Xbox celebrates Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Today, Xbox announced their celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) by highlighting some strides they've made in the field of accessibility.

Happy Thursday! Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is an opportunity to spotlight and raise awareness on the importance of accessibility. With billions of players worldwide, including nearly 450 million with some form of disability, Xbox is committed to ensuring that as many people as possible can enjoy the community and fun of gaming.  

In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Xbox shared the latest updates on accessible features, community support, resources, and more via Xbox Wire. These include:  

Announcing new accessibility features in games, including DOOM: The Dark Ages, Candy Crush Soda Saga, and World of Warcraft. 

Spotlighting how South of Midnight and Diablo IV are welcoming more players through their many currently available accessibility features. 

Sharing that Team Xbox has begun implementing  Accessible Games Initiative tags across Xbox experiences, which should be complete by July 2025. The Accessible Games Initiative provides players with clear information about the accessibility features in games through a set of “tags” shared across industry partner store fronts and game product description pages.

Showcasing the Xbox Adaptive Joystick (now available for purchase), a singular, wired controller primarily designed to meet the needs of players with limited mobility with seamless incorporation into existing gaming setups.  

The return of King Play Accessibility Days (PAD), which aims to raise awareness across King of the challenges that players with accessibility needs face when playing games. This year, King is collaborating with Xbox Research to empower teams across King to create more inclusive games, products, and player experiences. 

You can find a full list of Xbox's GAAD news here, and for more on accessibility in games stay tuned to GamingTrend.