{"id":9533,"date":"2025-03-18T14:12:26","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T14:12:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.specialeffect.org.uk\/?p=9533"},"modified":"2025-03-18T14:16:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T14:16:46","slug":"i-can-play-games-like-anyone-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.specialeffect.org.uk\/news\/i-can-play-games-like-anyone-else","title":{"rendered":"“I can play games like anyone else!”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Young<\/p>\n

Our specialist assessment team have helped foot-control expert Max to discover just the right combination of equipment and positioning for controlling joysticks with her hands as well as her feet. It was a privilege to chat to her recently for an update about the impact of our support \u2013 and gaming in general.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Max finds a standard controller with her hands very challenging, and she remembers a childhood of limited attempts at gaming because of her cerebral palsy. \u201cMy sisters and Mum would play Super Mario, and I would just get left behind or die before we had even reached the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her first gaming breakthrough came a few years ago thanks to a custom foot-controlled controller setup for her Xbox One that was created by Max\u2019s father and our Technical Specialist.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could play finally some games independently for a while, but it was all mounted on furniture in one room and I had to be sat in my wheelchair, which wasn\u2019t ideal, comfort-wise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raising the game<\/strong><\/p>\n

A few months ago, she was keen to explore her gaming potential on a Nintendo Switch, so she asked our specialist assessment team for further help in identifying a more comfortable and portable setup with more controls thrown into the mix. You can find a detailed description of the setup that provided the best solution<\/a> on our GameAccess website.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s life changing!\u201d she said. \u201cI now have a setup where I can sit comfortably on my sofa and play games like anybody else would. I can multitask and access all the buttons and sticks at the same time without having to struggle or be in pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to access the gaming world has been great in allowing me to explore my creative side. I can sit and forget the world around me and create virtual worlds for myself. I\u2019m playing games like Dreamlight Valley, Hogwarts Legacy and Life is Strange.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inclusivity and payback<\/strong><\/p>\n

Max is also keen to emphasise the inclusivity of games. \u201cThey\u2019re important for having fun with the people around you,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m able to engage in conversations about games because I\u2019m not being left out.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the matter of levelling-up those family gaming rivalries. \u201cThe first time I could play Mario Kart with my Mum and sisters was amazing. I was emotional when I could join in and not be at a disadvantage. It felt so freeing, and I was so happy!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSpecialEffect is an amazing charity. They knew exactly what was needed, understood my needs quickly and were able to work with my own suggestions to produce a perfect solution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank you Max, and we\u2019re here to support you with your gaming journey for as long as you need us.<\/p>\n

Find out more about our video games support<\/a>, and become a regular giver to help us support more children with technology here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Image above: Max with her gaming setup during our visit. Here she\u2019s trying out both a ball-topped and a U-topped joystick. Our team continue to work with her to get the best from her setup, including adding a USB version of the Celtic Magic foot joystick for Hori Flex compatibility. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Our specialist assessment team have helped foot-control expert Max to discover just the right combination of equipment and positioning for controlling joysticks with her hands as well as her feet. It was a privilege to chat to her recently for an update about the impact of our support \u2013 and gaming in general. Max finds… View Article<\/a>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9537,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-case-study"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n"I can play games like anyone else!" - SpecialEffect<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.specialeffect.org.uk\/news\/i-can-play-games-like-anyone-else\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\""I can play games like anyone else!" - SpecialEffect\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Our specialist assessment team have helped foot-control expert Max to discover just the right combination of equipment and positioning for controlling joysticks with her hands as well as her feet. 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