Does anyone know of any disabled pro gamers? Let me first say that I am a quad amputee and an aspiring competitive Starcraft 2 player. I have been a student of iNcontroL's for a good while now and although I see my future career being in health policy, I have made it my goal to play competitively at a tournament level in Starcraft 2. I have a long road ahead of me to reach that goal but that isn't really what this thread is about. I am curious about other disabled pro gamers or aspiring pro gamers. I know of NOM4D but I have never head of anyone else. Some help here would be greatly appreciated guys!
There are two reasons why I ask. First, because i am disabled and an aspiring competitive gamer I am curious. Second, I am a graduating senior from Carleton College in Minnesota (http://www.carleton.edu/) and I am considering applying for a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship (http://www.watsonfellowship.org/site/index.html).
The idea of the Watson Fellowship is to have a year long adventure to further an interest you are passionate about by studying it cross-culturally and experientially. Instead of sitting in a library and doing research or taking classes, the Watson is a fellowship for those who have a need to see, interact with, and experience the world around them and the people who live in that world. As an example, one student from my school received a Watson in 2008 (Sean is actually a close friend of mine. He and a mutual friend of our and I spent time in China this last year studying health care delivery and how it relates to disability in China this past Winter. [This is a picture of myself, Sean, our friend Zach, my father,and another good friend standing in front of our home base in Beijing, the University of International Business and Economics.]) to train as a competitive cyclist with several different Olympic and national teams all over the world. He used these experiences to learn about what competitiveness in a major sport meant in all of these different cultures. The Watson is not an academic research program and no written work or evaluated material is expected. The purpose is to have an adventure in something your passionate about. You have to know it in your mind but more importantly you have to have it in your heart and feel it in your gut on a visceral level.
If there exist disabled pro gamers, perhaps my Watson could be an adventure into pro gaming. I could, perhaps, train with Starcraft 2 players and teams in Europe and Asia, and connect with disabled pro gamers (if the exist), learn about how culture affects what it means to be a person with a disability who competes at a high level in a sport in various cultures in the digital and global age, and prepare for an attempt to qualify for a GSL myself. I want to be the best I can be in everything I do and I don't give up until I'm there. I thought perhaps it might even be a way for me to indirectly catch a glimpse of how disability is viewed in general and how technology is changing that. Starcraft 2 and the way it bringing pro gaming out of Korea and the process it is going through right now as a new game with its competitive scene in its infancy but growing and spreading like wildfire would seem to create a very unique opportunity.
This truly is the greatest community in the world and I am counting on you guys to help me out. Are there disabled pro gamers/game developers/etc...? Do you guys have any other ideas about how I could use a Watson on pro gaming to study disability in different cultures? I could really use some help brainstorming. This is near and dear to my heart in so many ways and I am desperately hoping that TeamLiquid can help me out...
Hey! i know of no disabled progamers, also i had to google quad amputee just to make sure i knew what it was (english not first language). I'm very curious as to how you play and how much of a disadvantage it gets you. What's your league/rating ?
The only thing that comes to mind to me, was years upon years ago in the Broodwar scene there was a Blind player. He ended up going up against boxer, I'm sure someone will come along with the link.
Though you'd have to be more specific than just "disabled" because that could also be on the mental side of things, which could add a few people I'm sure.
space is the MAN.... i wish with all my heart that he recovers... he is an incredible wc3 player and person to be able to fight past his illness... cant even use control groups because he cant move his fingers the distance SPACE FIGHTING
HUGE respect for all disabled gamers, this goes to you looknohands119!
There are none that I know of, but there is a first time for everything. You can rest assured that, while I don't speak for this site, I imagine I am not alone in wishing you all the luck and support this community can provide.
Wow! Its been like 10 minutes and just wow.... I can't believe the number of responses this has already gotten. mcJ, Ryan, I've never heard of Space before but after taking a look at that interview man is he inspiring... Thank you SO much for posting that interview! I will post pics of myself using a mouse and try and get video of my playing up tonight. dream, when i say disabled I definitely mean both physically disabled (missing limbs, deafness, blindness, paralysis, etc...), developmental disabilities, learning disabilities. All of the above!
Wow, I must say I'm really intrigued by your aspirations. That's really awesome that you're not letting your disability get in the way of something you love. I'm interested in learning more about your play, I'm sure you'll be impressing a lot of us here, considering such a situation is difficult for most of us to even fathom. Much respect, sir.
