Chais2025_Heb_and_Eng-web

260 ע פיתוח ספרייה דיגיטלית עם משחקים נגישים לילדים עם מוגבלות קוגניטיבית )פוסטר( ספר הכנס העשרים לחקר חדשנות וטכנולוגיות למידה ע"ש צ'ייס: האדם הלומד בעידן הדיגיטלי ד' אולניק - שמש, א' בלאו, נ' גרי, א' כספי, י' סידי, י' עשת - אלקלעי, י' קלמן, א' רבין )עורכים(, רעננה: האוניברסיטה הפתוחה פיתוח ספרייה דיגיטלית עם משחקים נגישים לילדים עם מוגבלות קוגניטיבית ) פוסטר ( אורית בן שושן מכללת תלפיות חולון orit957@gmail.com Development of a digital library with accessible games for children with cognitive disabilities (poster) Orit Ben Shoshan Talpiot Holon College orit957@gmail.com Abstract Rationale: Playing is a fundamental occupation in children's lives, which contributes to their cognitive, social and emotional development. For children with cognitive disabilities, the game is a challenge due to difficulties in understanding and processing information. However, for these children, play is not only a recreational activity but also an essential therapeutic tool. Studies indicate that adapted play can improve cognitive, social and motor skills among children with disabilities. As a result, there is a significant need to adapt the games to their unique requirements, to allow them to participate fully and to maximize the developmental and therapeutic benefits of the game experience. Developing a digital library with accessible games is a sustainable solution to this challenge. The library of accessible games allows a wider access to adapted games and provides innovative tools for occupational therapists who deal extensively in this field (Besio, Bulgarelli, & Stancheva-Popkostadinova, 2017) Research goals: To examine the effectiveness of developing accessible games for children with cognitive disabilities, to identify effective design strategies and to develop a model for integrating accessible design principles into therapeutic interventions. Population and methods: The study included 15 occupational therapists and 25 children with different levels of cognitive disability. Data collection was conducted through a semi-structured interview developed as part of the study, intended for occupational therapists working with children with cognitive disabilities in the field of play. The interview was designed to examine the game needs and challenges of children in using existing games. A digital library was developed based on the interview data. The development process included several stages: initially the areas of play (hygiene, motor skills, writing and emotion) were selected according to reports from occupational therapists. Later, website platforms were selected for creating games (Genially, Canva, Wordwall, Flaticon, Bing), alongside specific types of games for each topic: sorting games for hygiene, memory games for motor skills, card games for writing and interactive quizzes for emotional topics.The games were built according to the principles of accessibility as follows: (1) Content - the instructions of the game were written in a concise manner using concrete examples for each separate step. (2) Structure - the stages of the game combined sentences in simple language, using common terms in an adapted linguistic database. Moreover, the spoken language was supported by visual symbols and audio narration as an additional channel for processing information (Davidson, 2015). (3) Design - accessible fonts were incorporated regarding type and size according to accessibility guidelines, and graphical adjustment of games was carried out using high color contrast for each game component. Clear and understandable images and symbols are used, while maintaining an accessible user experience