I hate how often some (typically abled) people will go “well, if you can’t [get a specific support], then what?” when it comes to disabilities. As if it’s a “gotcha” moment. And then act like you’re exaggerating when you answer that question honestly.
Disabled people often die from a lack of support. A lot of disability aids are not a luxury, but a basic need in order to live.
“Well what happens if—” people die. People hurt themselves. People hurt others. Disabled people don’t magically become abled if our needs aren’t met.
If a bedbound quadriplegic is caught in a housefire, and there’s nobody there to save them, they’ll probably die. They won’t magically become able-bodied out of sheer will.
If a nonspeaking/nonverbal autistic is denied access to alternative methods of communication, they’ll suffer in silence. They won’t spontaneously become capable of speech.
Disabled people are disabled all the time. Our disabilities don’t go away just because they’re inconvenient, or if we’re in danger.
This video is a perfect demonstration of just how badly elderly people need to be introduced to video games. Like it should be a thing in facilities and assisted living, it’s like a no brainer, and could enrich these people’s live SO MUCH!!!
Someone probably already said this somewhere in the notes, but it is critical that we end the stigma of video games being brain rotting wastes of time. The controlled mild stress of playing a video game is actually very good for staving off the onset of dementia because the snap decisions necessary while playing them keep the brain active and focused, as opposed to just passively taking in information like you do when watching TV or even reading a book to an extent.
Video games could keep people cognitively coherent for a longer time. This means they could literally keep families communicating and connected for a longer time. And yes we could use more than just Wii Fit and Wii Sports at nursing homes because those are less physically accessible than video games that don’t require motion controls.