Thanks for sharing your story man, it's pretty amazing. A good resource, if you haven't already been there, might be AbleGamers (http://www.ablegamers.com for the community site, http://www.ablegamers.org for the foundation). You might find people there with more experience in this kind of thing, as well as information on more high-profile disabled gamers.
Have you talked to anyone at your school about being nominated for the fellowship? The only condition for proposals seems to be that they are, "creative, feasible and personally significant." It's certainly creative and personally significant, but you'd have to probably spend some time planning out the logistics of such an undertaking before you applied. Please keep us updated on this, it's a fascinating story and I'm sure many people here are willing and able to help you out.
Nom4d and Space are the only players I've known who had disabilities and managed to get into the professional scene.
As for your condiction...I would recommend you type out how you are currently playing so it gives people a idea on ways we could help you better your play.
Nom4d used a modified Xbox controller that he played with his face. Space had his hands so no ideas can really stream from that end.
For you its mainly finding a way to modify equipment or methods to press keys accurately and quickly. Looking into things like nerve endings controlling a robotic hand (as is done now with amputees) is probably something you can do.
As far as the Watson award is concerned, I would say to stray away from the gaming as the main focus. Due to the limitations you have, going for the Watson to look into Amputee technology (aka the robotic arm/hand and etc) and the like might benefit you more. It benefits you not just in gaming, but in your life.
Space is the only one I can think of myself like others have mentioned. He was surely one of the best UD's in wc3 I know off and had quite a high level of micro. Other than that I think there aren't many disabled pro gamers I can think off. Atleast it isn't impossible to become pro so I wish you all of luck to achieve your dreams whether it's outside or with gaming.
Inspirational post! I kinda looked at the title and expected a joke, but I'm glad I was proven wrong!
Looking forward to see your gaming setup, I admit you've gotten me really curious! And ROFL @ your TL ID. Good stuff. XD
Great to see you're not letting anything stand in the way of what you want to do in life. Keep up that attitude and you're much better off than half the world already.
My friend (no where near a pro) but he is also disabled. He is paralyzed in his left arm. We used to play Battlefield 1942, and he would be on top almost all the time. He used his foot with a modified keyboard with some keys removed. But your story is very inspiring that you are qudrapeligic, Hope the best of luck to you
Somewhat relivent, but Ben Heck is a console modder who does all sorts of cool things like make a snes or n64 into a hand held portable game has done a few mods to create controllers that work for disabled people. I cant find any others but here is a xbox360 controller modded so that you can control it with only one hand. It was made for a service man who lost one arm/hand in iraq.
Dude I've been hanging out in vent with you for months and I had no clue about this. I'm amazed at your ability to overcome any obstacle in your way, heart and mind of gold that takes.
On September 24 2010 01:30 Cuh wrote: My friend (no where near a pro) but he is also disabled. He is paralyzed in his left arm. We used to play Battlefield 1942, and he would be on top almost all the time. He used his foot with a modified keyboard with some keys removed. But your story is very inspiring that you are qudrapeligic, Hope the best of luck to you
First of all it's 'quadriplegic' and secondly, he isn't quadriplegic, he's a quad amputee. That means his arms and legs were surgically removed. Quadriplegic people still have their limbs but are paralyzed.
This Nomad guy seems to have some interesting skills there. I've heard of artists using their mouth/lips or feet to paint, but this is news to me.
not sure if you call it disabled. but im deaf & blind in one eye, ive never been into pro circuit much, but can be skilled and pull off some good win vs top players in australia. i was raping all the top terran players back in brood wars pre replay era with some of sick zerg builds that i had You can find me mentoring noobs n playing 2s, 3s in sc2 now i think im deaf verison of Sean Plott :O his analysing are like mine, cept i hardly watch his shows since he doesnt put up subtitles *hint hint*
This is an awesome thread. Thanks for sharing your story with us here and giving others with disabilities the chance to come in here and share theirs. All I can say is keep at it; I can see you don't let anything slow you down, and that's exactly how it should be.
It's good to know people out there like you are living it up, despite the challenges they face.
No prob guys! Thank you for all the interest and support. Especially, thank you for the leads. I'm trying to figure out a way to take video of myself playing for you guys to see but using a web cam but I'm having trouble. I'll put it up as soon as I figure it out. Also, I'm meeting with my adviser here n the next few days to propose my idea so cross your fingers for me that it goes well! (Since I can't cross mine! hehe...)
