Accessibility is about more than just having braille dice, even when considering only blind players! Just as disability is a spectrum, accessibility is too. There's never a one-size-fits-all approach to access needs and it's important to focus on meeting people where they are. We work together so everybody can play!

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In 2025 we started with the Access Forward Gaming Lounge at PAX events to bring tabletop accessibility offerings to attendees. Since then, we've seen the need for this kind of community support to exist beyond large-scale events and have expanded into the Access Friendly Gaming program! The core of our mission as a nonprofit organization is to improve accessibility in tabletop gaming and we're excited to be able to offer that in new and innovative ways that support people in having wondrous experiences through the magic of games.

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​By working with online game organizing platforms, local libraries, game stores, and community centers in addition to consumer events we are able to cater each game experience to the players to support disabilities and access needs that matter to them. The AFG program can take many different forms including telling disabled stories and featuring games with disability accommodations built in, or adapting existing games to meet access needs on an individual basis. This can look like having a game for low vision players where things are tactile or available in a screen reader accessible digital format, modifying a game mechanic to reduce the use of numbers for people with dyscalculia, creating a fluid turn order so players with trouble focusing or following specific events can still participate, and so much more. Wherever we are, our core principles help guide us to create the best experiences:

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• Be Willing to Try: In many ways, accessibility is reinventing the wheel time and time again to figure out the best accommodation for that person. You may have a base level to start with but it won't be perfect for everyone. When game organizers and players are willing to work together to try something new, there's a better chance of success. Take the time to experiment and find out what works for each person at the table, giving everyone opportunities to find speed bumps and try a new approach without feeling like a burden.
   

• Hold Space for Others: "Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about" can be applied directly to disabled individuals navigating their access needs. Not all disabilities are visible, not all disabilities are understood, and not all disabilities are diagnosed. While we do ask people involved with our Access Friendly Gaming events to share their access needs so we can determine how to best support them, not everyone knows what they need. Sometimes just being a safe space free of judgement is enough.
   

• Respect Lived Experience: Not everyone can be an expert on every disability, even if they are disabled themselves. One person's lived experience is not always identical to that of someone with the same disability so it's important for us to consider everyone's lived experience for Access Friendly Gaming events. "Nothing About Us Without Us" is key in remembering the disabilities we aim to support need to be represented at the table. 
   

• row Together: Creating accessible game experiences will be a new adventure for many game and event organizers. If something is found to work well, we focus on teaching others so they can bring this knowledge to future events. The AFG program can help plant the seed of change and through the input of all involved, we aim to develop a new way to create better, more engaging, and more welcoming game experiences for all kinds of disabled gamers.​