O Hattrick é muito popular entre a comunidade deficiente visual portuguesa. Este artigo irá dar a conhecer a forma como os deficientes visuais vivem e sentem este jogo.

Introdução

Nem sempre é fácil aos deficientes visuais acederem à informação que pretendem. Se a nível académico se tenta cada vez mais quebrar essas barreiras e se disponibiliza toda a informação necessária, a nível da cultura e do lazer continua a haver uma barreira ainda considerável.

A Internet foi um instrumento que veio facilitar a vida aos cidadãos, no entanto, continuam a haver sites inacessíveis aos deficientes visuais. Os sites de entretenimento como os dos jogos, na sua maioria em flash ou em Java, tornam-se impossíveis de decifrar através dos leitores de ecrã- programas que, através de voz, descrevem o que está no monitor.

A descoberta do Hattrick pelos deficientes visuais

Não se sabe ao certo quantos deficientes visuais jogam Hattrick mas a acessibilidade deste jogo on-line faz dele um dos mais populares entre a comunidade. Em Portugal existe um grupo cada vez maior de deficientes visuais que vão passando a outros a informação de que o Hattrick é acessível e uma alternativa válida para passar os tempos livres. Como a classe deficiente visual é muito afectada pelo desemprego e o absentismo, para alguns o Hattrick é mesmo a única forma de fazer passar o tempo.

Existe em Portugal um pequeno grupo organizado de deficientes visuais que, para além de organizar uma liga disputada de forma renhida, também discute a acessibilidade do jogo e ajuda quem chega de novo a usar os comandos e as funcionalidades específicas do software usado para leitura de ecrã.

Aquando das alterações feitas ao Hattrick e que entraram em vigor no dia 9 de Dezembro de 2008, esta comunidade esteve muito activa e também muito apreensiva com a possibilidade das páginas do jogo perderem acessibilidade. Felizmente, os responsáveis pelo desenvolvimento do jogo estão sensibilizados para a problemática das acessibilidades por parte dos deficientes visuais. O jogo continua a ser acessível e a fazer companhia a muitos deficientes visuais.

Recentemente, a temática da acessibilidade do jogo a deficientes visuais passou a ser debatida. Tudo aconteceu com a entrada do utilizador Jorge-Jesus para a Federação Portuguesa de Tácticas e Sistemas de Jogo. Ao tomarem conhecimento da cegueira do novo membro, os dirigentes da Federação imediatamente propuseram a abertura de um tópico sobre a temática da deficiência visual nesta Federação. Imediatamente membros do staff de Portugal se juntaram à discussão e se mostraram sensibilizados, prometendo fazer chegar os nossos problemas aos HT’s.

O sucesso desse tópico foi tal que se tomou a iniciativa de abrir um semelhante para toda a comunidade no Fórum de Portugal. Alguns deficientes visuais que não são sócios também deram o seu testemunho e juntaram-se aos membros da FPTSJ.

A comunidade portuguesa em geral ficou muito sensibilizada e surpreendida, pois nem sonhavam que um cego pudesse aceder ao Hattrick e ter sucesso desportivo. Muita gente julgava até que os cegos totais não usavam sequer computadores.

Barreiras a superar

Imagens sem legendas, links descontextualizados, abreviaturas ou português incorrecto nos fóruns, smiles não legendados são alguns dos exemplos de dificuldades sentidas pelos deficientes visuais no Hattrick. O staff de Portugal mostrou-se sensibilizado com as nossas dificuldades e prometeu auxiliar-nos dentro das suas possibilidades.

Uma das principais dificuldades que os deficientes visuais enfrentam no mundo hattrickiano é a falta de programas de apoios (CHPP) adaptados às suas necessidades específicas. No sentido de tornar esses programas acessíveis, irão ser testados programas CHPP em Java. Outra hipótese seria que esses programas pudessem, de futuro, possuir certificado de acessibilidade para promover a igualdade de oportunidades no jogo.

