Twitch has removed the “blind playthrough” tag from streams in response to disabled campaigners, encouraging streamers to use “first playthrough” or “no spoilers” instead.
Stephen Spohn, COO of charity Able Gamers, first raised the issue back in June. In a thread on Twitter, Spohn pointed to the potentially ableist language found in such wording, encouraging people to “think about the words you choose.”
I'd like you to do me a favor
Use your phone / a notebook to keep track of the number of times you use ableist language in conversation this week
Lame
Blind to criticism
Falling on deaf ears
Don't be a spaz
RetardedThen ask "what was I trying to say?"
You'd be surprised
— Steven Spohn (Spawn) (@stevenspohn) June 15, 2020
Several disabled gamers have since been working with Twitch on the issue, with the streaming platform subsequently deciding to no longer be using the “Blind” tag to mean a first playthrough.
“Happy to see Twitch has listened to everyone who shared feedback and removed the “Blind Playthrough” tag to encourage more inclusive language for our community,” Erin Wayne, Twitch’s community and creator marketer, tweeted.
Happy to see Twitch has listened to everyone who shared feedback and removed the “Blind Playthrough” tag to encourage more inclusive language for our community.
You can still use “First Playthrough” or opt to use it in combination with "No Spoilers" for the same sentiment. 💜
— Aureylian △⃒⃘ (@aureylian) December 4, 2020
In response, Spohn said he was “happy to see Twitch following through on promises” made to the disabled community, and that it was “just the beginning.”
In other Twitch news, controversy has arisen surrounding overzealous DCMA strikes, which have included strikes for police sirens and wind noise. This has led to streamer PlayWithJambo getting around the copyrighted music by creating it all themselves.