Karina B

Karina B is from St. Catharines, a city in Ontario, Canada. She had to undergo a mandatory surgery that was a matter of life and death. The surgery put her into a coma for four weeks and when she woke up, her immune system had attacked her nerves, leaving her paralyzed.  

She was worried that she wouldn’t be able to play games anymore. “I don’t even know what is out there or anything. I keep hitting brick walls, trying to find out what is out there. Also, I am hurt by how far this world needs to go towards being more accessible for people who are disabled and the lack of stuff out there. Things need to change.” said Karina.  

When Karina found AbleGamers, she met with Peer Counselor Aaron. They went over what games she wanted to play, what her challenges were, and what the steps would be to get her back to gaming. After 2 months of consultations, Aaron and Karina figured out what kind of adaptive equipment would be needed for her gaming setup. We were able to grant an Xbox Adaptive Controller, accessible switches, and an Ultimarc Ultrastik 360 joystick.  

After receiving the equipment and overcoming some learning curves, Karina has been able to play again, stating “I’ve been loving the fact that I can play the Nintendo Switch with Animal Crossing. It has given me a way to release some tension and frustration, but it also has given me a sense of normalcy.” She went on to say, “I’m so very grateful for AbleGamers, it’s nice to talk to someone else who has been through something similar. I have not been able to connect with much other support for people like me.” 

AbleGamers understands how overwhelming and frustrating accessibility can be. That’s why we work hard every day to make sure that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else for positive experiences through play. Karina, we are so glad we could join you on your quest to game! 

Your support made this smile possible.

AbleGamers Peer Councilors and all of our Powered by AbleGamers Partners work one-on-one with each and every person. This is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but a tailored experience to enable joy in someone’s life. Donate today to help us continue enabling play for people with disabilities.

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