Ablegamers Foundation Expands With New Facility To Support Disabled Gamers

Published: April 26, 2017 10:00 AM /

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Much like The Controller Project or DAGERS, the AbleGamers Charity brings awareness to disabled gamers and provides means for them to enjoy their hobby to the fullest. Whether it's by attending expos, teaming up with sponsors, or holding fundraisers, the foundation's unrelenting goal is to freely give their donations back to others by designing custom controllers that can work around the most unique and challenging of disabilities. AbleGamer's facility in Harpers Ferry, W.Va. is dedicated to providing all visitors with the technology and support they need, but now it looks to accomplish more with the all-new "AbleGamers Center for Inclusive Play" in Charles Town, W.Va.

Courtesy of a three-year grant from the SSB BART Group, which is an organization assisting and advising various entities in providing digital accessibility, AbleGamers now has greater reach and influence to harness "the power of gaming to break down the barriers of economic and social isolation for children, adults and veterans with disabilities." With the facility being two times larger than its previous establishment, COO Steve Spohn comments on newfound possibilities:

Whereas in the past we have been limited to holding finite consultations off-site or online, the new AbleGamers Center for Inclusive Play vastly improves our ability to host in-person appointments, develop content for gamers with disabilities and to offer an impactful resource for the local Charles Town community.
This paves the way for more one-on-one consultations with disabled gamers, a room devoted to streaming for increased fundraising and events, and even a 3D printing studio to allow for more efficient production and testing of custom peripherals. Being open every Thursday to the public, AbleGamers looks to be even more dedicated and transparent to a population of gamers that has only received long-overdue attention in the last several years by the industry.

If you're interested in donating to the charity's efforts, you can host your own fundraiser with relative ease by signing up here. However, there are other ways to support by buying some merchandise or giving a simple donation on this page, which details AbleGamers' distribution of contributions with over 92 cents of every dollar going toward its mission.


What gaming-oriented charities have you donated to before? Do you happen to know any gamers with disabilities or happen to be one yourself? What do you make of Ablegamers and its mission? Let us know in the comments below.

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I'm a part-time videogame journalist with a BA in Game and Interactive Media Design and an MA in Writing Studies. I bleed theology, sci-fi, and fantasy… More about Joey