Video game-streaming service Twitch helps hundreds of gamers to earn a living online - including gamers with disabilities, for whom traditional work environments can be a constant challenge.
For many people with disabilities, work-related daily tasks such as driving or taking public transport to work can be complicated, risky or impossible.
Mackenzie, a 23-year-old gamer with epilepsy who prefers to keep her last name secret, told The Guardian how, in mid-2014, she was instantly dismissed from both her minimum-wage jobs in one day after a severe seizure left her too disoriented to call in sick.
Mackenzie's severe seizures prohibit her from driving, and she avoids public transport because if she has a seizure on board, well-meaning bystanders tend to call an ambulance to take her to hospital, at unmanageable financial cost to Mackenzie. This limits her job options to those within walking distance of her home.
In July 2014, after seeing how other gamers with disabilities were earning a living through Twitch, Mackenzie started streaming regularly and for several hours at a time, rapidly building a following and an income through paid subscriptions and once-off donations from followers.
Twitch "is safe for me to travel to and work in," says Mackenzie on her Twitch page. "I don't have to be paranoid of getting fired for my epilepsy or because I missed a day of work when I have my seizures."
Mackenzie is one of a burgeoning group of gamers with disabilities building careers through Twitch: a workplace that allows them to choose their own hours and work in an environment that suits their needs.
Specialised technologies are also available to allow people with movement impairments to play video games.
Ken Worrall, known as NoHandsKen on Twitch, is paralysed from his neck down, and uses a device called a Jouse to play games such as Diablo 3, World of Warcraft and League of Legends. The Jouse is a precision joystick users can operate with their mouth, cheek, chin, or tongue.
Twitch user Aieron, a gamer with Amyoplasia Arthrogrypos, a condition that severely affects movement in his limbs, operates a specialised mouse using his cheek.
Yet while many games are adaptable and accessible to people with disabilities, some are more accessible than others, according to AbleGamers, a charity that aims to help empower people with disabilities through gaming.
AbleGamers works to assist gamers with disabilities in this regard by keeping an up-to-date database of video game reviews focusing specifically on their accessibility.
The charity also provides game accessibility guidelines for video game developers and publishers, showcasing best practices for developing video games that are as accessible as possible.
Many Twitch gamers with disabilities, Mackenzie included, also use their followings to raise awareness and promote understanding about people with disabilities by sharing online resources and answers to frequently asked questions.
The platform also hosts communities such as Deaf and Hard of Hearing Gamers.
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