Wilson’s smile lights up the impact of your support

Thursday, September 30th, 2021

Tag Icon used for categories

smiling young boy pressing large assistive gaming button

What a fantastic smile! Wilson, whose cerebral palsy affects his movements and make it very difficult for him to master a standard PS4 controller, is now back in the game with his family and friends after our Specialist Assessment Team provided the loan of an adapted setup that’s carefully matched to suit his individual abilities – and it’s opening up a world of gaming possibilities.

“This is a boy who LOVES his games,” said his father, “Yet he finds it impossible to control a normal controller. Then this incredible charity stepped in and provided this amazing adaptation so he could play like any other child – or adult! We honestly can’t thank SpecialEffect enough.”

After gathering information about Wilson’s functional movements and the games he wanted to play, our team loaned him a Velcro-covered tray, a large joystick, four large button switches with PS4 stickers and appropriate adaptors and connectors for using the setup with a PS4. He’s a huge fan of Paw Patrol, Rocket League and FIFA, so our advice included setting up FIFA for play in One Button Mode and Two Button Mode.

We’re so happy to see Wilson’s smile as he starts playing games independently. As his gaming dreams get bigger, your support will let us be there to help him every step of the way.

We’re committed to transforming the lives of physically disabled people like Wilson right across the world through the innovative use of technology. At the core of this mission is our work to maximise inclusion, enjoyment and quality of life by helping people control video games to the best of their abilities for as long as they need us. Our team of occupational therapists and gaming specialists in the UK create bespoke control setups for hundreds of individuals each year, while our R&D team use what we learn in the field to develop freely available resources and solutions to help level the playing field for disabled gamers all over the world.

But none of it would be possible without your help, so a huge and heartfelt thank you from all of us at SpecialEffect – you truly are making a real difference.