I have a good feeling that a lot of you have heard about Pokémon Go. It’s been the hottest topic since its release date this month. You might play the game, know someone who plays the game or have bumped into bunches of strangers…who were playing the game. Either way, the players and the game have easily made themselves known.
When the game first dropped, I was skeptical about downloading it. It wasn’t because I didn’t like Pokémon, because I do (even if I don’t know a majority of their names). The reason I was skeptical was due to the fact that I knew the game really focused on its players walking. Since I use a wheelchair to get around, I wasn’t sure if my phone would pick up my movements.
One night, despite my skepticism, I caved and downloaded the game. To my surprise, the phone did pick up my movements, and there were Pokémon in the vicinity of my house. I didn’t get completely hooked until one night, after dinner, my best friend Taylor and I discovered a Poké Stop near us. This was a place where we could get more Poké Balls and other cool items. There was even a lure happening too, which meant that there would be Pokémon around. After we visited that stop, we went on hunt for more. While Taylor drove, I held both of our phones and paid attention to the game’s GPS. I was fortunate to be able to catch Pokémon while sitting in the car, and any Poké Stops I couldn’t physically reach, Taylor helped me out with. It was a great night that totally had me seeing Pokémon Go in a positive light.
Now don’t get me wrong, Pokémon Go does come with a lot of positivities. Not only is it a fun game, but it’s making a ton of people go outside and explore. According to Polygon, “players with social anxiety and depression have noticed a significant improvement in their mood since playing the game." A mother on the popular website Reddit even shared that the game was doing wonders for her son who has autism. On top of all of this, the game is bringing communities together to interact.
However, though communities are connecting, there is one community that is feeling left out. It’s actually a community I’m a part of: the physically disabled community.
It was on tumblr that I saw a thread of people discussing how difficult it can be to play Pokémon Go when you have a physical disability. Though I mentioned that the game can pick up my wheelchair movements, wheeling and holding your phone can be a complicated task. On top of that, in some cases a person can only push their wheelchair so far until feeling fatigued. Or perhaps they don’t use a manual wheelchair, and use an electric one. The wheelchairs can only get players so far until they reach an area that’s impossible to journey on to catch Pokémon or visit Poké Stops.
Steve Spohn of Ablegamers (an organization advocacy) has spoken out about the game, saying “that for people suffering from diseases like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or even have low-vision, playing Pokémon Go is much more difficult." He even believes that in some cases, the game can be impossible to play. Spohn told Polygon that he thinks developers can create options that would allow remote travel, hatching eggs on a timer and one-button Pokémon catching. I believe these types of options would be extremely amazing. Especially when traveling can be limited and walking to hatch the eggs can be an unsafe, or tiring task.
From what I have seen from various articles, some able-bodied players believe these options will take away from the game. Or the options might come across as cheating. To that, I scoff. Creating those options would not take away the main focus of the game, especially for those who are abled-bodied and wouldn’t need the options. On top of that, there’s no way the options can be labeled as “cheating," unless those who don’t need to use the disability options are using them for their own personal gain.
Disabled gamers need to stop being excluded from games. According to Kotaku, video games are extremely popular amongst the physically disabled community. Kotaku explains that video games can allow for an experience of escapist fantasies. Virtual worlds are easier to navigate compared to the real world if you use a wheelchair or cannot physically move with ease. I’ve definitely found myself getting lost in games such as Zelda and Sims, one offering me a world of adventure, the other offering me the opportunity to do everyday tasks (with a twist. Sims can get really weird). If you look at a survey conducted by PopCap Games, over 20-percent of players of casual video games have a physical, developmental, or mental disability. These plays are even said to play the games for longer periods of time compared to able-bodied players.
Since Pokémon Go is still in its early stages, I think it’s completely possible for them to look at that 20-percent, or even more so look at the community of disabled players. Options can be created, inclusion can happen. I’ve noticed in various scenarios, aside from video games, that the disabled often become a second thought in communities or in different situations. It’s extremely frustrating and it needs to stop.
I consider myself very fortunate to have not experienced much trouble with Pokémon Go yet, and at the moment I owe a lot of that to my best friend Taylor. Not all disabled players are in the same situation as I am, or have people around them that are understanding.
On The Mighty, contributor Emily Coday makes a point in her article when she says, “One of the worst parts is the able-bodied people attempting to tell me I should be able to play with no problems. Many convince themselves the game is fair and that a wheelchair or physical disability should not change game-play.”
If you are able-bodied and know someone who is disabled, please be understanding and aware. Though we have voices and we speak out, it’s always great to have support of those who are in our lives. If you are able-bodied and you play Pokémon Go and you have a disabled friend who plays too, work with them! Until Niantic makes a change to their game, team up with your friend and see how you two can make this game fully attainable. Ask them what they’re comfortable doing, ask them what will make them feel included. At the end of the day, I think that’s what is important- to feel and be included.
If you are an able-bodied player who has lures, I strongly suggest placing them near children’s hospitals so they can catch Pokémon too! As I said before, this game brings communities together, and therefore every community should be a part of this phenomenon. Just watch this video and see how much positivity Pokémon Go brought to one children’s hospital, due to the community that worked together to make the game available to them.
Niantic, if you read this article or any article similar to this one, I hope you get the message we’re trying to send loud and clear! Your game has started off so positive, why not go further with that positivity and make it possible to play for everyone? A lot of communities are teaming up, and that’s what you hoped for right? If you want to keep being successful with that hope, include your disabled players. At the end of the day, we too want to be the very best, like no one ever was.
