Over the Barriers

The problem

Gaming events are rarely built for disabled players. Accessibility, where it exists, is an afterthought — a ramp at the door of an experience designed for someone else. I wanted to test what happens when a tournament is designed accessible-first: venue, hardware, format, communications, everything.

What I did

I designed, fundraised and led the tournament end to end, twice.

• Secured Xbox as sponsor and Nokia Arena as venue — an international brand and Finland’s flagship arena backing an accessibility-first event.
• Recruited and led the volunteer team; designed the tournament format around adaptive controllers and mixed-ability play.
• Ran communications: brand, social media, press, and the live broadcast relationship with Yle Areena, Finland’s national streaming service.

Results

• 2024: 100+ attendees in person, a packed venue, streamed live on Yle Areena.
• 2025: second edition, ~50 in person, again live on Yle Areena.
• The event became an ethnographic study of accessible esports event design, now under review at Academic Mindtrek 2026 — and a talk at the Spring Game Researcher Seminar, Tampere Game Research Lab (May 2026).

What it proves

Accessibility is my specialism, not a side interest. I can take an idea from nothing to a sponsored, broadcast, arena-scale event — and then turn the practice into research.