Patterns of Preference for AI Assistants in Game Accessibility Among Players with Disabilities: An Exploratory Analysis of Functional Barriers and Intervention Timing
Jihun Chae, S H Lee, Seoyoon Jeong, Young Yim Doh · Journal of Korea Multimedia Society · 2026
This study examines whether preferences for AI assistance in game accessibility among players with disabilities are better understood as a single acceptance attitude or as differentiated patterns shaped by functional barriers, support type, and intervention timing. Using survey data from 112 players with disabilities, we analyzed disability identity, functional barriers, play motivation, and preferences for multiple forms of AI assistance. The analysis combined exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis, multiple linear regression, and false discovery rate correction. Preferences were not uniform across the four support types examined, with setup and automation showing the strongest support. Some func- tional barriers were linked to specific forms of AI assistance at the bivariate level, whereas associations involving play motivation were weaker and less consistent. Although these patterns became more limited after multivariate controls and correction for multiple comparisons, the overall results suggest that game accessibility AI support should be approached as a differentiated design problem rather than as a single support feature. In this respect, the study provides an empirical starting point for designing AI assistance around barriers, timing, and gameplay context rather than treating accessibility support as a uniform intervention.