Joel’s straight in at the deep end
Monday, July 8th, 2019
Joel has athetoid cerebral palsy and wasn’t able to play games before his visit here last week, but his friends play games like Red Dead Redemption, Call of Duty and FIFA, and he didn’t just want to watch!
Frankie and Joe from our specialist assessment team worked on making the very best of his bilities in order to be able to play the games he wanted to play. Frankie takes a deep breath and explains.
“We started with a setup for FIFA in two-button mode,” she said. “Joe and I plugged an large joystick into an XAC and positioned it securely by his right hand. He needed a couple of switches for pass and shoot so we mounted two button switches either side of his head where his headrest usually is – he’d left his at home.”
“He wanted to try Red Dead Redemption next, so we positioned a mini joystick by his chin to act as the right joystick.”
“Two button switches were placed on the floor by his feet for aim and shoot. A blue and a yellow button were placed on the tray for the bumpers along with two small switches for triangle and square. Joel was able to press the d-pad, start and home button on the XAC, and the switches by his head stayed in place as A and B.”
That’s a pretty complex starting setup and quite a challenge that Joel’s taking on with Red Dead. But he’s going to give it a go and we’re with him all the way if he needs extra support and advice. His setup will open the door to many other games though, and we’re excited that he’s finally going to get the chance to join in the fun with his friends. All the best with your gaming, Joel!