[Denver, CO — Aug. 25, 2023] Today Pop Culture Classroom released the latest issue in their line of Colorful History comics, Accessibility in Video Games — a new, four-page comic and teaching guide that explores issues millions of Americans with disabilities may face when playing video games, and how the video game industry is addressing those issues.
Accessibility in Video Games and its teaching guide are available for free download at PopCultureClassroom.org/comics.
“We created Accessibility in Video Games to help students better understand the barriers that some people with disabilities face, but through the lens of video games — an activity that so many kids and teens love. We hope that this comic can use gaming as a vehicle to promote empathy and inclusion,” said Matt Slayter, Director of Education at Pop Culture Classroom.
Slayter, a lifelong gamer and former elementary school teacher, wrote Accessibility in Video Games. The issue was illustrated by Zak Kinsella and lettered by R. Alan Brooks.
Fast Facts:
- Video games are wildly popular among students. 76% of U.S. kids and teens under 18 regularly play video games. [1]
- Many students have disabilities or family members with disabilities. At nearly 42.5 million people in the U.S. identified as having some form of disability. [2]
In preparing the comic, the group consulted with individuals who self-identified as having a disability, as well as Colorado’s award-winning creative home for theatre artists with disabilities, the Phamaly Theatre Company.
The comic and teaching guide are aligned to Common Core Educational Standards and designed for students in grades 5 to 8. It offers pre-reading activities, discussion questions, project ideas, and additional media resources for further research on the issue.
Accessibility in Video Games is Pop Culture Classroom’s most recent entry in its Colorful History comics series. Going on 80 issues, Colorful History covers important — and sometimes rarely taught — issues and history in the U.S.
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Pop Culture Classroom is a Denver-based education and arts nonprofit organization that works to inspire a love of learning, increase literacy, celebrate diversity, and build community through the tools of popular culture and the power of self-expression.
Notes:
[1] https://www.theesa.com/2023-essential-facts/ [2] https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/06/disability-rates-higher-in-rural-areas-than-urban-areas.html#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20nearly%2042.5%20million,ACS)%201%2Dyear%20estimates.Donate to Support Literacy, Learning, and Connection
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