Paul van der Made’s life changed 11 years ago after a stroke left him unable to use his right arm, making it difficult to enjoy his favorite hobby, gaming. Through perseverance, he adapted his playstyle and founded the HiPerks Foundation, which supports young people with physical disabilities or acquired brain injuries. HiPerks aims to make gaming accessible for all, offering a platform for experience sharing and community support through Discord. The foundation also addresses loneliness by organizing social events and partnering with other initiatives to enhance visibility and inclusion.
Paul’s talk will focus on the challenges he faced after his stroke, how he adapted to gaming with a disability, and the founding of the HiPerks Foundation to support accessible gaming and combat loneliness among young people with physical limitations.