BAFTA has announced that British gaming charity SpecialEffect will win a prestigious special award at the 20th BAFTA Games Awards this April. SpecialEffect is a charity that uses technology to improve access to video games for people with physical disabilities.
SpecialEffect started in 2007 as a collaboration between founder Mick Donegan, an assistive technology expert, and his son Bill, a gamer and product designer. SpecialEffect works with game developers to create accessible hardware and improve the accessibility of video game software, as well as providing one-on-one assessments and support to gamers with severe disabilities.
The charity currently has 30 staff and raises all of its own funds, with the help of high-profile fundraising campaigns from industry figures including voice actors, streamers and game developers.
“I started SpecialEffect not only to help individuals play video games, but also to work with the gaming industry to make games more accessible ‘at the source,’” Donegan said in a statement. “Since then we’ve been privileged to be invited to share our ideas with more and more developers around the world. It’s now 17 years since SpecialEffect launched, and it’s an absolute pleasure to have SpecialEffect’s work recognized by BAFTA. It is an honour.”
Emma Baehr, Executive Director of BAFTA, said: “SpecialEffect’s work is essential to the world of gaming and highly deserving of a BAFTA Special Award.” She said: “Their innovative and supportive approach to making games accessible drives advancements within the industry and partners with developers and studios on new technologies to enable more people to enjoy games.”
BAFTA Special Awards are given sporadically to individuals and companies who have made significant contributions to the games industry. Previous winners include Epic Games, voice actor Nolan North, Uncharted director Amy Hennig, and PlayStation marketer Chris Deering.
The 20th BAFTA Games Awards will be held on April 11, 2024.