LOS ANGELES – The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy & Innovation at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles commends Microsoft for its depiction of people with disabilities in the TV ad for its Xbox One Adaptive Controller that ran during Sunday’s Super Bowl LIII.
The commercial, “When Everybody Plays, We All Win,” is a perfect example of the power in media and technology to advance the rights of people with disabilities. These tools of innovation are a focus for The Coelho Center, an interdisciplinary program of Loyola Marymount University. The Coelho Center recently convened the symposium, “Disability Impact: Breaking Through Barriers to Civic Leadership.” In a series of panels, the Nov. 5, 2019 conference examined how media and technology impact and interact with the lives of those with disabilities.
Microsoft’s Super Bowl spot features five children with disabilities: Grover, John, Ian, Taylor and Owen. Importantly, the children are the narrators of their own experiences as video-gamers in the almost two-minute ad. This is a strong example of using media to give agency to a community that is too often depicted as the pitiable subject, a charity case, or just ignored altogether.
In this ad, Microsoft acknowledges that a one-size-fits-all approach to technology that uses nondisabled bodies and minds as the standard locks out a large portion of the population. “When I’m playing with a regular controller, there are some things that don’t work for me,” says Grover.
“People with disabilities tend to internalize barriers to participation as a fault of their own – rather than a limitation in the design of technology,” says Katherine Perez, director of The Coelho Center. “Microsoft’s ad demonstrates how when a technological device cannot be used by a person with a disability, it becomes an opportunity for the inventors of the device to improve their design – making it more usable for a greater number of individuals.”
In contrast, when technology is accessible to everyone, it’s not special; it just makes sense. The Adaptive Controller will now provide a better video game experience for more people. The disability community has a large contingent of video-gamers. Thus, Microsoft’s new products are a good example of technology companies following the disabled consumer’s needs and desires rather than a focus on technology unnecessarily trying to normalize us. The Adaptive Controller celebrates our differences.
“What I like about the Adaptive Controller is that now everyone can play,” says 9-year-old Owen.
“When everybody plays, we all win.”
The Coelho Center couldn’t agree more with Microsoft. It is our mission to bring together thought leaders, advocates and policy makers to discuss and craft agendas that seek positive change for 2 the disability community. And we look forward to continuing the conversation. Learn more at www.lls.edu/coelhocenter.
About The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy & Innovation
The Coelho Center, housed at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), pursues a unique three-pronged mission: convening thought leaders to pursue positive change on disability issues; leveraging technology to advance the lives of people with disabilities; and creating a pipeline of lawyers with disabilities to populate the bench and hold elected office. The Coelho Center also draws on multiple areas of expertise from other LMU colleges. Founded by former congressman, disability rights icon and LMU alumnus Hon. Tony Coelho (LMU ’64), The Coelho Center is the only organization of its kind at a Catholic university in America and the only one housed at a top U.S. law school. Details about The Coelho Center are available at www.lls.edu/coelhocenter.
About Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Located on an award-winning Frank Gehry-designed campus in downtown Los Angeles, Loyola Law School is home to prominent faculty, dedicated students and cutting-edge programs. The Law School strives to instill in students the knowledge they need to excel on their chosen paths. It dedicates itself to preparing students for the rigors of practice with an extensive portfolio of practical-training opportunities, an 18,000-strong alumni network and a focus on social justice. Learn more at www.lls.edu.