Really help this goes well for you. Definitely keep the forum posted! Only people I can think of have already been mentioned. So good luck with this. Definitely inspiring.
Love this thread. As for the program you were looking to get into id say go for it. Someone was saying you should look into amputee replacement limb technology but this opportunity sounds less geared towards that and more towards your passions of which it seems gaming is one.
Considering the purely physical limitations that such disabilities as yours can cause im surprised there arent more people in your position who turn to gaming as a form of entertainment that's accessible to them. I would use the program you discussed to try and form a base of disabled gamers who try and make high level gaming a more accepted and easily accessible pastime for others with disabilities. This would not only be a fun and positive way to spend your time but it could also lead to future lucrative business opportunities like what the guy making those custom controllers was doing. Imagine a kind of special olympics for gamers? Just an idea but think big man. Skys the limit.
A year ago... I was a victim of a hit and run automobile accident. I was biking and a car comes driving out and hits me. I landed on my head first, knocking me out unconscious. I woke up in a hospital without any memory of what happened. I was told I had a fracture in my skull, hemorrhage in the brain, and a fractured clavicle. For three days, I was lying in the hospital bed, craving for buffalo wings and wondering if I could still play Starcraft. After I was released from the hospital, I could not use the right part of my body and still had to take MRI's time to time to monitor how my skull was. I was really thankful to be alive.
Reading your story Matt, that was very inspiring. You have my respect and helped me open up my mind more. I really hope for the best for you and I respect your decision.
You are definitely an amazing individual. Just wow! I shouldn't even be complaining when I am playing bad. Anyways, I don't know if this counts, but I am deaf in my right ear. I'm not sure if that's exactly a disadvantage as I can hear with my left, but I wonder what it'd be like to hear on both sides.
Inspirational story though. You have my respect man.
I agree this is amazing. Im very glad you shared your story with people here on TL. Im stoaked to see your setup and how you maneuver the mouse and the keyboard at the same time.
I also love your drive to get good at a game and arnt letting anything stop you. This is truly inspiring.
Wow man just wow. I really want to see a video of how you actually play, because I just can't picture how it's even possible, let alone at a high level.
Yep, I guess I haven't seen you on vent since this threads been made but now I'm really interested in seeing how you play starcraft, or just use the computer in general, can't wait to see the videos
I'm actually a friend of Matt's and I would have to say when I first saw him I had many of the same questions as you guys.
Believe it or not he actually plays just like the rest of us (with regular mouse and keyboard.)
Also, he is a very good player whose ranking does not represent him acurately (as he does not play ladder regularly but rather plays other members of the Carleton College MN CSL team.)
And iNcontrol couldn't have said it any better, Matt is now focused on trying to refine his mechanics and he has great in game decision. Matt will be a beast at SC2 if he keeps at it.
Here is a link to a youtube vid of him jking around in 2s. Hope you enjoy.
Btw the guy also has a great sense of humor (his name ingame is "looknohands")
Wow, you're an inspiration man... every time I think of myself what if I lose my limbs I couldn't play anymore but you've just inspired me that nothing is impossible if you put your mind into it. <3
Seriously impressive mate, I'm blown away. Keep it up! As for your original question, There were two wheelchair-bound top CS players in Australia who went overseas for WCG multiple times (B!GG-D and I believe the other was RasE). I don't know exactly what they were afflicted with, but B!GG-D used a weird setup involving a PS2 controller if I remember correctly. These guys were absolute top players in their prime.
Yup, I've played around with sensitivity a bunch and I like it a bit less sensitive. Its really hard for me to keep it under control otherwise. I've got my interview tonight for the first step in the Watson process so wish me luck ^^ I'm excited but I'm also a little nervous. I hope it all goes well
Lol your name do sounds badass especially when you know it's true Props man ! I'm not sure even after reading the op 2 times, what's watson is about exactly... But if that can help you i'm deaf. Pisses me off to no end when there's DT involved or nukes, but fortunately that doesn't happen often. Trying to play competitively (was in national team for a very short period of time in sc1 but that's about it), but to be honest it doesn't feel like a(n?) hindrance at all. If Watson is more about sociability and community than working at home within our capabilities then i can only support it since that's exactly what makes us less depressed and gives the whole population a better view of what we're capable to, because they're underestimating us way to much.
