Monday, March 23, 2009

Of Disabilities and Gaming

Lileia, who writes the blog In the Fringes, has been referencing articles from http://www.ablegamers.com/ lately. I love this site! It's so wonderful to find a group of people that understand why I enjoy gaming so much, even though it's difficult. Today, Lileia was talking about in-game communication, and referring to an article by Steve S. about Warhammer and the online keyboard.
The type, severity, and what is affected by cerebral palsy generally has to do with how and when the brain damage occurred. My cp is not very severe, but it is pervasive, which means that just about anything that depends on the interaction of nerves and muscles for voluntary movement is affected. What that means is that I'm not a fast typist, and even talking on vent can be an issue on a bad day.
One thing Steve talks about in his article that Lileia alludes to is that in games, our disabilities become invisible (mine is invisible most of the time anyway, but still) and we are free to interact without stares, questions, or prejudice. This is a good thing, most of the time. Every person in a pug doesn't need to know that I am disabled. I agree with Lileia, though, that it can be freeing to let those I run with all the time know what's going on.
I've been more open with the members of Clan Redundancy Clan about my disability than I have with any other guild. Doing so was a risk, and could have backfired. What I have gained by being open, however, is the ability to be myself. When I get excited about putting out the dps that any warlock with my gear should be able to put out, my guildies understand why. When I have trouble doing the safety dance or making the jump on Thaddius, they understand that too, although they would be much happier if I could execute flawlessly. To be accepted for who I am without apology or qualification, to know that my guildies understand but will gently push me to dig a little deeper when needed, is a rare gift that I treasure.

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