Disability is something people encounter everyday whether they see it on the television, the digital world or in their everyday lives. People have also encountered video games on a similar basis. So why is there a lack of representation of disability in video games?

This dissertation will explore the representation of disabilities such as amputees, loss of vision and wheelchair users in video games, presenting case studies to show both negative and positive portrayals.

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Due to a lack of research on the representation of disability in video games comparisons from other media (television and film) will be made.

From my research I explore these different areas to build up a solid understanding on the Representation of Disability:

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• Chapter 1 discusses representation and it presents a brief discussion on the field of representation theory which is a key area to explore in order to understand representation, image and representation and three key concept theories of ‘Reflective Theory’, ‘Intentional Theory’ and ‘Constructionist Theory’. This chapter also goes into the brief historical understanding of how stereotypes become a mental image and into the term the 'Other' or 'Othering', 'Otherness' and 'Orient' as written about by Edward Said in 1978. 

• Chapter 2 dives into the representation of Disability in other media, such film, television, comic books and graphic novels; with their use of narrative and visual representation. An other idea I covered in this chapter was the use of technology and how it can be used as a ‘cure’ for those with physical disabilities, as shown in the popular science fiction genre with the use of cybernetics.

• Chapter 3 presents the case studies that portray the different ways that characters with disability have been represented in video games.

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Feel free to read my dissertation and studies by clicking the button below to read my paper in full.