accessibility at canadian game awards 2026
For the first time in its history, the Canadian Game Awards recognizes contributions to accessibility in gaming! This year, indies stand shoulder to shoulder beside the likes of EA and Ubisoft, being seen amongst the biggest names in the industry.
I am proud to be part of this iconic moment in the Canadian games industry, but there’s more to the story!
The first ever batch of nominees for innovation in accessibility at the CGAs.
It starts with a simple quote:
“Inclusive design doesn’t mean you’re designing one thing for all people. You’re designing a diversity of ways to participate so that everyone has a sense of belonging.”
- Kat Holmes
I’ve spent my entire Videogaming career in User Experience, Interface Design and Accessibility. I had the honor of being recognized as a Champion for Accessibility by the incredible David Tisserand (Director of Accessibility) during my time at Ubisoft. Making play inclusive has always been something I cared deeply about as a developer. Gaming benefits by allowing more people to partake in play. Now when economies are strained and division widening, the need to nurture friends & allies is huge. Any competitive edge is just that; An edge.
I reached out to the Awards in August 2025, about potentially creating a category that recognized development teams that make a contribution to accessibility, and making our medium available for all to enjoy. Credit must be heaped on Carl-Edwin Michel, founder of the awards, who had the vision and foresight to see value in my idea and make it happen seemingly overnight!
In a matter of days, we had a discord, jurors and nominees. It’s crazy how quickly things get done when people see eye-to-eye.
I presented 3 key value propositions:
Discoverability
Excellence in accessibility presents Canadian developers with a new way to be discovered in a crowded market. Being featured on accessibility sites like caniplaythat.com gives developers and their games a higher chance of discoverability. Visibility for all the right reasons!
Growing industry & audience
This is an opportunity to grow our audience by bringing more people into the fold to enjoy the creativity and passion of our developers. The median ages of many gaming cohorts is starting to skew older, and more of us are wearing glasses, using subtitles and quality of life features to fit gaming into our busy lives. Through accessibility, we can continue to support those who support our passion!
the Canadian Identity
Inclusion and access are fundamentally Canadian values.
This could become our unique contribution to the industry at large, leading the way and setting an example of how we make games, from this moment on.
Don’t just take my word for it. Here’s the man himself:
“Adding the Accessibility category wasn’t just about recognition; it was about reflecting the true heart of Canadian development. We want to ensure that the incredible worlds our creators build, and their efforts to open them to all gamers, are celebrated.
Having experts like Ruwan push us to make this a reality has been an important milestone for the CGAs.”
Carl-Edwin Michel
Founder, Canadian Game Awards
I am beyond proud to have been the catalyst for this amazing new category within the CGA, and this moment in the Canadian Videogames! I can't tell you how excited I am to open this door for developers and players to find common ground; to see and be seen.
Accessible gaming is not a vague future “what if”. It’s actually way past due and we’re playing catch up. We need a viable response right NOW. This is how we grow our industry, build trust and better serve the audience we have today, as ground work for tomorrow.
Congratulations to the nominees, thanks to the jurors, and especially to Carl-Edwin and the CGA team for making this vision a reality.
See you at the Awards!
- Ruwan
