disabled-gamer

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  • ORTHROS one-handed joystick controller mod gets the job done

    by 
    David Hinkle
    David Hinkle
    11.12.2010

    If you're an extreme multitasker or a disabled gamer, it would seem the ORTHROS one-handed joystick mod would benefit you greatly. This Frankenstein-like union between form and function is the hard work of reader Geoff, who wrote us about his prototype which he hopes to get into manufacturing.

  • Player vs. Everything: Gaming with a disability

    by 
    Cameron Sorden
    Cameron Sorden
    04.28.2008

    Stephanie Walker was a gamer who had never expected to have to deal with a disability. She was 23 at the onset of her condition, a college student who also worked a full-time job. She liked to spend the little free time she had unwinding online. Initially resistant to the idea of playing EverQuest, Stephanie quickly discovered that slaying virtual orcs and bandits while joking around in party chat was surprisingly fun. It was a great way to keep in touch with long-distance friends and burn some stress after a long day. She didn't have a lot of time to play, but she was good at it when she did. While working at her job one day, Stephanie noticed that her right hand and leg had fallen asleep. When she tried to get up to walk the sensation off, she realized that something was seriously wrong -- the entire right side of her body had just stopped working. Stephanie was rushed to the hospital, and the diagnosis was confirmed the following morning: she had multiple sclerosis, and she would have to deal with it for the rest of her life. Overnight, everything changed. She went from being someone who spent 20 hours per day away from home to someone who really never left. Moving around within her house required an enormous effort on her part. Even feeding herself had become a challenge. The little things, like not being able to get online and chat with her friends (something she really enjoyed) just made her situation that much more painful.