Using the power of gaming & esports to support children and adults living with cerebral palsy

Sydney, 3 November 2020: Gaming and esports are two activities in which those with disabilities can compete and express themselves on an equal footing with the rest of the community.

Tim Berners-Lee’s original conception of the web made it explicit: “access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.” And in a paper entitled "Who Gets to Play? Disability, Open Literacy, Gaming" by researchers Katie Ellis and Kai-Ti Kao, 92% of those with disabilities continue to play despite the many obstacles they often have to overcome.

And so when Peta King and Eliza Hills of Cerebral Palsy Alliance watched a recent webinar hosted by Phid McAwesome and Jack Hudson of goto.game, they contacted the goto.game team for assistance in creating an online program to raise funds for the charity.

The result - a special two-week streamed fundraising event across multiple gamers' channels on Twitch - is currently taking place. Some of Australia's best-known streamers are highlighting the benefits that gaming offers people who live with cerebral palsy, and asking fans and followers to contribute to the fund-raising program.

In a commercial agreement with CPA, goto.game is managing and supporting influencers and content creators across their personal social media and Twitch streams. Program branding, paid media strategy and placement across Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook, and content creation, are also being managed by goto.game. The performance of the program over its two-week life is being done using Digivizer's real-time analytics technology.

Goto.game is also working with the Australian Esports League to run an esports event that includes involvement of CPA clients, to close the two-week program on 5 November.

Gamers include MaidMama, Tealful, Rowey, Uber Timmeh, NoHandsNZ, Claymore and Snackyhan. 

"Goto.game works with a number of organizations to promote the awareness and success of gaming across our community," said Phid McAwesome, Head of goto.game. "We've worked a number of times with R U OK to support mental health and well-being, and previously with the AEL on the GIRLGAMER Sydney Festival.

"It's hugely important to support everyone who loves gaming, and to be able to support Cerebral Palsy Alliance in this way is very special."

Lucy Jacka, General Manager Fundraising, Cerebral Palsy Alliance, said: "Like many organizations, CPA has had to change a lot of our events this year. That’s why we’re so thrilled to be trialling this new fundraising initiative.  

“The gaming community has gotten behind it, is showing its support for people living with disability, and has been incredibly supportive of the PlayABLE program. The personalities involved, their audiences and communities, goto.game and AEL have really united to support people living with disability." 

Donations are managed separately through the Tiltify platform. All money raised will go directly to Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

ENDS

For more information:             

Alan Smith, Head of Strategic Business Communications, Digivizer. Tel: +61 404 432 700. alan.smith@digivizer.com. Twitter: @alansmithoz

About goto.game

Goto.game is dedicated to the gaming industry, gamers and gaming content creators with the aim of bringing a wealth of knowledge and technology analytics of the global gaming industry to a wider audience.

Goto.game is the go-to destination not just for influencer management, industry activations and promotions, but also daily updates, news, reviews, streams and gaming opinions.

Fuelled by Digivizer’s technology, goto.game creates compelling programs and plays for gamers, influencers and corporate brands.