Engineer Has Been Helping Paraplegic Gamers Play Using Modified Controllers For 30 Years


Here’s a story to warm the cockles of your hearts, dear readers. Since 1981, Ken Yankelevitz has been designing modified controllers for gaming systems that allow people with no use of their arms or legs to play games. Using variations on the sip/puff mechanic, operating buttons with the nose or lips, and other tools of the trade, he’s made gear for everything from Ataris to Xbox 360s. Let’s just take a second to acknowledge how awesome that is.

It reminds me of the story from last year in which a guy helped a blind gamer beat Ocarina of Time. The loss of vision, hearing, or the use of one’s limbs can be devastating to a hobby like gaming, but with a little help from your friends, anything is possible.

Check out the modified Dual Shock and 360 controllers; more information is available throughout the Quad Control site. We salute you, Ken! Keep up the good work.

[via Hack A Day]