20% of Casual Gamers have disabilities

MarketingVox (yeah I know Marketing...) recently ran a story on 'Disabled Gamers'. I was actually surprised at the numbers they presented and I'm sure many of you will be too.

Did you know that one in five (20.5 percent) players of casual video games have a physical, mental or developmental disability. And that this is significantly higher then the average for the population of 15 percent or one in seven people. Another significant fact it the benefit that casual gaming provides to these Disabled Gamers; Fully 94 percent of disabled players of casual games said they believe playing casual games "provides physical or mental benefits"

The most common types of disabilities, medical conditions and reasons why they play (findings issued by PopCap):

  • Physical: Rheumatoid Arthritis/Osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis.
    Why they play: Stress relief and distraction from issues related to disability

  • Mental: Moderate/Severe Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorder.
    Why they play: Stress relief and mood-lifting

  • Developmental/Learning: ADD/ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia.
    Why they play: Improved concentration and improved coordination/manual dexterity