VI Fit, a program created by Wii’s computer science and engineering department, designed this for children who are blind to become more physically active and healthy through the use of video games. This motion-sensing game has been created for individuals who are blind to play games such as tennis and bowling through an “exergame” video game system. The games can be played against the computer or against a friend using two Wii remotes.
“Lack of vision forms a significant barrier to participation in physical activity and consequently children with visual impairments have much higher obesity rates and obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes,” says UNR professor Eelke Folmer. “Our games are adaptations of the popular Nintendo Wii Sports exercise games that have been modified so they can be played without visual feedback.”
VI Tennis and VI Bowling are the first of several games to be made available. VI Tennis implements the gameplay of Wii sports tennis providing audio and vibrotactile cues that indicate when to serve and when to return the ball.
To play the VI Fit games, users would need a Wii remote and a Windows PC with bluetooth support or a USB bluetooth dangle. The games can be downloaded using instructions at www.vifit.org.
Interested in video game accessibility? Sign up for our Statewide Assistive Technology Conference July 29 and 30th to attend the hands-on Game Accessibility Arcade!