SpecialEffect charity raises $621,777 to help disabled people play games

The U.K.-based charity SpecialEffect received $621,777 (£446,000) in donations from game companies during its annual One Special Day event in September. The charity focuses on making games more accessible to folks with disabilities. It runs other fundraisers throughout the year, and this one particular is structured so that developers and publishers can contribute 100 percent of their games’ sales on the day of the event. This year’s One Special Day will take place on September 29.

Traditional gamepads like Sony’s popular DualShock for the PlayStation 4 can be difficult for people with disabilities to use. SpecialEffect offers individualized support by creating alternative controllers to enable people who may not have use of their hands to play the games they want. Some of the equipment it gives out are modified gamepads that utilize features like voice control or eye-tracking.