Relationship between employment and adaptive video gaming in individuals with physical disabilities

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess employment characteristics of individuals with physical disabilities who currently participate in adaptive gaming and determine if there is a positive association between adaptive gaming and employment. Materials and methods: A survey was administered to individuals with disabilities who currently use adaptive video gaming equipment to gather information on demographics, gaming habits, employment characteristics, and subjective benefits of gaming on employment. Results: The study included 606 participants. Over 57% of participants reported full-time or part-time employment. Nearly half of the participants reported using their equipment either most or all of the time to complete tasks related to work. Participants using their equipment to complete work tasks most or all of the time were more likely to be employed full-time (p = 0.0021). Over 75% of participants reported subjective benefits of adaptive video gaming on their employment. Conclusion: Participants in this study had higher rates of employment compared to national averages for individuals with physical disabilities. More frequent use of adaptive gaming equipment for work was associated with a higher likeliness of full-time employment. Most participants who were employed reported subjective benefits of adaptive gaming on employment through improvements in mental health, physical function, and cognition.