The Unsyted Radio

It is time to press start and begin level four of my accessibility in gaming series. In part four of my twelve part series highlighting accessibility in gaming, I sit down to talk to the great and powerful Sightless Kombat. Sightless Kombat is a gamer without sight and is an accredited and award winning accessibility consultant. Additionally, Sightless Kombat is a well respected content creator who highlights accessibility in gaming through reviews, first impressions, and playthroughs. I was so honored to talk with Sightless, because as a blind gamer myself I use his accessibility reviews to decide whether I should buy a game. If you were ever curious as to how Sightless Kombat approaches accessibility then you will want to listen closely as he explains his process. If I had to pick out a favorite part of our interview then it is our conversation about how physical merchandise can be used as an accessibility feature. To read his reviews and get links to where he uploads his content make sure to visit his website at https://www.sightlesskombat.com.

Level three of my accessibility in gaming series is a rare treat, because I speak to none other than Topher Winward. Topher Winward is a software engineer and developer at Rare formerly Rareware. Rare is the studio responsible for such iconic video games like Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong Country, Perfect Dark, Goldeneye 007, Battletoads, and Jet Force Gemini. As a kid who grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, and spent most of his time playing on the Nintendo 64. I cannot begin to express how much my interview with Topher Winward meant to me. It is amazing to see how even though I have continued to lose my vision that I still am capable of playing games developed by Rare. This is due to the committment Rare has taken as a studio to ensuring that their games are accessible. I had so much fun learning about how Sea of Thieves ended up featuring so many accessibility features. Additionally, I found it so interesting how Topher found himself at the helm of the ship steering accessibility in Sea of Thieves alongside his amazing colleagues.

This episode of the podcast was originally recorded last year in August.

It is time to press start and begin level two of my accessibility in gaming series. My guest today is the great and powerful Ross Minor and you better believe accessibility in gaming is no minor issue for him. Please be aware that Ross's lived experience contains sensitive topics and could be triggering for som listeners. However, I want to thank Ross for being so open to sharing his lived experience. Additionally, I want to thank Ross for sharing his insight on how he approaches accessibility in gaming when working as a consultant. We here at The Unsyted Radio want to take this time to congratulate Ross on his induction into the Game Awards Future Class, which is a honored group of builders, thinkers, and dreamers whose voices elevate, diversify, and further the art form that is gaming.

Happy New Year to you one and all! Thank you so much for being a member of the Unsyted Army. It is because of you that last year the podcast experienced its highest level of growth so far. With a new year comes new content, and I am so happy to start 2024 off with a brand new series. For the nex twelve weeks you will learn about accessibility in gaming. You will hear from disabled consultants who are helping to create accessible games. Additionally, you will hear from developers who work at world renowned studios, engineers creating accessible hardware, and even get to learn about audio description in video games. Not to mention, you will also learn about the importance of mental health as it pertains to video games. I hope you are all excited for this brand new series! We start the series off by talking to my good friend Victor Dima. Victor Dima is a blind gaming journalist, accessibility consultant, audio books insider, and the current Communications Specialist for Easy Surf. Victor and I sat down in August of 2023 to talk about his lived experience with disability and discuss his work as an accessibility consultant. If you want to stay up to date with everything Victor is working on then please make sure to visit his website at https://victordima.net.

In today's sparkling new episode of the podcast, Chad Bouton sits down with Ciara Lawrence. Ciara Lawrence is a person with a learning disability who currently works for MENCAP, which is the leading learning disability charity in the UK. Additionally, Ciara is the host of the Pink Sparkle Podcast, which is one of the current top ranking dissability podcasts. Outside of MENCAP, Ciara works with the Sunny Bank Trust and Head To Head Sensory Theatre as a trustee. Chad speaks to Ciara about her lived experience with disability, how it is she discovered her positive disability identity, and what inspired her to start her own podcast. You can find Ciara's Pink Sparkle Podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can also follow her on FaceBook where she goes by Ciara Lawrence. Additionally, you can follow her on twitter at https://twitter.com/ciarale01.

