Lancaster researchers create world’s first audio only computer game designed with blind people in mind

The game uses only abstract noise to guide the gamer through 16 levels of an immersive maze.

Unlike other audio games, it has no screen and no voices. The team behind it has now been honoured at the annual awards organised by Visionary, the national membership organisation for local sight loss charities.

The project scooped the Inspire award, sponsored by Specsavers, which recognises trailblazing initiatives.

Sight Advice South Lakes recruited blind and partially sighted people from across the country with computer gaming experience for the research after being approached by a team of researchers from ImaginationLancaster, a design-led research laboratory at Lancaster University.

Together with Zach Mason, a PhD student with a specific interest in developing accessible audio games, the group was brought together for an exploratory workshop in Manchester.

Workshop participants tested the prototype and their input will be used to shape a new and improved version of the game, which is intended for release on the global gaming platform, Steam.

"The Inspire Award, sponsored by Specsavers, is all about celebrating trailblazing initiatives and highlighting the innovative work undertaken by local organisations. The research project is a well-deserved winner," said Fiona Sandford, chief executive of Visionary. "The project was an inclusive collaboration, with smaller sight loss organisations contributing to a change in approach to design for blind and partially sighted people.

"As Dr Joseph Lindley, from ImaginationLancaster, said it was a fantastic demonstration of how bringing diverse voices to any design problem can be transformational. Even better that it creates a much-needed income stream as any money made will also be shared with the sight loss organisations."

Dr Lindley says the people that Sight Advice South Lakes helped to recruit were exceptionally good natured, friendly, accommodating of the researchers’ lack of knowledge about the realities of living with sight loss and were fully engaged with the topic.

"The combination of these factors together was incredibly energising for our team, but also for the potential of the research and has motivated us to pursue this research topic much further," he added.

"Having the whole group identify with the idea we are exploring and putting their hearts and souls into helping us understand the problem better, and create new possible directions, was a fantastic demonstration of how bringing diverse voices to any design problem can be transformational."

Tim Ward, assistive technology co-ordinator at Sight Advice South Lakes, said it was brilliant to be asked to work with ImaginationLancaster – which also won a Lancaster University award for the project.

"We thought the project had huge potential for the world of sight loss so using the Visionary Network we opened the research up to visually impaired gamers in the UK, and we had a brilliant response from organisations similar to ourselves," he said.

"The workshop was a resounding success and ImaginationLancaster, who were so easy to work with, achieved their outcomes and have new directions previously unimagined for visually impaired people."

Giles Edmonds, clinical services director at Specsavers, said: "Specsavers has sponsored the Inspire Award because we want to support others in improving the quality of life for everyone affected by sight loss.

"Specsavers is proud to work alongside Visionary to raise awareness of the importance of regular eye tests. We also want to inspire others to join us because we must implement change to secure long-term sustainability of patient centred care, better sight loss prevention."