In spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a massive boom of the video game industry. With an increasing number of people interested in playing video games and with video games increasingly being used for other purposes than entertainment, such as education, rehabilitation or health, game accessibility has become an emerging field of research, especially as players with disabilities could benefit from the opportunities video games offer the most. A 2010 study estimated that 2% of the U.S. population is unable to play a game at all because of an impairment and 9% can play games but suffers from a reduced gaming experience.
As the COVID-19 pandemic hit in spring 2020, the video game industry experienced an unprecedented boom, fueled by rising interest in gaming and its expanding uses beyond leisure activities, such as learning, recovery, or wellness.