Senate Resolution No. 1550

BY: Senator PERSAUD

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
May 16, 2024, as Global Accessibility Awareness Day
in the State of New York

WHEREAS, By some estimates, as many as 2.6 billion people take part
in digital gaming, a significant fraction of the global population; and

WHEREAS, Over the past decades, video games have become a mainstream
form of entertainment, currently eclipsing Hollywood's box office sales;
and

WHEREAS, Digital games are widely recognized as a popular, enjoyable
and even beneficial activity from which players can derive a sense of
well-being; and

WHEREAS, The popularity of games increases, so making games
accessible becomes even more important; software technology is often
difficult to access for players with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, The total number of people in the United States estimated
to have their ability to play games affected by a disability is
32,213,000; and

WHEREAS, In New York State, about one in five of the adult,
non-institutionalized population (about three million people) report an
activity limitation; and

WHEREAS, Video games can be tools for disabled gamers to create
rich, social experiences that they would not be able to have otherwise;
and

WHEREAS, For those who cannot leave their homes, games are a way to
explore and go on adventures without going anywhere; video games also
offer a chance for players to be on an equal playing field, regardless
of their disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Over 40% of military service members reported playing video
games on a weekly basis; and

WHEREAS, One out of every 10 veterans alive today was seriously
injured at some point while serving in the military, and three-quarters
of those injuries occurred in combat; for many of these 2.2 million
wounded warriors, the physical and emotional consequences of their
wounds have endured long after they left the military, which includes
hampering their ability to enjoy long loved hobbies; and

WHEREAS, Gaming can give newly disabled people a sense of normalcy;
gaming is one of the most popular activities for soldiers stationed in
Iraq and Afghanistan; and

WHEREAS, Adults may make up the majority of game players, but video
games are more popular than ever among kids; 91% of U.S. children ages
2-17 play video games; and


WHEREAS, 5% of children in the U.S. aged 5-15 have a form of
disability; and

WHEREAS, Thursday, May 16, 2024, marks the 13th Global Accessibility
Awareness Day (GAAD), the purpose of which is to get everyone talking,
thinking, and learning about digital access/inclusion and people with
different disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Includification is a phrase meant to convey the ideas of
including everyone as an ongoing movement; game accessibility is not a
topic that can be solved with one answer, or decision by one entity, but
rather of movement by one segment of the video game community, disabled
gamers, asking to be fairly included in regards to access of mainstream
entertainment; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body would like to shine more awareness on
how accessibility should be considered in all endeavors, including video
games; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to Proclaim May 16, 2024, as Global
Accessibility Awareness Day in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York; and the AbleGamers Foundation.