Comp 080 Enabling Technology

We’ve been thinking about games and activities for children with disabilities all semester. Now it is time to turn that thinking into action.

I’d like you to form teams of from 1-3 members and propose a project. I encourage you to think of activities we can try out at Maze Day but you don’t have to do that. If you want to work on something for the Center for Literacy and Disabilities Studies (or somewhere else) talk to me and we’ll work something out.

Your initial project proposal is due by Friday 2 November. A status report is due by Friday 16 November. And you should be ready to demonstrate your project for the class during the week of 27 November.

Here are some suggestions for things to do at Maze Day:

• Accessible Guitar Hero (or Drum hero?).
• Accessible DDR (use speech or vibration or something else to help kids know where and when to step).
• Make music using the pad, camera, keyboard, guitar or whatever.
• Whack-a-mole with or without directional sound, perhaps something with varying difficulty depending on the abilities of the child.
• Simon game.
• Street crossing game (could pose questions like Hark the Sound games with recorded sounds of traffic)
• Arm activity game using (or simulating) the camera switch.
• Generalized musical movement game ( Arm Arm Revolution? ).
• Make a maze for kids to navigate. This is why its called Maze Day and it always popular with the kids
• How about a treasure hunt? Americo will demonstrate his on-line maps next week. We could hide some treasures around Sitterson and let kids first find them on the map and then go to that room to collect their prize.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive. Make suggestions, brainstorm in your group, and post suggestions here. This is not a competition. I encourage you to share ideas and help one another. Our goals are:

1. A good time for the kids who visit, and
2. Good ideas for future computer games.

Remember, you don’t have to implement the activity on or even using a computer. You are simulating what a computer might do using Wizard of Oz methods.

I’ll be very pleased to talk with any of you about your project ideas.

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