Inclusivity Statement

Since 2013 Different Games Conference has addressed the need for creating safer spaces for games community members to share about our work and experiences. Our Inclusivity Statement, a living document we use to foster dialogue and facilitate accountability at our events, has been used as a template by a growing number of organizations interested in implementing safer space policies.

We invite interested organizations to use our statement in whole or part.

Sharing Best Practices

Beyond our written statement, Different Games Collective works to address material barriers that prevent diverse participation in our events. Some of our strategies include waiving fees for our conference submissions, making events free or pay-what-you-wish, providing free food to attendees and offering travel funds to invited speakers. We work closely with our host institution (NYU) to provide a welcoming space with gender-neutral bathrooms and less-invasive security procedures. During our annual conference we offer one-on-one support to address participant concerns and resolve conflict in person and via social media. We believe that these considerations are integral to providing opportunities for marginalized community members and supporting diverse participation in community spaces. While we don’t claim any authority over what makes an event “inclusive”, we are happy to speak about about our process or offer consulting services to public facing Institutions seeking to make their programming more inclusive.

For questions about the Inclusivity Statement, or information about working with Different Games to implement more inclusive policies and procedures, please contact us.