Design For All feat. Rodrigo Sanchez

In this Design For All blog, we chat with Rodrigo Sanchez, former Accessibility Manager at Square Enix and now a consultant helping businesses future-proof their products. Rodrigo shares his journey from agency work to gaming, his insights into creating accessible experiences, and his dedication to inclusion as a driving force in design.

Can you please introduce yourself, what you do and tell us about your experience?

Hi! I’m Rodrigo Sanchez (he/him), former Accessibility Manager at Square Enix, where I helped make video games and business more accessible. My accessibility journey started when I learned HTML & CSS from a low-vision professor, I became more immersed when I worked at Weight Watchers. 

Funny story—I ended up at an A11y Meetup in San Francisco, chatting with a woman about my time at WW. Turns out, she was Lainey Feingold, the lawyer who was working with WW to make it accessible. We had a good laugh once we realized the connection.

After some freelancing, UX consulting, and reconnecting with old friends (shoutout to Max Masure and Thomas Logan), many years later I found my way to Montreal and into the gaming industry at Square Enix based out of Eidos Montreal. I focused on bringing accessibility to games, marketing, and HR with my wonderful lead Améliane Chiasson. Then Eidos was sold and I became the Accessibility Manager at Square Enix in the UK. My focus was on building accessibility across the whole business in the West—and slowly expanding into Japan, one day at a time! 

I’m now consulting, helping businesses of all sizes future-proof themselves—because who doesn’t want to be ready for the future? Whether it’s a big company or a small startup, I’m here to sprinkle a little accessibility magic and make sure everyone can join the party! 

Now, implementing accessible practices in a gaming company is like juggling a thousand different things—controls, 3D environments, typography, audio, user interfaces, and much more. There are often so many teams working on these elements that it requires some serious coordination! 

A good starting point for designers is understanding how people with different modalities experience the game. This means checking in regularly with the disability community, running accessibility passes alongside QA, and getting user feedback during development. But timing is everything. Sometimes we get in on the ground floor during game pitches, and other times we’re scrambling a year before release to see what we can still add. It’s like trying to pack your suitcase at the last minute—what can we squeeze in without breaking the zipper? 

 Accessibility and inclusion in video games is like making sure everyone’s invited to the party, no matter how they show up! Whether it’s offering customizable controls, clear text, good contrast, captions, audio descriptions, or haptics, it’s all about creating a space where players of all modalities can join in on the fun.  

 And let’s not forget the marketing side—social media, TV ads, events—all of these need to be accessible too. And just to spice things up, we have to comply with legal requirements like the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) for in-game communication. 

So yeah, it’s a wild ride, but it’s all worth it to create something truly inclusive. 😄 

 How important is inclusion to your work?

Inclusion and accessibility are central to my work, built on principles of intersectionality, equity, and justice. Intersectionality acknowledges that people have multiple, overlapping identities, which shape their experiences in unique ways. Equity focuses on meeting each person’s specific needs to ensure everyone can thrive, rather than assuming a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Justice goes a step further, seeking to eliminate historically long-standing exclusion and its barriers  and create lasting, meaningful change. 

Inclusion drives everything I do. Growing up, I experienced firsthand how exclusion can shape perspectives, often subtly embedded within systems. My curiosity about people and their stories has always pushed me to understand and address these challenges. 

While it hasn’t always been easy to confront ingrained ideas, I’m grateful for those who support my journey (and remind me to be brave when fear creeps in!). As I continue, I see the positive impacts inclusion brings—not only on my work but also on how we connect and empathize with others.

How are you promoting inclusive design through your work and what are some of the challenges you’ve faced?

 I promote inclusive design by meeting people where they are in their accessibility journey. Before diving in, I like to get a sense of the team’s knowledge and comfort level—this saves time, money, and frustration! From there, we build a plan together, which could involve anything from hands-on work, workshops, and user testing, to bringing in external consultants and developing internal champions. 

Of course, it’s not always smooth. Accessibility is still new for many, so projects often lack the time or budget for it. My challenge is to weave it in without overwhelming the team, which takes a bit of creativity (and a lot of tea). And yes, occasionally someone isn’t on board, but that’s where finding and empowering your accessibility allies comes in handy!

What are 2-3 tips you’d share to other designers trying to design more inclusively

Here are my top 2-3 tips for designers aiming to be more inclusive: 

1. Ask and Listen: If you’ve never asked someone with a disability about their experience, start there. Talk to someone you know or find a local organization or online community. If that’s intimidating, start by watching videos of people sharing their experiences. But remember—one size doesn’t fit all. The more perspectives you get, the better your design will be! Ask Questions with Kindness: It’s natural to worry about offending someone, but don’t let that hold you back. Approach from a place of love, curiosity, and kindness. Most people are happy to share, and if they’re not, just respect that too. 

2. The second thing I’d recommend is grabbing a colour contrast analyser—it’s free and works on both Mac and PC! It’s like having a magic tool that makes sure your colour combinations are friendly for everyone, and a gateway into designing for colour-blindness.

3. Start Small, Don’t Stress About Tools: The world of inclusive design tools can feel overwhelming, but don’t let that stop you. Start small and see what works for you. The key is to keep learning, especially as technology evolves, bringing new best practices with it.

And don’t worry, if a creative director challenges you on accessibility—just remind them that designers are problem-solvers, and everyone deserves great design! 😉

What are some of the resources you’ve found helpful to develop your understanding of accessibility and inclusion when it comes to your design work?

Here are some fantastic resources that have helped me grow my understanding of accessibility and inclusion in design: 

1. The Twitter Disability Community – Back when I started over a decade ago, this community was a gem. Shoutout to Jennison Asuncion and for creating Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)!

2. Web Accessibility Slack Community – If you want to connect with other accessibility-minded folks, check out this great community: A11y Slack.

3. Guidelines and Checklists – The WCAG quick reference guide is my go-to for digital accessibility  as it’s easier to digest then the full doc. For something even more digestible, I recommend the A11y Project’s checklist. And for game designers, Xbox Game Accessibility Guidelines and there predecessor the Game Accessibility Guidelines are gold.

4. Video Lovers – The Game Accessibility Conference YouTube and A11y NYC Meetup YouTube have an amazing collection of free, live presentations—perfect for a video binge!

5. Books – If you’re more of a reader, check out Mismatch by Kat Holmes and Demystifying Disability-What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally by Emily Ladau. Both are great reads for expanding your understanding of accessibility.

Dive in, explore, and remember: meeting compliance is good, but creating a great experience is even better! 😄

Following the insightful recommendations from our Design For All participants, we’ve curated an extensive collection of tools, guides, articles, books, blogs, and videos. This resource is specifically designed to support accessibility and inclusion specialists at every stage of their journey.

View Accessible Design Resources