O site

Apesar de, na maioria das funcionalidades, o site do Hattrick estar acessível a deficientes visuais, alguns são da opinião de que se deveria criar uma página alternativa apenas com texto. Essa permitiria uma mais exacta leitura por parte dos programas de leitura de ecrã. Algumas das funcionalidades do Sócio HT também deveriam oferecer alternativas para colmatar a natural dificuldade dos deficientes visuais em personalizar os seus equipamentos, por exemplo.

No dia de hoje, 17 de Março de 2009, foi dado um passo importante na resolução do problema dos equipamentos. Agora já será possível outro utilizador desenhar os equipamentos para quem se vê impossibilitado de o fazer.

Rumo ao futuro

A comunidade deficiente visual portuguesa pretende ter um papel mais activo no que diz respeito ao desenvolvimento do Hattrick. Temos em mente, para além de nos darmos a conhecer aos outros utilizadores, criar uma Federação para discutir a problemática da acessibilidade e tentar buscar soluções e tentar que outros utilizadores pelo mundo fora se juntem a esta causa.

Acima de tudo, sentimo-nos bem a jogar Hattrick e queremos tornar este jogo ainda mais atractivo e ao mesmo tempo acessível e funcional.

Artigo elaborado pelos users rabobank76 e Jorge-Jesus

13-02-2009, Escrito por nikolashenry


An interview from the three users who own the richest teams in hattrick by greek users: tsourekis, nikolashenry, kavala2007 after the research and idea of tsourekis.

A) Guns N' Roses City (1502) Sverige -- 174 041 752 €

1. How many years have you played HT, and did you receive any help from a friend?

I have played since 2001 (season 13). JG United (14053) introduced me to Hattrick.

2. Why do you collect so much money, even though you could be one of the best teams in hattrick with the half of the money?

I knew early on that I had more sense for the economy in the game rather than tactics so I focused on that.

3. How much money you would be satisfied with? Do you want to go over 200 million?

I have no certain amount of money that I target to reach. I just keep going.

4. Many users visit your team because of your money, do you see it as recognition? If yes, how important is it for you to be the very richest team?

It’s fun. My target was to become the richest team in HT and when I reached that I lost some commitment because no one was really threatening my position, but as of late there is a crazy Dane that is closing up which have increased my motivation. The Danes need to stay under Sweden, just like the map. :)
There are a lot of people asking how I have made so much money. The biggest reason is that I have played for a long time and that it was easier to sell players a few years ago when they would be sold for three times the prices of today.

5. Do you feel that money like it is in your real life or it is just a game?

No.

6. Would you sacrifice your HT money for something in real life? Is money one of the most important things for you?

I like money.

7. Do you ever have a nightmare that somebody has stolen your password and has made a transaction for 150 million?

No.

8. Do you have some advice for new HT players?

I can´t really give any tactical advices, I probably know less than beginners since I haven´t kept up to pace with all the tactical changes that have been made in the last years. The best advice I can give is to learn to know some user that has good knowledge in the game and that can help you out. Even I who have played for 8 years don´t know too much and get help from the great English manager mawhitta who owns *Dream_Team* (956562). He has had his team for one year and knows more than me.

rovers

B) Kalundborg (401964) Danmark -- 169 675 596 €

1. How many years have you played HT, and did you receive any help from a friend ?

I’ve played Hattrick since July 2004 when I was introduced to the game by a friend of mine. Guess he helped me out in the beginning, but really cannot remember. My Alzheimer is starting to kick in already…

2. Why do you collect so much money, even though you could be one of the best teams in hattrick with the half of the money?

I don’t have any ambition to become a top-team in Hattrick. I’m very content with playing in the lower leagues and find the most fun in community. I consider myself very lucky to have become friends with many different people from around the world through this game. Although I will probably never meet most of them in person, they have all added new aspects to the gaming-experience and some of them have probably also influenced my real life with their comments to various aspects of life.

