#SoEveryoneCanGame
AbleGamers Team
Andy Wu
Andy Wu leads the peer counseling strategy for AbleGamers Charity with the aim to connect players with video games. Prior to joining the AbleGamers, he was a professor with experience in program development, research, and community service. Andy holds a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and a PhD from the University of Kansas.
Jessie Hall
As the Director of Engineering and Lead Peer Counselor, Jessie brings her expertise in leading peer counseling sessions with disabled gamers to her love of building and creating new accessible controllers. Her love for video games and it’s power in creating communities has had a tremendous impact on her life, and continues to empower her proudest work in helping players play games and bring to life new controllers and setups. She has collaborated with over 30 inventors, and owns multiple patents alongside her fellow AbleGamers colleagues. An MMO fan at heart, Jessie has been enjoying New World. Her other favorites also include GTA RP, Dead by Daylight, and Valheim.
Aaron Price
Aaron Price graduated from UMKC with a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and a certificate in Arc GIS. He intended to use his degree in Urban Planning and Design but developed an interest in assistive technology while pursuing his degree. He started volunteering at the Adaptive Computer and Communication Technology (ACCT) program at Ability KC in Kansas City, MO, lending his knowledge of video games to the Occupational Therapists who were expanding their adaptive gaming program. It was there that he found and joined AbleGamers. Aaron enjoys lots of different genres of video games including first-person shooters, action RPG’s, and turn-based strategy games. His favorite video games are survival horror games like Resident Evil, Dead Space, and Condemned. He’s currently playing Total Warhammer II with his Quadstick.
Zach Runyan
I’m from Indianapolis, IN. Just moved to Washington DC and started with AbleGamers as a Peer Counselor in June 2023. I attended Ball State University and received a degree in Special Education – Mild Interventions. After school I was a teacher for 5 years at a vocational school for adults with disabilities. I enjoy playing sports games, like FIFA and NBA 2K, but my favorite game to play is Fortnite.
Community & Inclusion
Craig Kaufman
Craig Kaufman is the Director of Community & Inclusion for the AbleGamers Charity, and a long time advocate for inclusive and accessible gaming experiences. Craig has worked in digital communications for two decades with a focus on community building, charitable giving, and inclusion.
Kim RockVam
Kim has more than 20 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. She has previously held fundraising, marketing and communications and program management roles for both local and national nonprofit organizations. Before coming to AbleGamers, she worked as Creative Director for one of the largest marine and recreational seating manufacturers in the nation while serving as Executive Director for her public school Foundation. Prior to that, she managed corporate, donor and volunteer relations and events for United Way. “My priorities with AbleGamers include diversifying funding opportunities and aligning messaging across the organization”. With her varied professional background and education in Communication Design she specializes in finding creative and donor-centric solutions to support our fundraising efforts.
Vinny Santore
Vinny Santore is an avid gamer and basketball player. He graduated from Shepherd University with a BA in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing. His work at AbleGamers includes a little bit of everything as he supports all pillars, jumping in wherever needed. He helped create the Digital Outreach Team, acts as the organization’s Technical Writer, assists with Shipping & Receiving, helped create and maintains the onboarding process, and has even helped with Playtesting. Vinny hopes to continue learning and improving his skillset in order to further push accessibility and the Video Game Industry.
Larry Ruston
Disabled Gulf War Vet, Husband, Father of 2, 20+ years Warehouse logistics.
User Research and Professional Development
Christopher Power
Dr. Christopher Power is a user researcher who has worked in accessibility and inclusion for 20 years and leads the user research strategy for the AbleGamers Charity and serves as the Executive Director of AbleGamers Canada. He helped invent the APX design pattern language, having trained more than 200 developers in their use. In his day job, he is an Associate Professor at the University of Prince Edward Island on the east coast of Canada.
Cheryl Mitchell
Cheryl Mitchell serves as the Director of User Research and Services where she is responsible for managing the User Research team and deploying services targeted to the gaming industry to improve game accessibility. She manages projects aimed at connecting players with disabilities to the game studios, working with game developers to address game design and testing games for accessibility. She has spent over 20 years furthering public policies that improve employment outcomes and promote the socioeconomic empowerment of individuals with disabilities, seniors, and other underserved populations. Prior to AbleGamers, she managed federal contracts and national initiatives sponsored by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and the Administration on Community Living’s the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research to improve the abilities of people with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the community; and to expand society’s capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for people with disabilities. In addition, she worked as an independent consultant designing and implementing community-based programs. Cheryl completed a B.A. in Communication at the University of New Hampshire and has taken graduate coursework in Rehabilitation Counseling. In addition, she serves as a Board Member to The Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (WISE) in Seattle, WA.