Once again, props man. Maybe the next patches will give you a better grid customization to give you better controls but hey take my advice with a grain of salt
Had the interview and I think it went well It was to determine whether Carleton will nominate for me for consideration by Watson. I collected a few videos (me playing, OSL Finals player entrance, a documentary that Mani sent me, etc...) and some links to show the size and dedication of this wonderful community, copied them to a few flash drives and gave them to the interviewers too so that they would have a chance to see what this is all about for themselves and they seemed really appreciative of it. Anyways, I won't know anything for a while but I'll let you guys know when I find out more Thank you so much to all of you guys for the support and help. It means so much to me to have the community behind me!
wow, this is really just.. amazing. hope you do get that fellowship! makes you think that nothing can truly ever hold you down if you have the right mindset and determination
I'm really glad you keep your chin up, if only everyone in this world were a bit more like you well the world would be a much better place. I really hope you make it far and find no limit to your skill! I really like your name also in my opinion I think it shows people that they shouldn't treat you any different then others, thus making them alienate you a bit, I might be wrong though. Anyways keep it up, you should have a youtube channel where it shows you playing maybe casting games also. I'll book mark this thread.
What the fuck, that's seriously impressive. Do you type using the keyboard, or speech-to-text? Hmm, I think with some programming magic that a speech-to-text API you could be balling out of control in no time. I think I'd hit up some programming forums, I'm sure you'd find someone who would want to mess around with speech-to-text. If you're even interested in playing by voice commands that is.
Nah, its a good thought but speech to text isn't my cup o' tea. I've got a love affair with my mouse anyway and I'm getting faster with every match I play. I've done speech to text in other capacities and found it kind of frustrating. It really was a good idea/suggestion though
seriously, i dont have much else to add besides saying that it's incredibly badass that you're overcoming so much just to do something you enjoy. congrats and good luck!!
i'm embarrassed to admit i was skeptical after reading the OP (TL has been burned before), but, like everyone else i'm really impressed after watching the video of you playing, and even more so by your attitude. GL!
you are absolutely sick for playing the hardest game in the world without the necessary tools to do so. holy shit my mind is like melting. we can never play each other cuz if I even got close to losing it would destroy my world lol.
totally crazy, props props props to you man and GL in the future!
On October 19 2010 20:47 konadora wrote: wow, this is really just.. amazing. hope you do get that fellowship! makes you think that nothing can truly ever hold you down if you have the right mindset and determination
It really does. I bet you inspire a lot of people. There must be some people that only watches because they think they can't have fun while playing. Prove them wrong and make them happy!
oh shit you're from carleton, you know they have a huge SC community right? we've been playing against them in the CSL (collegiate starleague) for a while now, you should definitely check them out if you're looking for some noobs to pwn, as they have plenty
cannot believe you still cannot play games using a brainwave reading helmet. On a second thought, i guess not enough people would be willing/able to pay good money for its creation/production.
Here is Nom4d owning it up in CoD4, I know you know of him already but it's an inspirational video
I used to go to college with N0m4d and lived 2 floors above him for like 2 years, it was pretty impressive watching him play when we would hang out at his apartment. He even was able to do some modeling in 3DS Max.
Wow, this is seriously inspiring. You're truly talented and amazing and i wish you the best of luck and hope you succeed with your goal. I'll be waiting to see you at one of the GSL's ;]
You go to Carleton, right? At least I seem to remember being in an intro bio or organic chem class with you in it (I graduated '09). You were pretty fearless with asking questions there too, as I recall :-)
This is incredible. Really really awesome to see. This is what this community is about, I love it.
In fact, the only disappointing thing about this whole thread is that you go to Carleton. As a Macalester student, I cannot support that choice. But otherwise, more power too you!
There was a guy in the Tribes community (TF.Baxter I think) that had nerve damage in either one or both of his hands, and actually used a joystick to play the game and was damn good. It's always sweet to see people overcome something like that and play at a high level.
I've been profoundly deaf since birth but that disability is nothing compared to yours. I am truly impressed and have great respects for you! I would love to have you on my team sometimes =]
Wow man, this is amazing. I love your attitude. I'm sure you can accomplish anything you want with a mindset like that!! I hope you accomplish your goals in SC2
I am disabled also, not to the extent of you, I have chronic pain and digestion problems, I am on disability. I am also a student of incontrol we have done 9 2 hour sessions so far and I am currently around a 1300 diamond protoss. And would eventually like to play competitively in tournaments like you and see where I can go with this game, I wish you best of luck sir.
