Declare Accessibility Awareness Day

May 15, 2025, 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 15, 2025, marks the 14th 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 15, 2025, 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.