Twitch removes "blind playthrough" tag following criticism from gamers with disabilities
"You can still use 'First Playthrough' or opt to use it in combination with 'No Spoilers' for the same sentiment."
Twitch has removed the tag "blind playthrough" in response to feedback from gamers with disabilities.
The streaming platform encourages streamers to use alternate terms such as "first playthrough" or "no spoilers" instead.
"Happy to see Twitch has listened to everyone who shared feedback and removed the 'Blind Playthrough' tag to encourage more inclusive language for our community," tweeted Twitch's community and creator marketer, Erin "Aureylian" Wayne (thanks, Comic Book). "You can still use 'First Playthrough' or opt to use it in combination with 'No Spoilers' for the same sentiment."
"I'm happy to see Twitch following through on promises to address and resolving issues and concerns from the disability community. It's just the beginning," added Steven Spohn, accessibility advocate and COO of Able Gaming, and also linked to the tweet that sparked discussions about the appropriateness of the tag in the first place.
Earlier today we reported that upcoming awards event, The Game Awards, will include audio description for blind and partially-sighted fans when it's streamed on YouTube Gaming later this week.
In a tweet shared over the weekend, producer Geoff Keighley confirmed it will be the first time the live event has offered audio description for visually impaired players, closing his message with the statement "accessibility matters".