Veterans who lost limbs learn to game again with adaptive controllers
Veterans who lost limbs learn to game again with adaptive controllers
Veterans who lost limbs learn to game again with adaptive controllers
By Alison DeNisco Rayome
May 18, 2020
Summary
That led to Jones, who built adaptive controllers for veterans in his spare time, looking into rigging up something for Peck.
Hackers and hobbyists are finding ways to adapt controllers so that anyone can play and become a part of the gaming community, whether they are veterans who lost limbs, or children who were born with special needs.
This kind of technology means that gamers who use adaptive controllers don't just play - they often excel.
One of the top-ranked Street Fighter players plays the game using only his face due to a muscular condition called arthrogryposis.
Jones' experience working with Peck and other veterans on adaptive gaming tools served as the spark that led to his founding the nonprofit Warfighter Engaged in 2014, which he juggles alongside his day job.
The donation-based organization now primarily builds controllers for veterans, many of whom are young gamers who suddenly find themselves with multiple amputations, head trauma or other injuries, but want to play again.
Veterans receive the controllers for free, and civilians and others can pay for non-custom versions through the website for under $100 - though those who are strapped for cash are just asked for a donation if possible, Jones said.
"There's a big difference when you work with somebody who's lost the ability to play - a lot of them have lost hope and think they'll never play again," he added.
People who are born with a disability may have already learned to play in different ways, like with their faces or feet, because they haven't known anything different, Jones said, and tend to be more excited about the possibilities opened up by adaptive controllers.
Lots of people have tinkered with different methods for making adaptive controllers over the years, often sharing their work online, Jones said.
Reference
Rayome, A. (2020, May 18). Veterans who lost limbs learn to game again with adaptive controllers. Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https://www.cnet.com/news/veterans-who-lost-limbs-learn-to-game-again-with-adaptive-controllers/