Microsoft Super Bowl Advertisement

I hope many of you saw Microsoft's Super Bowl commercial regarding their new Xbox Adaptive Controller. The Ad reached #3 on USA Today's Super Bowl Ad Meter! This controller provides gaming accessibility for individuals facing challenging physical conditions.

First of all, I am so incredibly proud of the level of publicity the advertisement reached. It's totaled millions of views, and I believe a Super Bowl commercial signifies one of the largest campaigns for limb difference awareness the world has seen! I think it will give kids a new sense of pride in themselves to know they're not alone, and the "big guys" care about the problems they face so much they decided to make it easier for them to play video games with their friends. I cannot effectively emphasize how wrong I feel the amount of discrimination limb different kids typically face is, whether it be unintentional or intentional. I hope this Ad prompts a wave of attention for the issues limb different people face and encourages more companies to take action. 

Secondly, great job, Jordan, Ian, Shan, and Grover! These kids work so hard at NubAbility Sports Camp where I coach soccer during the summer. These kids are my heroes. So many of us try to hide our differences, but these kids showed off for national television! I hope so many more of us are seizing this opportunity to realize we should never be ashamed of who we are.

Lastly, the controller costs $99.99. Though the idea of the controller is fantastic, its practicality concerns me. This price is considerably higher than the price for formal Xbox controllers. I recognize their intention for the Adaptive Controller probably wasn't to make a significant profit, and that it most likely just costs more to manufacture than the typical controller, but it still bothers me. I hope someday accessibility doesn't come with a higher price. I hope someday it's not a burden to make accommodations for human beings who own the world just as much as the 10-fingered individuals. I hope someday all people will realize the value in equality, and cherish it. Though discrimination is rooted so deep into our society, it can still perish completely. I believe the next generation of limb different kids shouldn't have to feel excluded from the world, and it's up to everyday ordinary people to establish this prerequisite for the future.