Twitch Improves Accessibility

Twitch is working to make its broadcasting platform more accessible, with a number of planned and urgent changes.

New badges for viewers to identify as audio or video only were just added for Global Accessibility Awareness Day, so streamers can see those with a limited channel experience. To improve accessibility across the board, the platform began working with accessibility consultants earlier this year to assess the Creator Stream Manager dashboard on the web, mobile apps, and the core UI library. 

Reducing the time and effort required to browse the site using a keyboard is also in the works, as are changes to ensure the conversation is usable with a screen reader. This is in addition to general design enhancements, internal personnel training, and qualitative research with outside consultants. According to Twitch streamers, there are numerous modifications that need to be addressed to make the platform more accessible. It is unquestionably necessary to assist disabled streamers.

Streamers have requested a Disability Pride Month to honor disabled streamers, but Twitch has yet to accept this proposal. Twitch, on the other hand, has highlighted a few impaired streamers in a post about the new adjustments for Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

Twitch also offers advice on how streamers might improve the accessibility of their broadcasts. Adding closed captions to streams and playing games with subtitles are both examples. Streamers should also be wary of the usage of ableist terminology online.