Interview With SpecialEffect

Providing Incredible Experiences Through Accessible Gaming

With everything else going on in the world, I feel lucky to be alive in an age of such technological innovation. In the video games industry, we are seeing improvements left, right and centre. It used to be that only a small section of society were able to enjoy the magic of games. But with games becoming more accessible, more people are able to enjoy them than ever before!

But, there are still many people who struggle to enjoy mainstream gaming due to a variety of special needs. Physical disabilities can make something simple like using a games controller impossible.

That’s where SpecialEffect come in. They are a charity whose mission is to make sure that everyone can access the world of video games. I spoke with Liam Lawler, Partnerships Coordinator at SpecialEffect, to find out more about the charity and how they help disabled gamers.

Who are SpecialEffect and how they can help you?

Liam talked me through SpecialEffect’s mission and how they operate. In short, they are a charity dedicated to making video games accessible to everyone. To do this, they utilise a huge range of accessible gaming technology which they loan out to those who need it. Their experienced teams also have also amassed a huge wealth of information on adaptive gaming that they’ve made available for everyone, for example though the ‘Game access’ section on their website.

Anyone who is in need of adaptive gaming solutions can get in touch with SpecialEffect for support. From there, they can discuss their requirements and arrange to try different solutions free of charge. Even though SpecialEffect are based in Oxfordshire, their teams have the option of travelling anywhere within the UK to meet the people they help. Once on site, SpecialEffect’s staff will then work with gamers and carers to find the best gaming solutions that work for them.

Being able to offer these services free of charge is very important to their mission. They never want anyone’s financial situation or location to get in the way of them having access to these adaptive solutions. That way, when they decide to invest in their own adaptive technology, they know exactly what they want.

It was clear to Liam that their work is hugely important. As he put it, “When you are physically disabled, there’s a lot of things you see other people do that you can’t do yourself. Being able to play a good game give you experiences of doing these things and more!”

Let’s have a bit more of a look at the kind of solutions SpecialEffect provides.

Adaptive Controllers

One of SpecialEffect’s main offerings is adaptive controllers. These come in a variety of forms for a variety of needs. For those who struggle with fine motor skills, there are controllers with large buttons and joysticks. For those who have limited or no arm movement, there are sticks that can be controlled by chin movement. The buttons and switches they use can be positioned next to many parts of the body that the user has control over.

Of course, there's no one size fits all with every individual having their own requirements. That is why it’s important that SpecialEffect’s staff meet with users to work out solutions together. Through consulting with them, they can devise solutions that might not have been considered before.

Liam also spoke about accessibility solutions that SpecialEffect have helped devise. He mentioned the Xbox accessible controller, as an example. The end result of this collaboration was a new interface that allows players flexibility to use wide range of buttons, switches and joysticks as alternatives to those on a standard controller.

StarGaze Service

You may have heard heart-breaking stories of people whose lives have been turned around by a major traumatic injury. You might even know people who have gone through that or you might have even gone through this yourself. We can all agree that suffering from such an injury and losing your ability to engage with the world is a monumental challenge.

StarGaze is a service that supports people in intensive care by providing technology called eye-gaze. Eye-gaze technology works by monitoring eye movement to allow users to use computers. It can be set up so that you can look around the screen to move the cursor, and blink, stare or press a button to click. This technology can allow anything from basic communication to playing games.

SpecialEffect’s free-to-use Eye Gaze Games website has a whole host of games specifically made for SpecialEffect’s users. As well as that, they’ve also made Minecraft playable through their free EyeMine software. For someone struggling with independent movement, having access to a game that allows such creative expression is a huge boon! Looking at the StarGaze testimonials, these games provide a lifeline for people going through these kind of ordeals.

BubbleBusters

Whilst not directly relating to gaming, their BubbleBusters project is also worth noting. It utilises AV1 telepresence robots to allow immuno-comprised children to remotely access school. The little robots sit in the classroom in place of the child and are operated by the child at their home.

These robots were developed by a company called No Isolation. They allow children to interact with their school environment on a virtual level. Using these robots, they can look around the classroom and communicate with their teacher and classmates. The feed between the robot and the child at home is encrypted and recording is blocked to protect the privacy of everyone in the classroom.

Social Change

It was clear that SpecialEffect is doing so much good through its work. It also seems that their efforts are fuelling a cultural shift towards accessibility in the video games industry. You may have noticed more accessibility menus in modern games, and Playstation's Project Leonardo is also a great upcoming example of accessibility within mainstream.

As Liam put it “It feels like we’re moving more and more towards accessibility as the norm in gaming.”

What you can do to support SpecialEffect?

As a charity, SpecialEffect are entirely dependent on their supporters to keep their services free and accessible for all. Any direct donations to their efforts are appreciated. But Liam also stressed that what really helps them is spreading the word about what they’re doing. One of their main ambitions moving forwards is to engage with more organisations. This allows them to gain more supporters and increase the good they can do with their efforts.

The main way they do this is through attending conventions, word of mouth and sharing on social media. Anything you can do, whether that’s following them online, telling your friends about them or making a direct donation is going to be helpful to their efforts.