Charlie Merritt, a.k.a. Quadcapable

Charlie Merritt has been gaming since he first played Pong on a dedicated console at his grandmother’s house in the mid-’80s. Charlie broke his neck in 2014, forever impacting the way he interacts with the games he loves. He is now at the forefront of assistive technology and adaptive gaming for people who live with impairments that prevent them from gaming traditionally. Using a mouth joystick called the QuadStick™, Charlie has been able to compete at a level playing field with able-bodied players — often referred to as “handers.”

“I love the feeling of beating someone who plays games traditionally…Being able to play at the same level as most people play with their hands but I do it with my mouth.”

Shortly after his accident, Quadcapable emerged to showcase assistive technology in hopes of raising awareness for others in similar situations so they can get back into gaming. Several days a week, you can find Charlie streaming on Twitch at [twitch.tv/Quadcapable](https://www.twitch.tv/Quadcapable).