Damn this is impressive you are my hero. You truly are an inspiration for people who try to achieve their goals! Best of luck for you. Hoping to read some updates about your gaming in the future.
Well, I've served in army, and some of my friends came back crippled from Afganistan. And we used to play together games like Broodwar, and such. But at the moment, all they do is sit in wheelchairs and do nothing. Being disabled pretty much destroys the person. Glad to see that there are people keeping it up and not losing it.
First off, you have a fantastic username. Just unbeatable.
Second, as soon as I read your post, I thought of a co-worker of mine who lost his right hand in a lumbermill way back in the day, but he now works in an office as an accountant. Recently, he bought this thing called the Footmouse and he loves it. It is pretty pricey $350 I believe, but it helps him out a lot, and it is just as precise as a regular mouse.
However, I watched the video of you playing, and your mouse hand is pretty solid already, so I don't know if this would be any help (also don't know what kind of control you have with your legs), but I figured I'd let you know on the off chance it would be beneficial. At the very list it would make it easier to hotkey buildings and such.
you know its stuff like this that i wish god would honestly ask me if i could give up something of mine to make someones life better... watch that video makes me sad and disappointed inmyself. because ima fucking loser in real life and dont deserve anything of what i have.. if i could i would give this man my limbs and everything.
and to see this guy happy as he is just can handle with all this makes me happy. but sad at the same time. i wish the best of luck for you.
Slightly off-topic: I remember there was a show match between Boxer and some blind dude. They had Boxer wear a blindfold for a few minutes and of course he was getting rocked, but once the blindfold was off it was game over..
And dang, you're inspiring. No matter what tech you take you're still going to be at a disadvantage.
I wish you the best of luck and hope I can keep up with what you're doing.
Honestly the most amazing post I have ever seen. Sad that so many people just give up once something like this happens. You however are truly an inspiration. Good luck reaching your dreams. Never know you may become like a news sensation making SC2 E-sports huge globally.
Why dont u use a graphic tablet to play? I think that would allow you to move more and get more sensitivity.
Friend of mine told me he had some good times playing with the trackpad of his laptop, wich allowed him to play faster sometimes. I think you could use a graphic tablet as a giant trackpad, I was considering the idea for myself but didnt want to spend the money to afford it .
The video was amazing, and the first thing that comes to mind is Blizzard planning on implementing custom hotkeys for sc2. It will REALLY help someone like Matt.
Jaw on the floor. I think you've got higher APM than me
I wish you all the best Matt, hope you get that scholarship!
When you start entering tourneys, make sure you blog about it and let us know when you're playing, I'm sure there are plenty of TL'ers who would cheer you on! I WILL AT LEAST!
Wow, you are an absolute baller. Good luck on that scholarship and good luck in game. I find it pretty sad when some people who have everything are talking about how their lives suck and guys like you are using everything they have to the fullest.
Keep up the good fight, don't ever let anything bring you down.
You bring up an important and hopefully inspiring.
I'm LD and it does affect my game if I'm not on my medication or in the right mindset. I'm no pro though (yet). I this thread encourages everyone with disabilities of any time to talk more about their challenges and how they overcome them.
I know for me I can't think of it as an excuse, I don't make mistakes because of my disability, I make mistakes because I need to get better. The disability might be an obstacle, but I won't let it be an excuse.
I use to play with a guy named Bawney in Halo 2, he only had one arm and used a regular xbox controller. I do not know if he ever officially made pro bracket, but I know he did play on some competitive amateur teams in halo 2 and 3. Here is a montage he made back in Halo 2, and there is even video of him showing how he uses the controller with just one hand around the 3:30 mark of the video.
One day, in the world where e-sports is big enough, do you think there will be a league for players like Matt, just like there are special Olympics and wheelchair basketball, etc? You could really help push e-sports with a story like yours!
Good luck on your fellowship, and I am interested in seeing more from you in the future.
Hey Matt, i wouldn't be surprised if a joystick with a concave top, like the ones you used on your wheelchairs would work better for you than a mouse. Obviously, you'd need a pretty high sensitivity one, but it might give you greater precision than a mouse.
Also, I'd seriously consider remapping a keyboard so the hotkeys were more concentrated. Would probably reduce the amount of movement you need to do to hit everything.
