OK, before I get into this, I must let you know: I love video games! I was forged in the flames of gaming culture and all it's genres. Another thing you should know about me: I have cerebral palsy, a disability that physically affects my motor skills. Something that's pretty much essential to being a gamer. You can guess what kind of talk and comments I was subjected to because of my condition both in and out of gaming. It's a competitive hobby, regardless if you're in a pro tournament or just at the local arcade. With it, of course, comes the forging of steel skin, which is hard to do without a disability. With one as noticeable as CP, it's nearly impossible. "Nearly" being the operative word.
After all, with trails and tribulations come lessons and experience. All of which contributes to gaining a stronger skin not only for gaming but for everyday life. This right here is an account of some of those life lessons learned as a gamer with a disability.
1. Learn to read people
Gaming is a hobby that's competitive, requires an excessive amount of hand-eye coordination, muscle memory and the ability to predict what person attentions are. Not an easy skill to pick up, but very useful in the real world. People tend to look at the person with the physical disability as a target. Easy to pick on, easy to mock, easy to beat. On the other hand, there are those who are actually curious about the person doing what usually require two capable hands being done in an alternate way. Gaming is no different as I myself have been asked why and how I play the way I do. The problem with this is the one asked might feel that they are being teased and mocked for something they themselves have no control over, when in actuality they are asking out of sheer curiosity. Learning to read people can avoid some awkward encounters.
2. Learn to adapt
I have more than a few times found myself in a unwelcoming situation while gaming. Whether I'm fighting against a strong A.I, or a person right next to me, more often than not, I found myself being pressured against seemingly unstoppable forces. Truthfully, there is no such thing and what is required is a change of tactics, a way to adapt to the situation. As some one with a disability, this lesson comes in handy more than you think. There have been times when my disability reminded me there are things I cannot do in the same fashion as a..."well-body" person can do. This has forced me to look at the situation differently and find a solution that I can employ to even the worst of odds.
3. Be confident
In any competition or competitive activity, being confident is the first step to victory and the moment you lose it is the moment you lose in general. Lots of people tease and ridicule those that are a bit different than them. This is why having confidence is such a big thing for a person with CP. You have to be confident in yourself or it's game over.
4. Be prideful and humble
While the old saying goes "pride before the fall," pride is one of the things that will not only allow you to get through the match, but through the day, as well. You have to love yourself, CP and all. This world can be cruel, but being proud of what you can accomplish despite your innate limits makes dealing with it a whole lot easier. Just don't let it go to your head.
5. Never underestimate yourself or anyone
This is a lesson I have had to teach over and over again, especially while gaming. Many, many times people have been shocked they lost to the "crossed-arm handicap" in the arcade. Unfortunately, that is part of life when you are disabled. Either you're pitied, or just looked down upon. That's one of the good things about being the disabled one, your view has changed and you know what you are capable of and, if you like me, you see it as another challenge and chance to show just what you can do.
