Making Controllers More Accessible

Here's my thoughts regarding game controllers for the severely physically disabled using my personal experiences & observations as guidance. Because of Duchenne muscular dystrophy weakened by now gone pneumonia, all I can use is a two button trackball & a point & click On-Screen Keyboard.


The main obstacle I face, in addition to money, is controllers that are iffy purchases because they are only available via mail order & even when a device has a superb description & pictures, very few companies provide demo units to see if the device will work for the individual.

Games are important to many of us because more than a few of us physically disabled gamers are in wheelchairs, if not bed ridden.  Therefore, we cannot enjoy many extracurricular activities, most especially for those inclined towards sports or soldiers returning from combat.

Disabilities are so varied that it's nearly impossible to create a "one size fits all" game controller but that should not stop designers from trying.  For one thing, why not make a controller that comes as multiple sections, which can be easily configured to the individual disabled gamer?

For one example, I cannot hold my arms together nor fully open my hands to use a stock Playstation 2 controller, a problem many disabled gamers have due to contractures.  Why not make two ball shaped controllers with a reasonable amount of buttons around their circumference, this is an idea that no one has tried.

These can be a controller for righties & lefties with a button to suit each by reversing the orientation.  Have a Playstation 2 style thumb joystick on each ball with buttons around each balls circumference.

My point is that I am not a controller designer by trade, and yet I can think of these kinds of designs. So, why have the gaming companies and modifiers not yet considered out-of-the-box ideas such as these?

I don’t necessarily cast blame on game companies because they aren’t acquainted with disabilities so they don’t have the knowledge or experience to make controllers for the disabled properly. Therefore, an annual conference between disabled gamers & peripheral developers should be set up to better acquaint peripheral developers with the needs of disabled gamers.

Mind to hardware interfaces make sense but disabled gamers need to push physical buttons, switches, etc. to help avoid atrophy of muscles in the fingers, hands & arms. When possible, mind to hardware interfaces should be complementary to hardware, not a replacement.

What kind of controller ideas have you thought?  Leave us a message below with your ideas, maybe, just maybe, a peripheral developer will like your idea!

Art Work by Butt Johnson

Comments (3)

Brandon Ireland

February 02, 2010

Votes: +2

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I really enjoyed your article and I have a few game controller designs in mind. I have Becker muscular dystrophy and I have limited dexterity in my hands. The shoulder buttons on the PS3 controller are kinda difficult for me to push the buttons. I have to hold the controller downward in order to reach the shoulder buttons, also I have difficulty pushing down on the analog sticks down for the analog buttons. I tried relocating the buttons with he help from a friend, button relocation was successful but unsuccessful with the analog stick relocation. It would great if they had a PS3 controller where everything was closer together that would make it easier to reach all the buttons, analogs etc. I'm sure there are plenty of disable gamers that could benefit with a controller like that.

Aaron Baker

February 17, 2010

Votes: +0

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Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed my article.

Is that the only difficulty you encounter with game control?

B.J. Baye

March 05, 2010

Votes: +1

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I'm rather late commenting on this article, but a totally modular (and thus reconfigurable) controller would be fantastic.

For me, I wouldn't be able to use the two round controllers idea you had, since I need both hands to hold one device. What I need is a controller with no shoulder buttons/triggers. I could play almost any game on my 360 if they didn't use those buttons.

(I'd still have trouble with shooters, as I don't have the fingers to move with one stick, aim with the other, sight with one button, and shoot with another at the same time. If I could use a cover mechanic rather than run-and-gun, and toggle sighting, I wouldn't have much problem.)

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