Also, bonus points if you guess who this is. I've known you since elementary school, and the last time i saw you was around high school graduation.
Awesome man, just awesome. So incredible to see you're not letting your disabilities stop you from getting everything you want in life. You seem like an intelligent an awesome person, and you really are an inspiration. Congratulations.
The OP asked if anyone knew of any Disabled ProGamers. Unfortunately, I don't know of any personally, but I do know of one quadriplegic who plays a hunter in Wow - Quadilious. He's quite an inspirational player too!
He damaged his spine when diving into a pool and some limited arm movement, but no hand control.
He has his own website http://quadilious.webs.com/ which explains his set up and has a couple of videos up on youtube
Man, after reading this i must post to say how proud im of you. Your story is inspiring and ppl with power of will like you make the word "impossible" seems like shit.
I would like to congrat you for your efforts, and say that you just gained a fan, I will cheer for you whenever you play and wish you the best fortune.
Never lose this spark man, that make you more alive than more of us.
One of my old friends/co-workers played competitive cs with only a left hand. I think he was Cal I'ish but never pro but hes got nothing on your skills keep it up man thats amazing.
Pretty inspirational story, props to Looknohands, he really is the essence of TL.net Makes it hard to anyone to complain about "imba" when they've got all theirs limbs so I'd like to say for most of the people on TL, keep playing and don't let anything get in the way of your dreams!
i must say, you are a very inspiring person and i wish you success in your aspiration to become a pro. With such desire and effort, nothing can stop you. Keep playing man, and one day you'll achieve your dream.
Wow that's really inspiring OP, I hope you all the best in your career, and see you on the ladder some time!
quick question: have you experimented with different kinds of mice? I'm sure some could work better than others depending on size, I remember there was a girl who I went to school with who had no hands and used a special kind of mouse which she could use very well. Im not sure what it was called tho :/
And now I think to myself how can I sometimes say shit about my life and I'm not disabled person. How much potential could I have if I had hearts of your to play so eagerly? It seems that more you are in harder position you want something more and more... really it's great to see disabled person to play the game.
My recommendation would maybe be to switch to Protoss, less micro intensive (even this in SC2 is not so much true as in SC1).
Anyways this is breathtaking, keep up the good work.
My mind is blown - You are an inspiration to a lot of us.
I'm amazed of how well you can control the mouse.. I swear if i tried doing that, the mouse would be flying off the table - no kidding .
And love your nick! Good to see you being open about who you are - many disabled I know turns very passive and feels embarrassed to talk about them being disabled.
You're just... great! Your will is definitely inspiring for anyone, not just SC2 players!
Regarding possible tips on improving your input interface with the game.. I have no experience in this regard, but I have thought about a couple of possibilities.. don't know if they are feasible or not but could be..
The Sip & Puff Mouth Joystick has one mouthpiece, which operates as a joystick. It has 3 holes for "sip & puff" (6 switches) and 4 lip buttons. You have access to all 12 buttons on the Playstation® 2 controller. Start and Select is done using a sip & puff switch mounted on the side of the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece comes with a stand to allow you to mount it to a table or lapboard.
2) Speech recognition: there are many software which do this.. and they've become incredibly more accurate than those of the past. They could be configured to bind certain words to "hotkeys". Unfortunately this options may not be used to its full potential together with the 1) option, and probably isn't working in a real tournament with all the noise around.
I have a bit of rheumatoid arthritis in my fingers that prohibits me from playing long hours. But im sure it's no where near your condition. sc2 is alot less mechanically demanding so if your a smart player im sure you'll go far in your pursuit of professional gaming. Good luck!
My mom had Multiple Sclerosis. At first she was confined to a wheel chair, so she really got into computers and was pretty interested in my obsession with warcraft 2. I ended up having to fight her for war2 time -.-. After some time, she lost most movement in her right arm but kept at it. She wasn't able to use hotkeys, and had to use mouse with left hand after being a righty all life. Her mouse control and speed got pretty sick :O.
She was also a total monster at tetris, even with 1 hand.
From the video it appears you have full use of your voice, Great! Look into a 'voice dictation' software that lets you say keys to press. This way all your "1,2,3,4,5" and your hotkeys can be controlled through voice, maybe you still press some keys shift tab control etc
I'm impressed and i see no reason why you could'nt compete at high level. Starcraft is mainly a mind game : Nobody needs 250 fake apm, in my opinion, 70 perfectly spent APM is enough in SC2. Plus, your speed will obviously increase with the practice.
