What's up, Indicator listeners?

We're taken this week to highlight some of our favorite episodes from the past year.

And today's episode is about how advocates have been pushing the video game industry to be more accessible to folks with disabilities.

Hope you enjoy.

NPR.

NPR. It was around the age of 12 when Steve Spawn discovered video games.

He was at home, which is where he was most of the time, because he has spinal muscular

atrophy.

It's a condition that gradually takes away a person's ability to use their muscles.

And one time, one of the nurses helping him asked, have you ever tried playing video games?

And I told her that I was too disabled. There's no way that I could.

And she challenged me that there was no reason I couldn't just hold a controller.

I was using a powered wheelchair. So why couldn't I hold a controller. I was using a powered wheelchair,

so why couldn't I hold the controller? And she brought over a Nintendo, and it was like love at first

sight. I literally kidnapped it and wouldn't let her take him back. And yeah, it was really great.

I ended up falling in love and beating Mario.

As Steve's condition progressed over the years and moving became more difficult,

he's had to find more creative ways to keep playing,

like using a dentist pick to push keys on a keyboard,

or wearing a special hat with sensors that allows him to control a game by tilting his head.

And he's had to do all this because for a long time,

the video game industry just was not thinking about gamers like Steve, or gamers with disabilities generally.

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