• 29Nov 09

  Gamers with disabilities

  I have been an avid gamer my whole life. I'm the "mario" generation who grew up alongside games. I got my first console, NES, when I was 6 back in 86.
  
  So anyways, on to my point. Until 3 years ago, I've had no problems keeping up with games and specifically online games. I am so utterly frustrated in trying to play Modern Warfare 2 along with the last two installments WaW and MW1. I sustained some pretty severe injuries in Iraq from a suicide bomber. I am VERY lucky to even be alive or be able to even play a game.
  
  My injuries included
  
  -Severe Brain injury, shrapnel to the brain and required surgery to remove half of my skull
  
  -Severe hearing loss from the explosion
  
  -My right arm was nearly severed at the tricep area.
  
  -My spinal cord was penetrated by a piece of shrapnel but was not cut.
  
  So.... what does this mean to me in terms of being able to play FPS's and more specifically keep up with the "youngins" (I'm 30) on Xbox Live..
  
  - My R arm obviously has issues b/c of the damage so the R hand doesnt work as well as it should.
  
  -compounding the R hand is the spinal cord injury. My R hand has fine motor issues and tone issues. This means my fingers do not work as well or as fast as I wish them too. They wear out quickly and the more they are used the worse they get. In the middle of a deathmatch bout I seriously have to just stretch and let myself take a few deaths in the process.
  
  -My brain injury causes my visual perception to be much slower. Even on my 50in 1080p set, I have a hard time picking out other players at a distance. when I watch the kill came I'm like how the livin F did he see me, I had no idea! I also have a blind spot in my upper R vision are which causes me not to be able to see the UAV panel if I'm concentrating on the site to long.
  
  -I have pathfinding and direction finding problems which causes me to not be able to find my way around the maps well. -My memory is also crap so I find it hard to also learn the maps well.
  
  -My severe hearing loss prevents me from being able to participate in any Live chat for parties and I can't hear where fire is coming from on the maps.
  
  So anyways.. yes I am whining! It sux to lose my game mojo. My life could be sooo much worse, no right arm, comatose,dead even, so can't complain really, but I just want to rant.. I'm sick of not being able to keep up... maybe some other gamers out there can relate???
  
  Sigh.......
  • Posted Nov 29, 2009 10:56 pm PT
  • Category: People
  • 0 Comments
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