3. How much money you would be satisfied with? Do you want to go over 200 million?

I don’t have any specific amount as aim, but for the past few seasons it has been an aim to become the richest team in Hattrick. Unfortunately that dream still looks far off, as rovers has turned up his profit-making and thus left me further behind. But if I play till I turn 90, then I guess there is always a chance I will succeed in my mission... ;-)
Actually I believe NickMan from Bulgaria could very well be the team that will become the richest team in Hattrick next.

4. Many users visit your team because of your money, do you see it as recognition? If yes, how important is it for you to be the very richest team?

I don't see as recognition as such, but it's nice that people take the time to drop by a low-league Danish team. I don't think many other Danish team in the same division has as many visits, so must obviously be interesting to some people to see what I'm up to.

5. Do you feel that money like it is in your real life or it is just a game?

No, it is just a game-experience for me. I would love to have as much money in real life, but I do pretty well there also, so no complaints from me…

6. Would you sacrifice your HT money for something in real life? Is money one of the most important things for you?

For Hattrick you have to remember that it is just a game. I wouldn’t sacrifice anything for this money. I just see it as project of mine and nothing more. Just my way of having fun. In real life it is always nice to have money, but I managed even as a student when the money was a bit tighter. Money gives you opportunities, but not necessarily value…

7. Do you ever have a nightmare that somebody has stolen your password and has made a transaction for 150 million?

My team has been locked in the past for different reasons pending further investigations. When that has happened, the first thought that comes to mind is always that I’ve been hacked. I don’t know why, maybe it is just human nature. Anyway it has always turned out to be something harmless…

8. Do you have some advice for new HT players?

Get a mentor you can ask frequently about various aspects of the game. The game has developed a lot during recent years and new managers must find it a bit confusing at times. Secondly I believe the key to success is adapting to a long-term strategy and sticking too it. You can easily be tempted to make that extra investment, but if it only helps you in the short run and puts you further back in the long run, then I would suggest to leave it. But again, that is only my philosophy. Others will surely have a different opinion…

Svoelle

C) Hjärups boys (16866) Sverige -- 166 747 359 €

1. How many years have you played HT, and did you receive any help from a friend ?

I have played Hattrick for almost 8,5 years (since October 2000) and did not receive any help from friends in the beginning.

2. Why do you collect so much money, even though you could be one of the best teams in hattrick with the half of the money? &
3. How much money you would be satisfied with? Do you want to go over 200 million?

I don’t have a specific goal (like reaching 200 million Euros) with my savings. I’m not going to save money forever, but I think I will keep doing it for a while.
However, someday I’m going to buy a real good team. One reason I haven’t done that already is that I want to be 110% sure to be able to pay the high wages.
Really good players cost a lot every week…
Another very important reason is that I right now don’t have enough time to spend on Hattrick. If you want to be one of the best teams in Hattrick, I guess you need to spend a lot of time on the Hattrick every week. But in the future, I will probably have more time for Hattrick :)

4. Many users visit your team because of your money, do you see it as recognition? If yes, how important is it for you to be the very richest team?

No.

5. Do you feel that money like it is in your real life or it is just a game?

Hattrick is just a game. The money in Hattrick isn’t real.

6. Would you sacrifice your HT money for something in real life? Is money one of the most important things for you?

In real life, money is not important to me.
I don’t think I would sacrifice anything in real life for more money in Hattrick…

7. Do you ever have a nightmare that somebody has stolen your password and has made a transaction for 150 million?

No, I haven’t. I think (and hope) most of the people playing Hattrick are honest and nice people, who don’t want steal a team.

8. Do you have some advice for new HT players?

Well, an advice is to be patient. Always try to think long-term instead of short-term. Buying many expensive players in the beginning might not be the best idea.

Oscar

A big thanks to Oscar,Svoelle and rovers for this interview.
tsourekis, kavala2007,nikolashenry.