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Muscular Dystrophy Doesnt Keep Me From Gaming
There Isn't Any Game that I Can't Play on A PC
Since I am the new person here and this being my first article, I thought that I would tell you about how I play games. Also, to let you know what accessible devices I use and how they are used.
To begin with, when I must live in the real world, I need someone to assist me with just about everything. As you know, if you have any type of MD or disability for that matter, everyday there are many obstacles and barriers that we must overcome.
Whenever I live in the gaming world, it's a different story. Once I am setup on my PC and in a game, I do not need anyone to assist me with anything. I have complete freedom and control to do whatever I want. I can become whoever I want to become, live in any world and/or age that I choose and cause all the carnage that I feel. This world is mine; if you are a friend, I welcome you. If you are a foe, you are still welcome to enter but just be ready to defend yourself or it will be your death. Unless, I choose to spare your life, do not expect me to though.
Wow, I think that I must have some kind of God complex or something. But in all seriousness, which world would I rather live in? If you said the gaming world, you have guessed correctly. The only way for this to happen is with the right hardware setup.
Assistive devices, How I Play
Well, you are probably wondering how I am able to play any PC game. Better yet, you may be wondering what assistive devices and software I may be using. Everyone has their own ways of playing games and some setups are better than others are.
The following is what I use that allows me to play any game:
First, I use a mouth-controlled mouse made by a company named SEMCO. The device is called the QuadJoy. It is great for people with my condition, Duchenne MD, and/or any other type of disability that does not allow you the use of your hands. When I began looking for this type of mouse, it had it to be very responsive, precise and portable. I have had other devices like the QuadJoy but they had many parts and were too delicate. I definitely got the device that I really needed. It is not cheap for most but if you want your gaming ability to improve than it is worth the price. One cool feature that you might like is the ability to use it as a standard two-button joystick. I find it great for Racing and FlightSim games. If you decide to purchase one, be sure that you ask for the joystick accessory. I highly recommend the QuadJoy to any gamer. This great device costs $750 and you can purchase it at http://www.quadjoy.com/ .
The Second device that I use is made by a company named WesTest Engineering Corporation. The device is called the Darci USB. It is an alternative keyboard; it is a Morse code based computer access device. I do the dots and dashes by using a single switch, a dot is a fast tap of the switch and a dash is a little bit longer tap. The longer that you use Morse code the faster you get. The Darci USB can use up to three switches and comes with software that allows you to change all kinds of settings, like the speed that you are most comfortable with. It also does every keyboard command. When I tell people about this device or they see me use it, people are usually amazed. I also get two commonly asked questions, is Morse code hard to learn? On the other hand, why do you use such an outdated technology?
The answer to question one is, no, it can be learned in less than an hour for most. The answer to question two is, mainly for the privacy because someone is around the majority of the time. To me it isn't outdated; it is just an overlooked technology. Anyway, I have used Morse code for years now and it works really well for games. I have found that some games but not many have a slight difficult time recognizing the device. If you want to know a specific one, we can help, post on our forums or email any of our staff. You can get the Darci USB for $199.95 at http://www.westest.com/darci/ .
The final thing that I use is Game Commander 2. Which most of you know is voice recognition software for games. This works great when the Darci USB has a hard time being recognized. The company that once made the software has discontinued it. Not sure why, it was a great product. I think that it was crazy for them to do this. There are other companies that make similar software that should work just well.
A World of Access and Freedom
Are you someone that has lost the ability to play games and would like to start playing them again? Thought that games were just not in the picture for you? Or, didn't know if there was anything out there to help you? Many times in my life, I have come across someone that had thought their gaming days were over or did not even know the possibilities. These days so many options out there can let you play again. They can even improve your gaming ability and can even make you look cool by playing unconventionally.
As you know, accessible devices can be pricey. In addition, you need to find what devices work best for you. Making your own Mods that cater to your physical capabilities is an option too, even that can get expensive. But what is more important, the cost or the freedom? Freedom, am I right? Of course I am. For those of us that are true gamers, we would not know what we would do if we could not play games. This is why accessibility is so important, in devices and in games. It is an issue that needs to be addressed for everyone's sake. Games give us a world of access and freedom.
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