What is Peer Counseling at AbleGamers?
The AbleGamers Charity
Building a future where all players can experience the community, friendships, and confidence that comes from gaming.
People with disabilities are 51% more likely to be socially isolated than an able-bodied person. Peer Counseling at AbleGamers aims to fight this epidemic of social isolation through play.
Our Peer Counseling program at AbleGamers is one way we help overcome barriers to play so everyone can game. Gaming unlocks social experiences and a global community of gamers, and our team of Peer Counselors is dedicated to helping each player get connected. Within the program, occupational professionals work together with players who have disabilities to find the best solutions to get them gaming.
Our Complex Process, Simplified:
Step 1: Getting to Know the Player
The Peer Counselor will spend time getting to know the player, their strengths and challenges, and the environment and resources they have at their disposal. Players lead these sessions, sharing what experiences they seek and their gaming goals.
This step in the process takes time and builds the relationship of communication and trust between the player and Peer Counselor so that the best solutions can be found.
Step 2: Crafting a Solution
Armed with knowledge and understanding from the player, it is time to make a plan. We work toward individualized solutions that will allow the player to start playing their desired games and playstyles. Solutions are customized and unique for each player and can involve a range of enablement methods: adaptive hardware, customized game settings, educational support, and more may be used.
Peer counseling sessions serve as a starting point for granting the hardware, custom controllers, and specialized equipment/technologies that can be prohibitively expensive.
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Step 3: Enjoying the Game
Once a player is set up for success, the fun begins. The player gets to enjoy gaming and experimenting with their new enablement plan to fine-tune the experience.
Most of our Peer Counselors are disabled themselves; they understand the path to enablement because they traveled it. Each player that is enabled to game is cause for celebration.
Step 4: Connecting with People
Our Peer Counseling team helps to lead players into rich social communities to explore fantastic worlds and stories, combat social isolation, and join millions of players worldwide. This is the goal: allowing players to connect with these vibrant social experiences through these gaming communities.
It is not an instant fix. Peer Counseling is about custom solutions crafted with care.
Peer counselors spend as much time as necessary, and figuring out the gaming setup for people with disabilities can be highly time-consuming. Our Peer Counselors, and AbleGamers as a whole, are committed to helping overcome these challenges #SoEveryoneCanGame.
The endeavor is worth it. The more people who can game, the more inclusive, vibrant, and wonderful the gaming world becomes.
Peer Counseling is vital work to get people with disabilities into the game, fight the epidemic of social isolation, and create an accessible and inclusive gaming community. Support the mission and bring joy to players: https://ablegamers.org/ways-to-give/