MSNBC Article: Games Can Benefit Disabled Players
Anti-video game activists such as Jack Thompson always seem to find a way to put a negative spin on the hobby, but MSNBC Games Editor Kristin Kalning published an article today showing many disabled players find gaming is a "healthy escape." She asked readers to discuss how games have helped them contend with disabilities, and she got some interesting MMO-related responses. The benefits spanned numerous topics, from social contact to improved hand-eye coordination,
Michael Hicks, of Quinlan, Texas, had a stroke when he was 38. While he's in a wheelchair most of the time now, he said EverQuest has helped him immensely. "Social activity, the ability to walk and run as my valiant knight character and even the freedom to ride my mighty white horse over a virtual world again takes on such new meaning," he said.
Another reader's mother played Ultima Online for the last 10 years of her life. "She passed away last year at the age of 73 and often said, 'with my computer, I will never be lonely again,' " the reader wrote.
So what are your thoughts on the topic?