By Gia Myers • Posted April 7, 2025

Maggie – a resident at St. Edmond’s Home for Children in Rosemont – plays a video game called Super Mario Kart, taking control of the Super Mario character and driving his go-kart around a racetrack, aiming to cross the finish line.

As a person with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), Maggie is able to play this video game thanks to assistive gaming technology, which makes video games accessible to everyone, along with the guidance of Kevin Kramer, activities coordinator at St. Edmond’s Home.

Maggie uses an adaptive controller for the Nintendo Switch console. Her head hits a switch to move and navigate the go-kart on the video screen.

“We have other residents that can use their hands, their elbows. I had one resident use his knee. It’s all purposeful movement for them to actually operate the game,” said Kramer. “The big thing is that they’re in control (of the game).”

Growing up in St. Dorothy Parish in Drexel Hill and a graduate of Temple University with a degree in therapeutic recreation, Kramer says he learned of assistive gaming technology from his former Temple professor, Ann Dolloff, faculty member at Temple University’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences.

Kramer calls Dolloff “a huge inspiration to me as she taught an assistive technology course that explored adapted materials.”

Kramer also experimented with adapted gaming stations while attending an expo a few years ago, where he brought along two IDD individuals he was working with at the time. Both were able to successfully play the games using adapted controllers.

“Adaptive gaming has benefits of socialization, refining motor skills and health promotion,” said Kramer.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), adaptive gaming has had a significant positive influence on quality of life and social relationships in the rehabilitation field, particularly in terms of encouraging group participation and physical movements, which can translate to daily functional tasks. The adaptive gaming equipment is “really user-friendly, and once (residents) get the hang of it, they’re really benefiting from it,” Kramer said.

He notes that the residents, many of whom have limited range of motion, also benefit from seeing their physical interactions with the controllers translate into actions by characters on the video screen.

Residents grow socially by playing games together, as well as learning how to take turns equitably with the gaming equipment.

It’s a delight for Kramer to see the St. Edmond’s residents using the assistive gaming technology.

“They seem to enjoy the camaraderie of playing together,” said Kramer, adding, “they’re very competitive.”

St. Edmond’s Home serves children (infants through 21 years of age) with intellectual and physical disabilities, maximizing each child’s potential.

The staff provides both medical support and therapeutic interventions and activities for its residents. They go on outings to museums, movies, theaters, sporting events, and they attend school in the community.

The mission of St. Edmond’s Home demonstrates the Catholic Church’s social teaching on the dignity of the human person, that all are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and  are called to participate and grow in community.

In addition to the video games, Kramer says that residents also enjoy the card game UNO, painting, and dancing to pop music.

He usually starts a day’s activities with song and storytelling, and each week is devoted to celebrating a fun theme or upcoming holiday, such as Irish dancing for the recent St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

Kramer plans special parties for residents who will soon be moving on to adult residences, incorporating their favorite cartoon characters and superheroes.

“I try to make things special for them,” Kramer says of his work with St. Edmond’s residents, “because they enjoy it, and they deserve it.”

If you’d like to help St. Edmond’s Home, see a list of needed items on the website. Click here to watch Maggie play Super Mario Kart at St. Edmond’s Home.