 Accessibility Information email alias and events like the “Kinect Accessibility Roundtable." Assistive technologies and accessibility features of the Kinect for Xbox 360 make navigation and gameplay easier and more comfortable for Kinect users. With speech recognition and enhanced skeletal tracking, the Kinect experience can now be enjoyed by more users than ever before. We are also educating publishers at various development events on how to design their titles to reach a broader audience, including those users with physical and sensory impairments and those with unique game play needs.

Please email us at xaccess@microsoft.com, and one of our team members will gladly help you find an answer or direct you to the most appropriate person on the Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360 team.

Microsoft leads the industry in innovation for accessibility through our commitment to empower and enable people of all abilities and to help people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential. We consider our mission statement a promise to our customers and deliver on that promise by striving to create technology that is accessible to everyone.

Microsoft demonstrates its understanding of and commitment to accessibility by considering the accessibility of our products within all stages of product planning, research and development, product development, and testing. We collaborate with stakeholders around the world and build strong relationships with technology partners, governments, and organizations that advocate on behalf of people with disabilities. Microsoft also supports global policy agendas that promote broader digital inclusion at regional, national, and international levels.

Please visit the Microsoft Accessibility website.