After working with children and young people in hospices for more than ten years, Lifelites chief executive, Simone Enefer-Doy has seen how important gaming can be for those with disabilities.  So we are excited to see today’s announcement from Microsoft of a new product designed specifically to help gamers with limited mobility, the Xbox Adaptive Controller.

This unique product can be customised to suit the user and can be connected to external devices to help make gaming more accessible:

“Children and young people in hospices often find that their opportunities to join in with the world around them are limited by disabilities, but this shouldn’t be the case. Many of them feel isolated and find it difficult to develop social skills, but gaming can change this. It helps form valuable friendships, and gives them a sense of respite and relief from the challenges they face.  We have also seen how it can give them motivation, inclusion and quality of life.

“This is why it is so important Lifelites is able to donate equipment which can be adapted for individual users, to provide them with the best possible experience and the chance to control something for themselves. I am so excited to see this innovation come on to the market and it’s potential to help revolutionise the experience of the life-limited and disabled children we support in hospices."

To find out more about how gaming makes a difference to young people in hospices, read about our Virtual Reality pilot.