Sweet Victories
Recently, we received a letter from a parent who wanted to spread the word that children with disabilities can play the Xbox 360 too. We here at the Community team were moved by the letter and asked to print it. What follows is one parent’s thoughts on how gaming makes a difference in their lives:
My son is 10 years old and has been playing Xbox for years now – it kills me to think that there are kids with disabilities, similar to my son, whose parents may not think of allowing their children to play video games because they don’t think they can. Or that all video games are too violent. I’m sure there are kids out there who really can’t play video games - but my son’s disabilities are pretty severe and he can. So I know others can as well. Besides teaching me lots of patience, my son has taught me that we can do more than we think we can. Sometimes we set our own limitations without even trying. I cannot express to you how proud I am of my son, in everything he does besides playing video games.
He cannot walk or talk. He has a rare neurological disorder similar to Cerebral Palsy called Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease.
The point I want to make here is – I want to get the word out that kids with disabilities can play video games too!
Mater makes for good company.
Playing games allows my son to do something on his own. Yes we sit down as a family and play together with him – but for the most part Connor plays these games on his own! It’s my opinion that he is able to experience a sense of freedom, independence and achievement in wandering around – running, jumping and flying while exploring! Something he doesn’t get to do in real life.
In each of the games noted below – there is no “dying” (depending on the part of the game being played) and generally no time constraints – he plays the games at his own pace. He does things his way. He doesn’t hold the xbox controller as you or I might – but he gets by and he can push every button, pull every trigger and bumper on the controller.
Taking to the skies in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.
Games he plays that I would highly recommend for other kids with conditions similar to him include:
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
- He loves driving vehicles and this game allows him the opportunity to not only drive vehicles on land or water – but fly in the air. While he cannot make the vehicles himself, his sister or I generally create something for him – such as a big yellow bus that flies with seats for animals he picks up in the game…
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
- He doesn’t get beyond the first part of this game – but that’s all he needs. As Spider-Man he can explore the city! Run, Jump, Wall-crawl or web-swing from one end of town to the other.
- Currently Connor enjoys finding the hidden Spider-Man tokens (2000 in all!) hidden across the city.
Cars & Cars: Mater-National
- Cars is my son’s favorite movie – he loves driving Lightning McQueen around Radiator Springs and seeing the cast of the movie. We just wish he could drive as Mater around town and not just in races.
Forza 2 & 3
- Connor loves the cars.
Midtown Madness 3
- An Xbox original. I think this is my son’s favorite car game of all time – an open world with nothing to do but cruise… And the fact that he can drive an ambulance…