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'If you can't move, you can still game' — how a developer helps make accessible video games | Anthony DeVergillo and Jonah Monaghan released Overjoyed on the Microsoft Store

A New Jersey gamer with muscular dystrophy teamed up with a graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University's Brantford, Ont. campus to design accessibility software for video games. With Overjoyed, they say, you can play games even if you can't move.

Manitoba teacher Jonah Monaghan co-created Overjoyed with Anthony DeVergillo, starting work when he was studying gaming at Wilfrid Laurier University in Brantford, Ont. Sandra Danilovic, a Laurier professor who researches inclusive design and accessibility, said many developers don't know what people with disabilities need, making consultation and co-development important. "They're not always easy to get and they're not customized for every disability she said," adding that the customizable nature of a tool such as Overjoyed is "wonderful" in addressing niche user needs that large companies don't tend to serve.

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