At Sony Interactive Entertainment, the company behind PlayStation, we aim to build a future for players of all abilities. Accessibility is a core part of this mission, ensuring more players can enjoy, engage with, and see themselves reflected in the games we create.
When we understand the perspectives from gamers with lived experience it leads to the creation of new and innovative accessibility features. From the creation of sightless navigation in blockbuster games like The Last of Us Part II, to transformative new hardware like the Access controller, feedback from gamers with disabilities has been an important part of development at SIE. Now, we are leveling up how we collaborate.
The PlayStation Studios Accessibility Community Council is a dedicated, global group of 15 third-party accessibility consultants with a broad range of access needs working in ongoing partnership with our studios. The Council combines lived experience with deep expertise, helping game development teams move beyond assumptions and design with greater confidence and clarity.
Christopher Robinson, David Deacon
Row 2 (L to R): Dr. Amy Kavanagh, James Rath, James Toland, Li Brady, Mikey Starovoytov
Row 3 (L to R): Paul Lane, Ross Minor, Sam Kitchen, Shaz Shanghanoo, Steve Saylor
The Council’s insights are embedded directly into development. Through Accessibility Play Days and targeted research, council members provide feedback on in-development games, helping teams identify barriers early and prioritise meaningful improvements. Alongside this, they work with Studios through talks and Inclusive Design Workshops, building accessibility knowledge and confidence across teams. The Council also serves as an ongoing forum for discussion, sharing perspectives on emerging topics, community sentiment, and player experience across PlayStation.
Together, these activities are designed to ensure accessibility feedback is taken into account and addressed through continuous improvement, supporting teams from early concept through to post-launch. By integrating accessibility throughout development, we can reduce barriers earlier and create more inclusive experiences from the start.
This approach reflects our ongoing commitment to accessibility. Accessibility consultants don’t just identify issues, they bring perspectives that uncover challenges teams may not encounter themselves, alongside practical ways to address them. A targeted investment in accessibility can avoid excluding players and improve experiences for everyone.
The Accessibility Community Council is already making an impact, supporting projects across PlayStation Studios, including contributing to the recently released SAROS by Housemarque by providing feedback that contributed to the development of the Fall Protection system. With strong engagement from teams and positive feedback from consultants, this is just the beginning.
The inaugural members of the Accessibility Community Council are Ben Breen, Cameron Keywood, Cesar Flores, Christopher Robinson, David Deacon, Dr. Amy Kavanagh, James Rath, James Toland, Li Brady, Mikey Starovoytov, Paul Lane, Ross Minor, Sam Kitchen, Shaz Shanghanoo, and Steve Saylor. As founding members, they are helping establish the Council as an ongoing partnership between PlayStation Studios and the disability community. Looking ahead, we plan to continue growing the Council globally, including expanding representation through the addition of Japanese games accessibility consultants to better support studios and players across different regions and cultures.
By continuing to work in partnership with the community, we’re building a stronger foundation for accessibility, one that helps more players play, connect, and belong on PlayStation.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source sonyinteractive.com ’
