You know, we spend a lot of time on this blog, or the forums, or wherever, complaining about a variety of problems in WoW. Be it class balance, server downtime, etc...and while that is a fun and worthwhile activity (thank god it is or I wouldn't have this great part-time job), it is nice to see something like this floating around the WoW community.

Awemane from the Vek'nilash realm suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II. It is a disease very similar to Muscular Dystrophy, and Awemane has lost the ability to play most games. The action games simply have become too complex for someone with Awemane's illness. So that leaves RPGs, but even RPGs have become a chore, as they are starting to add more action fighting elements. Knowing that, one of Awemane's friends turned him onto World of Warcraft, and due to the customizable interface, the ability to play in a window to allow for a mouse-controlled on-screen keyboard and several other disabled-friendly features, Awemane is able to play Warcraft. And he plays it well.

Best of all, the nature of an MMORPG allows him to communicate with others and have a bit of a social experience in addition to the game itself. As he can't leave his house often, WoW is a great way for him to meet people. Awemane also comments that nearly all of Blizzard's games have been handicap friendly. This is an aspect of gaming that Blizzard really got right.

I never really considered how difficult it would be to play a videogame with any kind of disability, and I think it is fantastic that World of Warcraft is available for someone like Awemane. Fantastic work by Blizzard!

Filed under: Odds and ends, News items