On October 23 2010 17:09 wired69 wrote: From the video it appears you have full use of your voice, Great! Look into a 'voice dictation' software that lets you say keys to press. This way all your "1,2,3,4,5" and your hotkeys can be controlled through voice, maybe you still press some keys shift tab control etc
All the best!
I've tried voice dictation in the past (as recently as last year) and it has been extremely unreliable and unwieldy in my experience. Mouse and keyboard are working great for me right now so I'll probably stick tot hat for the foreseeable future. Plus, I am absolutely in love with my Lachesis. I have been using it for almost 3 years now and I really like the shape and grip.
I also got a very interesting letter yesterday that I'll make a post about later this evening, potentially with some more footage of me playing in our first CSL match this afternoon. Wish us luck!
This is really cool. I'm impressed by all the videos in this thread, really. As people have been saying, I definitely think you can do well in SC2, as you seem to be able to use both the keyboard and mouse pretty well. I wish you the best of luck!
Visually impaired gamer here. It's great to read about others' interest in gaming. I agree 100% with "'How gaming and disability' are viewed in public." To most, it may seem odd for us to try playing games along with others. For example, we BVI folks use flight simulators. Most of the comments are curious, about what mods and technologies we adapt for use.
Perhaps you could use the Watson, to study the outlook of disabled players in various countries? For example, if any country has competitions for disabled players. (In the way of another example, a local BVI group I hang out with, has competitions with "Time of Conflict" (TBS) and "SoundRTS" (RTS). There have to be similar venues, I'm sure.
Good luck man, inspirational story. I'm not pro or anything yet, but I am aspiring to get there as well. Let me know if you ever want to play some practice games with me.
Love your ID man, you are such an inspiration. I think a lot of people could learn from your positive attitude including myself. You made my day Follow your dreams and don't let anyone get in your way mate. If your travels take you to Australia (which as far as pro gaming goes, can be likened to the massive desert in the middle of our country) hit me up with a pm, It would be awesome to meet you.
I think you should write some letters to programmers or tech companies and see if they'd be interested in developing something pro-bono for you in return for advertisement/feel good story for them. This way you could expand your whatchamacallit to also include broadening technological development as a world community.
That's all I got, sorry it's not much. : /
This is awesome, glorious, what life should be. Good on you. I'll be following this thread. :3 Only on page 7, but I had to comment before I was done reading it. Hee.
edit - well, while I'm thinking about it: now is the time while you're ramping up steam to start a writing/typing campaign. Dictate to someone if necessary. Write to progamers, devs, anyone who you think might be able to help or give you ideas. If you do get your Watsons (that's what it's called, right?), then you have already made connections. Even if you don't get it -- you've still got those connections. TL is a good start, but with your determination, optimistic outlook, and great sense of humor I have no doubt you'll get responses, even if they're not the greatest at first.
Get some publicity for yourself, squirrel out all those disabled gamers from the woodworks! Get a community based around disabled gamers going!
Great topic, man. You've definitely impressed and inspired a lot of people. And thanks to everyone contributing, there are some really interesting videos of gamers doing their thing like it was nothing at all.
Well, I'm sure anyone who read your latest post in this topic is excited to hear about this "interesting letter" you received, so spill the beans if you can. Hope the CSL match was good fun, how did your team do?
I'm actually in the process of of doing my second rewrite and the application is due on Monday. Altogether, there about 160 left in the applicant pool so one step closer! As for the CSL match we 3-0ed them but I'm a little nervous for our match this Saturday. Wish us luck!
very cool! I haven't checked this thread until today thinking it was something other than what it is. It's truly amazing what you and others have accomplished despite your disadvantages. Best of luck to you, I hope you get the Watson Fellowship! I know I'll be cheering if I see you in a tournament
On October 29 2010 21:28 looknohands119 wrote: Just sent off my second rewrite
That is just awesome! God bless you and all that you do, and I pray that you get it. Lord love you man, and keep it up. Go out there and maybe one day you can make Idra rage.
A lot of great basketball players aren't "basketball players" by birth; they earn it. They aren't 2 meters tall, nor are very talented. It's hard work and dedcating, but they got there.
Just keep it up, you have that much more to work for then others. GL HF!
If it's still of use to you, I know the Street Fighter player OneHandedTerror is quite a successful disabled gamer. He has entered and placed very well in several tournaments, is one of the best Chuns in North America and works in the video games industry.
