Playground Games announced today American Sign Language and British Sign Language support will be coming to Forza Horizon 5 on March 1 (tomorrow). It’s the first time an Xbox Game Studios title features on-screen ASL and BSL interpreters.
The accessibility feature has been created with the participation of members of the deaf and hard of hearing community. In Forza Horizon 5, actors interpret messages in over 150 cinematics.
“There are so many people with disabilities and people who are deaf. And, there are a lot of closed doors every day. And what I mean by that is that we are consistently and constantly dealing with inequities that exist,” said Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft. “The fact that I can just be on the same level playing field as them means I’m not focused on a closed door.”
“I’m not trying to solve for an inequity. I’m being present with my family and there’s nothing that’s more important to me than that. It’s communicating to me as a deaf individual. Play is an important aspect of everyone’s lives, now more than ever as many will continue to be socially isolated given the pandemic.”
“It’s surreal and fascinating to see a deaf actor in the corner signing BSL in the game,” said Cameron Akitt, an accessibility consultant and teacher based in London. “It’s fantastic – another language option.”
In a 7-minute video, Chris Robinson, a gaming accessibility consultant, and others at Microsoft and Playground Games share their thoughts and experiences.
[Source]: Microsoft: Forza Horizon 5 introduces sign language support throughout in-game scenes – [Archive] – [Screenshot].
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