The best part of Adam Henderson’s (BA ’20) job as a game designer is knowing that children with disabilities are playing — and loving — his video games.

The Brock Game Design graduate says he believes “games should be able to be enjoyed by everyone.”

Now a student in the Department of Digital Humanities’ new Master of Arts in Game Studies program, Henderson is passionate about shaping the future of accessible gaming.

He and Agusia Krzywinska (BSc ’20), a Game Programming graduate, are developing innovative, accessible gaming content for CBC Kids through their indie game studio, Adjective Noun Studios, in St. Catharines.

Earlier this year, the studio won a 2025 Award of Excellence for Best Gaming or Interactive Experience at the Youth Media Awards for the CBC Kids game Echo Hunter, created in partnership Falling Squirrel.

The team has been collaborating with CBC for two years creating accessible games. That experience has inspired Henderson’s master’s thesis research on accessibility in games and how it is applied.

According to Henderson, many games are not accessible for people with low vision or mobility impairments.

“In a lot of cases, it’s up to the player to get a controller that works for their needs, or to download software that uses screen readers,” he says.

While the interactive media industry is progressing in this space, Henderson said there is more work to do.

His master’s research targets game developers and explores the impact of considering accessibility at the beginning of game creation.

“If game developers can think at the ground level about what the characters in the game will be doing, add-on elements will improve the user experience for all players, not just those with accessibility needs,” he said.

Working with CBC Kids has allowed Henderson to put his research into practice.

While Adjective Noun Studios’ award-winning CBC game was made specifically for players who have low vision, it was nearly impossible for to play for people who are deaf or hard of hearing because it relied so heavily on sound design.

The team aimed to make their newest game, Fisher’s Meadow, accessible for a wider audience.

“If there is a cricket chirping, you can both hear it and see it. This type of integration is key to moving the needle in accessible games,” Henderson said.

Henderson came to Brock with a passion for games but had never made one. He credits Brock’s Game Design program, which partners with Niagara College, for giving him both the Humanities and theoretical training and technical skills needed to thrive in the industry.

Brock LINC also played a key role in his success and launching a successful startup.

Henderson and Krzywinska participated in the first cohort of the LINCubator, an incubation program that supports early-stage entrepreneurs with launching and growing their businesses.

“We knew how to make games, but we didn’t know how to run a business. The Brock LINC programs were how we survived the business part of things. We went to the experts to get our studio off the ground,” he said.

Henderson is excited for the future of accessible games and to continue his research while working in the field.

“Knowing our games are making an impact for those who need them is the true win.”