Who we help
We'll do whatever it takes to help people with disabilities to enjoy games. Here are just a few snapshots of the fantasic people that can now benefit from the motivation, inclusion and self-esteem that participation in gaming brings.
Minty
Minty, a lively 16 year-old girl with cerebral palsy, had watched her three elder brothers play Playstation games for years because her family hadn’t known how she could join in. But now, following a visit to try out a range of games technology at the SpecialEffect Centre’s GamesRoom, she’s able to beat her big brothers at their own game! Just £10 will enable us to send out a DVD full of free and demo accessible PC games for young people like Minty to try for themselves.
Ellie
Ellie is a bright young girl who’s eager to enjoy life. She used to love playing with her friends on the Nintendo Wii but, because of her spinal muscular atrophy, the weight of the controller left her tired after just a few minutes. Our team created a special lightweight Wii controller that she can lift easily and keep playing. Just £50 will enable us to modify and loan a lightweight games controller for young people like Ellie to try out at home.
Lloyd
Lloyd is a young war hero who lost both legs and some of the fingers on his right hand while serving in Afghanistan. One of his passions was playing computer games with his friends, but he found he couldn’t control the computer any more due to his injuries. We loaned him a range of suitable one-handed games controllers to try, and he’s been joining in and competing with his mates ever since! £250 will enable us to loan several special one-handed controllers to enable people like Lloyd to find the one that suits them best.
Sophie
Sophie has a rare form of mitochondrial disease that has made her muscles extremely weak. At three years old, she can’t crawl, talk or even hold up her head. We loaned her an iPad complete with games to try. “The loan was brilliant as it enabled Sophie to have a proper play to see if it suited her,” said her parents, “Sophie especially loved the game where she could touch Santa’s sack to keep producing presents, and listening to her Daddy singing songs for ‘Talking Tom’ to sing back!” £500 will enable us to loan and support an iPad with a personalised choice of software.
Lewis
At the age of two, Lewis was bitten by an insect while on holiday, and three years later he’s now paralysed – unable to speak and only able to move his eyes. We loaned him a gaze-controlled computer and created special games containing all his favourite TV characters. Buying and supporting a gaze-controlled computer is expensive – up to £20,000 – but, for Lewis, it’s been life-changing.
