Reuniting Brenda with an old gaming friend
Thursday, May 26th, 2022
Brenda’s overjoyed to be back playing the game she’s loved for over 30 years thanks to an adapted controller setup devised by our specialist assessment team.
She’s a huge Legend of Zelda fan, but weak muscle strength and reduced fine motor skills due to multiple sclerosis meant using a standard controller to play hadn’t been possible for a long while.
Our specialist assessment team arranged a video assessment call with her to discuss the scope of her abilities and investigate what combination of assistive technology might potentially help her to play games effectively again.
The team settled on an initial loan of a large joystick with a top that was similar to Brenda’s wheelchair controller. This was complemented by seven button switches, carefully positioned and secured to give her all the controls she needed to play Link’s Awakening. The setup connected to her Nintendo Switch via an Xbox Adaptive Controller and an adaptor.
After another call to guide her through connecting the equipment, Brenda was delighted that the setup was worked so well for her, but found the joystick harder to move compared to her recently-lightened wheelchair version. We were more than happy to replace it with a low-force version, carefully modified by our tech team, and she’s found this much easier to game with.
We’re over the moon that Brenda’s rediscovering the joy of an old gaming friend. It’s been an honour to help her to play again, and we’ll be there if she needs further support in the future.