Sam Nelson
Sam is an exotic animal enthusiast with a passion for illustration, design, development, and above all UX. Sam is a non-binary representative of the development world, using They/She pronouns interchangeably. They graduated from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire with a BFA in Illustration and a BA in German. They went on to serve as a full-time AmeriCorps member for a Runaway and Youth services program. During this time, Sam became a certified web developer through an online bootcamp, which kicked off their interest in usability and functionality in tech. Sam has performed research, testing, design, and development on several projects for both client-facing and enterprise applications. They have a fierce passion for accessibility, and is an advocate for accessible software in every industry. Having just finished their Master’s of User Experience Design, Sam is going to continue honing in on accessible software and educating those who create it on how to best do that! Sam has a lot of pets; snakes, lizards, rats, a horse, and a cat. They love animal husbandry and behavior, and you can often find them riding their once-feral mustang (Nero, named after DMC5’s protagonist) or doting on their pet rats!
Steven Weitz
Steven Weitz is an artist, game designer, educator, and animator, with over 20 years experience in higher education, visual effects, feature animation, game analysis and creation. As the Director of Professional Development at AbleGamers, Steve is continuing his lifelong work to use media arts as a means of societal improvement.
Jameil Johnson
Originally from Connecticut, Jameil graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University with a Bachelors of Science in Mass Communication & Advertising. Jameil went on to serve as an AmeriCorps Vista in the city of Philadelphia at Philadelphia FIGHT, a nonprofit AIDS services organization. Jameil was later promoted to Digital Literacy Instructor where he worked to bridge the gap between local Philadelphian community members and their access and understanding in using technology to apply for public services/jobs, access pivotal health information, and pursue other means of education. Shortly after, Jameil received his Master’s in Professional Studies of User Experience Design at the Maryland Institute College of Art. During this time, Jameil also worked as a freelance graphic designer, designing branding materials for a wide variety of businesses and organizations. Through his many different personal and professional experiences, Jameil has cultivated his passion for advocacy and education, as well as art and design.
Executive
Mark Barlet
Mark founded AbleGamers in 2004 to support his friend who had MS. Himself a service connected disabled veteran, he has dedicated his life to equality for all people with disabilities.
Steve Spohn
Steve is the Sr. Director of Development at AbleGamers. Author and gamer, Steve has used his own life story to move game accessibility forward.
Mark Burgess
Mark Burgess is the Senior Director of Finance for AbleGamers. He is a Not-for-Profit Section Member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and a member of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
AbleGamers Board
Mark Barlet
Mark founded AbleGamers in 2004 to support his friend who had MS. Himself a service connected disabled veteran, he has dedicated his life to equality for all people with disabilities.
Steve Spohn
Steve is the Sr. Director of Development at AbleGamers. Author and gamer, Steve has used his own life story to move game accessibility forward.
Larry Goldberg
Access technologies, R&D, policy development, legislative relations and drafting of Federal legislation, holder of patent for invention in film industry, consultation for major high technology companies, Federal and state agencies, members of Congress and staffs; business development.
Christopher Power
Dr. Christopher Power is a user researcher who has worked in accessibility and inclusion for 20 years and leads the user research strategy for the AbleGamers Charity and serves as the Executive Director of AbleGamers Canada. He helped invent the APX design pattern language, having trained more than 200 developers in their use. In his day job, he is an Associate Professor at the University of Prince Edward Island on the east coast of Canada.
Cheryl Mitchell
Cheryl Mitchell serves as the Director of User Research and Services where she is responsible for managing the User Research team and deploying services targeted to the gaming industry to improve game accessibility. She manages projects aimed at connecting players with disabilities to the game studios, working with game developers to address game design and testing games for accessibility. She has spent over 20 years furthering public policies that improve employment outcomes and promote the socioeconomic empowerment of individuals with disabilities, seniors, and other underserved populations. Prior to AbleGamers, she managed federal contracts and national initiatives sponsored by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and the Administration on Community Living’s the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research to improve the abilities of people with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the community; and to expand society’s capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for people with disabilities. In addition, she worked as an independent consultant designing and implementing community-based programs. Cheryl completed a B.A. in Communication at the University of New Hampshire and has taken graduate coursework in Rehabilitation Counseling. In addition, she serves as a Board Member to The Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (WISE) in Seattle, WA.