“No matter what MND throws at me, SpecialEffect come up with solutions”
Saturday, February 24th, 2024
Update February 2025: It’s with great sadness that we learnt that Sam passed away in early February. Sam was a genuine inspiration to so many, not least through the resilience, creativity, and determination that defined his journey. He turned his love of gaming into a source of joy and advocacy that, with the help of assistive technology, brought people together. Not only that, he changed the lives of many through his own charity Stand Against MND
It was a privilege to support Sam with his gaming journey. He had motor neurone disease, and our specialist assessment team first helped him to play games with an adapted gaming controller setup that included a chin-controlled joystick and leg-operated button switches.
As his condition progressed, the team introduced voice control into his setup, and when speech his became more of a challenge for gaming, he was able to play many of the titles he loved like Fallout and Civilisation just by using his eyes, thanks to eye-gaze software customised by our therapists.
“It’s so liberating for me,” he said. “No matter what MND throws at me, the guys at SpecialEffect have come up with solutions to allow me to still play games, which has been fantastic.”
Sam’s lifelong gaming support was made possible through the expertise and tenacity of our specialist assessment team, and that in turn only exists because of your wonderful fundraising – so thank you again for the bottom of our hearts for your support, you are truly fantastic!