How to give useful feedback about game accessibility

Key points

• For: players, testers, and communities
• Goal: one clear, reproducible report
• Time needed: about 10–20 minutes
• No technical background required

Category: General guide

Good accessibility feedback does not need to be long or technical. It should make three things clear: what you tried to do, what stopped you, and how the developer can experience the same problem. Lived experience is important evidence—especially when the report explains how the barrier affects independent play.

Step by step

1. Find the right channel. Use the developer's or publisher's official support, accessibility address, forum, or public issue tracker when available. Search briefly for an existing report, but create a new one if the situation, platform, or impact differs. Never post account information in a public forum.
2. Record your environment before troubleshooting. Include the game and version, date, platform, language, input method, and relevant assistive technology. For blind and low-vision players, this might include a screen reader, magnifier, high contrast, headphones, audio setup, or accessibility mod. Also state where in the game the problem occurs.
3. Report one barrier at a time. Use a short title that names the task and impact, such as: “Screen reader does not announce the Confirm button in the save menu.” Separate reports are easier to prioritise, test, and close than one long list of unrelated problems.
4. Write exact reproduction steps. Begin from a known point and number every action: open the menu, choose the setting, reach the screen, and perform the action. Repeat once if it is safe. Say whether the problem happens every time, intermittently, or only with a particular setup.
5. Separate actual from expected results. Describe what happens first, then what you expected. Explain the impact concretely: whether you are completely blocked, need sighted help, lose information, or spend substantially more time. Avoid demanding one technical implementation when several solutions could meet the need.
6. Attach safe evidence if you can. A short recording, screenshot, log excerpt, or written description may help. Describe important audio or speech details in text as well. Remove names, email addresses, account identifiers, chat, voice recordings, and other personal information that is not needed to understand the issue.
7. State whether a workaround exists. Explain whether another setting, input method, or sequence bypasses the problem—and what that detour costs. Clearly distinguish a defect from a request for a new feature. A useful expected outcome describes the need, such as making all information required to save available without sight.
8. Follow up without losing the history. Save the report number or link. Answer clarifying questions in the same thread, and retest after an update if you can. Say both when the issue is fixed and when only part is fixed. Encourage testing with players who actually use the feature.

Short checklist

Copy this template: Title. Game version and platform. Language, input, and assistive technology. Where the issue occurs. Numbered steps. Actual result. Expected result. Impact on independent play. Frequency. Workaround. Safe attachments. Contact method for follow-up.

Sources

• Game Accessibility Guidelines: solicit accessibility feedback
• Microsoft: Gaming and Disability Player Experience Guide
• GitHub Docs: clear bug reports with steps and expected results
• Microsoft: accessibility testing with experts and players with disabilities