In today's insightful; not to mention, educational episode of the podcast, Chad Bouton talks with actress Corina Boettger. Corina first began community theatre when they were just a child. From the very first moment, Corina knew that acting is what they wanted to persue. Corina started taking classes, and had their first paid gig when they were still under the age of ten. After this, Corina kept the dream by continuing community theatre in Seattle, and eventually transitioning to on-camera acting in Los Angeles. Corina has appeared on camera in shows like The Mick and My Name Is Earl. Additionally, you can hear them voice in shows like Sailor Moon, One Punch Man, and Trolls: The Beat Goes On. Furthermore, Corina has voiced in several critically acclaimed video games like AI the Somnium Files and Genshin Impact. Corina is currently based out of Los Angeles. They have Crohns Disease and Arthritis, which did make them have to use a wheelchair for around three years. However, after much therapy and medication they are now taking pole dancing, as well as, aerial circus training. Corina is also an actor who is on the Autism Spectrum and is non-binary, and is very vocal about advocating for themselves. To learn mor about Corina, and the work that they do please make sure to visit their website. Https://www.corinaboettger.com.

In today's thought provoking episode of the podcast, Chad Bouton talks to award winning journalist Grant Stoner. Grant Stoner is a accomplished journalist who has published articles for the following publications: Can I Play That, Wired Magazine, IGN, Fanbite Media, Launcher, Inverse, and the Washington Post. Grant covers the gaming industry from a disabled lens, and his articles explore the accessibility initiatives made by development studios. Additionally, Grant's articles focus on the representation of disabled people through consulting and exposure oppurtunities. When not discussing accessibility and the disabled community, Grant enjoys writing more personal features exploring his favorite game series. During today's episode, Chad Bouton talks with Grant about his lived experience with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and what exactly Spinal Muscular Atrophy is. Chad also talks to Grant about how it is he became a journalist, as well as, why it is he chose to focus on the gaming industry. Additionally, Chad talks to Grant thoroughly about one of his recent articles that ended up going viral. If you would like to follow Grant Stoner on social media then find him on Twitter @Super_Crip1994. Additionally, check out their profile on Muck Rack at https://muckrack.com/grant-stoner-1.

In today's flawless victory of an episode, Chad Bouton sits down with game consultant Carlos Vasquez. Carlos Vasquez is an accessibility consultant who has worked on a number of projects, but he most recently served as one of the lead accessibility consultants on Mortal Kombat One. Additionally, Carlos serves as the lead organizer for Sento Showdown. Sento Showdown is a competitive game league, which hosts competitive gaming events for blind fighting game competitors. Little known fact about Carlos is that he is also the drummer and vocalist for Distartica. Chad talks to Carlos about his lived experience with vision loss, how Carlos discovered his love for video games, why it is that Mortal Kombat has always been his game of choice, and how it is that Carlos became an accessibility consultant. Something I think listeners will love hearing Carlos talk about is his philosophy on how everything happens at the right time, and how it is he learned to adopt this mindset. If you want to follow Carlos on social media then use his handle KHRattlehead. You can also subscribe to his official YouTube channel at https://www.YouTube.com/KHRattlehead. Additionally, if you would like to learn more about Sento Showdown then visit the official website at https://www.thesentoshowdown.com.

In today's amusing episode of the podcast, Chad Bouton sits down with The Wobbly Gamer. Matt better known as The Wobbly Gamer or just Wobbles is a visually impaired streamer, as well as, video game consultant. Chad talks with Wobbles about his lived experience with Nystagmus, and how it effects his vision. Additionally, Chad talks to Wobbles about how he got started streaming and the support his wife gave him to become a streamer. Furthermore, Chad asks Wobbles how he became a accesssibility consultant and how he approaches his work as a consultant. Spoiler alert, Wobbles and Chad spend a lot of time just talking about their love of video games. However, what you will realize throughout this episode is just how passionate they both are about accessible gaming. if you ever want to watch Wobbles play games then make sure to follow him on Twitch. You can find his twitch profile by simply searching for The Wobbly Gamer. Additionally, if you want to follow him on social media then go to Twitter where his handle is @TheWobblyGamer.

In today's educational episode of the podcast, Chad Bouton sits down with award winning psychologist Dr. Ashley Smith. Dr. Smith is a visually impaired psychologist who specializes in anxiety disorders. Dr. Smith likes to describe herself as a self-proclaimed happiness quester on a mission to help people live better lives. Chad talks to Dr. Smith about her lived experience with vision loss, and how she has found ways to be happy even after losing her vision. Dr. Smith talks Chad through the art of being happy and how he himself can help better manage his own anxiety. Additionally, Dr. Smith shares her thoughts and opinions on the current model of psychology. Furthermore, Dr. Smith shares why she thinks society should get rid of the labels that are mental health and mental illness by replacing it with health and wellness. Such a thought provoking episode today with so much knowledge listeners can use for themselves. If you would like to get in touch with Doctor Ashley Smith then please click on the link below to visit her website.

Https://www.drashleysmith.com