His youtube channel can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/OneHandedTerror and you might also want to check out his interview with Able Gamers (which is a site for disabled gamers, in case you weren't aware). I've talked to him a couple of times through PMs on youtube, so getting in touch with him shouldn't be too difficult.
Hey! just wanted to drop by to comment on a few things. First off, i should mention that i have/had no experience with disabled people in real life, im just an online buddy of Spectralx (http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=172181¤tpage=2). Meeting spec in a random battlenet thread has opened my eyes in a small way to what "struggling" really means. Although i have no physical limitations, i do have a few mental barriers i wont go into, and have found endless inspiration from Spec in regards to how attitude and approach can have such a dramatic effect on quality of life. Although i have only known about you a few minutes, and still know very little besides what i can piece together in this thread, it would appear that you share the same assertiveness and positive attitude. I just want to express kudos to you and wish you the best of luck in your endeavors regarding the Watson commitee and Gaming in general. Whether you think you can, or you can't, your right. I realize your already working with actual pro's so i can't offer any better quality game advice then they already give you, however If you ever need a practice partner i am literally online all the time (obsessed w/sc2 much? haha) and always up for a game. I'll be looking for you in the GSL's either way
RebelMusic.483 (incognito was pre-name change and i havent figured out how to change my name on here, or if you even can! :O )
man I really enjoy the fact that you enjoy playing with such a huge disability, it just makes me feel good that there are people with your devotion in this world.
also i think the video of gameplay posted here showing him playing didn't work so i found this on youtube manually( it might be the same thing) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GBc6TMjOPM +1 for mac labeled CMC110-01 on top +1 for "ain't nothin' but mammals" in background +100,000,000 for being so awesome!
Hey guys, just wanted to update you all. My application is in and I am working on logistics and planning now. My interview should be some time in January. Right now though, its grad school apps that have my mind scrambled.
i have no content to add to this thread but i wnt to express my well wishes to all those who continue to live how they want to despite afflictions and disabilities and that these stories and videos have inspired me.
Good luck, hopefully you will pave the way for others like yourself!
Have you tried any of the brain-computer interfaces like the ocz nia, or an eye tracker? You seem to be doing fine with a mouse but these might help you play faster which you'll need in tournaments.
Good luck from me, too. And just to share a story, I have a friend who could see until he was ten years old, when something terrible happened ... however he went through the depression, and not only that, he's the most inspiring human being I know. He's not a gamer, but I thought this could be inspiring and encouraging - his condition not only does not stop him from being a pro C++/Java developer, national chess champion, considered by everyone (including me) a genius, a paraolympic champ in swimming and most importantly - a national swimming champion in his age (not PARAOLYMPIC, he smashed the guys, who could see). I always think of him when I'm about to make excuses, so this helps my motivation a lot. I hope this could serve as a proof that everything is possible if you don't just give up (though I'm pretty sure you knew that already )
Every time I get down on my current situations, I read/watch stuff done by you. What an inspiration man. You have so much drive; I think a lot of people could learn from you.
I only know of one NOM4D and hes a beast. I had the opportunity to meet him in person at an MLG event for Rainbow Six. He use a modified xbox controller to play. Heres an interview!
Alrighty, well the date is set Tuesday March 15th. I should know by the end of the day wether or not I have gotten a Watson... I am sooooooooooooooo nervous... Just gotta keep plugging away on finals I guess.
i just seen your video on youtube, and no, i dont know any disabled players. but im sure there is somewhere. I think you should be a little bit more known or famous, you are such an inspiration to a lot of people!! i wish you luck in your project and hope i play you some day!!! gl hf!
EPT![[image loading]](http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy317/Matthew_Fink/12161_526659777612_19100550_31186800_356410_n.jpg)
[This is a picture of myself, Sean, our friend Zach, my father,and another good friend standing in front of our home base in Beijing, the University of International Business and Economics.]) to train as a competitive cyclist with several different Olympic and national teams all over the world. He used these experiences to learn about what competitiveness in a major sport meant in all of these different cultures. The Watson is not an academic research program and no written work or evaluated material is expected. The purpose is to have an adventure in something your passionate about. You have to know it in your mind but more importantly you have to have it in your heart and feel it in your gut on a visceral level. 
SPACE FIGHTING
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/b6sXj.jpg)
