This July, as part of Disability Pride Month, Team Xbox proudly celebrates players, creators, and community members with disabilities. More than 400 million video game players have disabilities worldwide, and we recognize the incredible contributions the gaming and disability community has made in making Team Xbox, and the broader gaming industry, more inclusive and welcoming for everyone.

Disability Pride holds a special place in my heart, as I am not only a Program Manager on our Gaming Accessibility Team, but also a person with disabilities. Most people wouldn’t think of me as having a disability at first glance. In fact, I didn’t know I had disabilities until I was in my 20’s when I was diagnosed as being neurodiverse. Now I know that I have had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder since I was a young child. And, as the years have gone by, I’ve acquired new disabilities due to illness, injury, and trauma. Chronic pain is now part of my life, as is hearing loss, and anxiety and depression related to complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

The reason I share all of this is that if you aren’t already dealing with your own disabilities, chances are very good that someone close to you is. It’s estimated that at least 15% of the world’s population has some form of disability, and the vast majority of those are invisible.

So, this month, we encourage everyone to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the many players with disabilities across the globe who make up the vibrant gaming community, as well as think about those people in your life who also are part of the disability community and what you can do to be an ally for them. For example, one way to support the disability community is to learn about the technologies and tools they use to play. You can do this by taking our free Gaming Accessibility Fundamentals learning path. Or, if you are an Xbox Ambassador, consider completing the Xbox Ambassador Accessibility Explorer Path, a gamified experience that allows Xbox Ambassadors to learn more about accessibility in gaming, as well as try out new gaming accessibility features across PC and console.

As for all of us at Xbox, a source of pride is being able to work to ensure our industry is welcoming of players of all abilities and backgrounds, celebrating and partnering with the Gaming & Disability Community, and investing in solutions to help ensure everyone can play. Because when everyone plays, we all win.

In celebration of Disability Pride Month, check out how Xbox is supporting the disability community to help make gaming a place where everyone feels heard, included, and supported in gaming in a way that brings them joy.

more information at https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2023/07/05/xbox-disability-pride-month-2023/