r/disabledgamers

I had a stroke that paralyzed my left side. Gaming one-handed was one of the hardest parts of recovery — I figured it out on my own, but nobody should have to.
I’m building a website that recommends game settings and controllers based on your disability, and matches you with other players who game the same way. Before I build anything, I want to hear from people who’ve lived this.
What do you use? What still frustrates you? Any one-handed gamers willing to talk?

Hi Everyone!

I've posted here before, but I wanted to share a very special project of ours again.

My brother Ben is nonspeaking and quadriplegic. A decade ago, he lost the use of his hands and, with it, his favorite hobby. In reality, gaming was one of the few things Ben could independently do and genuinely enjoy (well, that and using the TV remote).

His most reliable physical movement is turning his head.

While accessible communication devices and switches exist, there is still a massive gap when it comes to a streamlined way for someone like Ben to navigate entertainment, communication, and gaming using just one or two switches.

Native switch controls on smart devices and legacy AAC systems often hit massive UI barriers for media streaming and gaming.

So, using AI-assisted development, we built our own solution and released it completely free and open-source so others can use it too.

Yes, it's built using AI. I know some people have mixed feelings about that, but it has been the only way to move fast enough to keep pace with Ben's changing needs as his condition progresses. It allows us to iterate, adjust debounce rates, build in hold-forgiveness, and future-proof the platform at a speed that wouldn't otherwise be possible.

Because it was built using AI, everything we make is completely free and open-source. We would never want to lock this down or gatekeep a solution like this.

We know firsthand how big this gap is in the accessibility space. There hasn't been a unified space where someone can independently pick their media, communicate, and most importantly, play games using simple switch inputs.

I'll drop the links in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Hopefully an advertisement like this is allowed here, apologies if not!

We're focused on providing a space for disabled, neurodiverse, and LGBTQ+ mmorpg players which is both accommodating and affirming. We're focused around art and nature, and their mental and emotional healing properties.

My goal is to gather folks who struggles in the group aspects of MMORPGs, and give people like us a space to come together and do content both casual and hardcore with people who are just like us and who Get It. This can include feeling like an inconvenience or burden due to not being ab;e to play like an abled person, not wanting to face discrimination or slurs like the r-slur or transphobia, not being able to maintain a strict schedule due to medical or mental health stuff.

Discord is out main communication hub. This space is not just one FC/Guild sectioned off to one server. You are welcome into the space regardless which server you're on, and which FC or Guild you're in within any given MMORPG.

There's a couple accessibility bots already, such as Text-to-Speech, Speech-to-Text for voice chat, and PluralKit for Systems and people with Alters. I welcome any further suggestions to make it as accessible as I can to a variety of people.

Right now, our main game is FFxiv, on the Kraken server (Dynamis NA). We also have Brynhildr, and Balmung just opened up. Roleplay will be opening up this winter along with the final FC on Mateus.

We do have a Guild in WoW (America), but right now not many people are playing. We plan to eventually expand to Classic, Anniversary, and Forever. Black Desert PC is also an option but at the moment I'm the only one who plays, lol.

At the moment I'm reaching out to find more folks, we do casual stuff in XIV and my events leader has been running an EVA watch party leading up to Evercold. One of our members would like to put together a static of Disabled and ND players!

I will be hosting more low energy events like parallel play, watch parties, dance gatherings with music and giveaways, and party games over the cold months as those tend to be when the SAD kicks in and chronic pain flares up.

If there are any other Disabled communities in MMORPGs, you are also welcome to reach out about partnerships.

https://discord.gg/qWej6eXtvH

(hello to the spam bots that will inevitably join by posting here)

Lodestone pages for FFxiv
Kraken: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/community_finder/78cb68b4cfded846725c3aab509d834be5335178/
Brynhildr: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/community_finder/7406fb86dae87d7ad789141a76907f44c5a22ccb/
Balmung: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/community_finder/92ff03c304ab61a8a150ffc62b0b79594c330832/

We're of course a progressive space. We forbid AI. Each month has a space to celebrate a different marginalized group, such as Pride month in June, Disability Pride Month in July, and Indigenous Heritage Month in November. I myself am a mixed-race FtM androgyne, with Autism and Stickler Syndrome.

Hello all! So I have a whole family that games, including a little sister that does so despite having a rare disability called TAR Syndrome. That means that she does not have forearms on both arms. That being said, she really wants to play VR games but has a hard time due to her arms being so short. I would really love to have her join me in some VR gaming so I was hoping to hear some suggestions. Before anyone asks, she can play console and PC gaming with no issues. She still has her hands, they are just smaller and at an angle that can make VR hard. Any help would be appreciated.

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