moment. And you can see it on their face: it’s the moment when it changes – that their self image changes from ‘I can’t do this’ to ‘I got this’. It’s that moment. It’s like you’ve helped them open the doors to this wonderful world of gaming, having just been looking in through the window for years and years and years.”
Those are the words of Dr Mick Donegan, founder and CEO of UK charity SpecialEffect. It’s a name you might not recognise but you will see it – and him – if you watch the PlayStation accessibility controller video again, and you will see it quoted if you look back at the Xbox Adaptive Controller announcement again. And you’ll see his name because SpecialEffect was influential in the creation of both devices – devices that represent colossal milestones for better accessibility in and around games.
For 15 years, Mick Donegan and team have been quietly helping one individual after another with physical challenges find a way to play games. Whether they are born with those disabilities or have a sudden accident, or a progressive disease, SpecialEffect works with the movement they have to find ways they can interact with, and control, games.