Incluso! is a card game designed for groups of 3–5 players that introduces and explores the concept of universal design in digital products through collaborative play. Its goal is not only to educate but also to cultivate empathy, something that is often underdeveloped in students who are encountering accessible design principles for the first time. The game encourages players to consider real-world barriers that individuals with disabilities face, all within an engaging, conversation-driven format.
This game is most suitable for a class in Human-Computer Interaction, Web Design/Development, and Mobile Apps Development, or other courses related to front-end design. However, it can be used in any class where digital accessibility or universal design is relevant. Because it doesn’t require any technical knowledge of accessibility, it is suitable for novices, including high school students.
We’ve found that instructor involvement during gameplay significantly enhances the learning experience. Even when multiple groups are playing simultaneously, we recommend that instructors circulate among the groups, answering questions, listening to student ideas, and prompting reflection. This kind of informal facilitation helps students stay engaged, think more deeply about the choices they’re making, and draw connections to broader accessibility concepts.
One note is that because there can be multiple correct pairings, ambiguity can arise as to whether a pairing is correct. Our recommendation is to encourage players to discuss disagreements, and appeal to the instructor only if the conflict persists after discussion. However, we did not include this in the rule set to allow instructors the freedom to devise their own approaches to this issue.
Incluso! generates enthusiastic, thoughtful engagement. Players interact playfully with the material, but also critically, by offering alternative solutions, debating card combinations, and reflecting on their own assumptions about users and design. These organic discussions are not only intellectually stimulating but also emotionally resonant, as players begin to see accessibility challenges through a human-centered lens.
The game is particularly well-suited for use at the start of a course module on universal design or accessible computing. It functions as both an icebreaker and a foundational learning tool, helping students internalize that inclusive design is not simply a checklist of requirements, but a way of thinking, a mindset grounded in empathy, equity, and awareness.
Incluso! is explicitly designed to incorporate evidence-based teaching practices known to broaden participation and deepen student learning:
- Use of meaningful and relevant content: The game presents real-world accessibility challenges faced by diverse users, making content relevant and personally meaningful to students.
- Addressing misconceptions about CS: Students often perceive computing as technical and impersonal; Incluso! challenges this by showing how software design decisions impact human lives.
- Encouraging student interaction and collaborative learning: The game’s mechanics require students to discuss, negotiate, and justify their card combinations, fostering peer learning in a low-stakes environment.
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL): The game accommodates varied learning styles through visual, textual, and narrative engagement, and it encourages multiple means of expression and participation.
Facilitators can further enhance the experience by incorporating reflective prompts that support metacognition and inclusive thinking:
- What assumptions did you make about this user?
- Who else might benefit from this solution?
- What did you learn about inclusive design that you hadn’t considered before?
Instructors may also align gameplay with written reflections, small group presentations, or journaling assignments that promote individual accountability and insight.
By integrating well-structured collaborative learning and culturally relevant scenarios, Incluso! not only teaches accessibility but models it as a pedagogic practice, helping students see themselves, and others, as legitimate users, designers, and stakeholders in the technology they create.