"Gaming gave me my life back": why accessible video games are transforming disabled players' lives
The founder of a leading charity helping people with severe physical disabilities play video games says accessible technology is transforming lives by reconnecting players with friends, family and everyday social experiences
March 24th, 2026 - Speaking on the latest episode of the Good Game Club podcast, SpecialEffect founder and CEO Dr Mick Donegan explains how adaptive controllers, eye-tracking technology and personalised gaming set-ups are enabling people with disabilities to play games for the first time.
SpecialEffect are a "catalyst for change," helping the global games industry to embrace accessibility, with companies such as Xbox and PlayStation introducing adaptive controllers and more inclusive game design in recent years. Now, they are breaking new ground by leading the way on making iOS and Android games more accessible with their mobile versions of their free to play 'Eye Gaze Games'. "I like to think that we're just part of this general move to be as inclusive as possible," says Donegan.
For many players supported by SpecialEffect, access to gaming means far more than entertainment. It restores independence, connection and the ability to participate in shared experiences with friends and family. One player with a progressive condition sent a message to SpecialEffect after the charity helped him return to playing video games with his brother: "Dear SpecialEffect, I've just beat my brother five-one at FIFA. Thank you for giving me my life back."
Donegan founded SpecialEffect after years working with children with physical disabilities and discovering that many were excluded from a major part of modern childhood: playing video games with siblings and friends. "These children were missing out socially," he says. "They were missing out on the opportunity to learn. They were missing out on the opportunity to face challenges, to solve problems." SpecialEffect now works with people around the world to create personalised gaming set-ups tailored to each player's abilities.
"It's looking at the person, looking at their abilities and not at their disabilities; it's not what they can't do, but what they can do," Donegan explains.
"This is a global challenge," says Donegan, whose charity received a Special Award at the BAFTA Games Awards in 2024. "There's over a billion people with disabilities across the planet, and a significant number of those have physical disabilities."
Good Game Club builds on the success of Jude Ower and Mathias Norvig's bestselling book Gaming for Good, bringing global voices together to explore how games can be a positive force for people and the planet. The podcast is supported by a strategic partnership with Tencent – together, they share the ambition to highlight the positive impact that gameplay can have on individuals and communities.
About SpecialEffect SpecialEffect is an award-winning UK charity helping to improve the lives of disabled people across the globe through the innovative use of technology. At the core of this mission is providing greater inclusion through the opportunity to play video games to the best of their abilities.
