GDC · STEVE’S ACCEPTANCE · 2022
A room full of possibility.
Steve’s Ambassador Award acceptance explores what access to games can mean for friendship, independence and belonging.
Watch on YouTubeSTEVE. VICKI. OR BOTH.
Big ideas.
Human connection.
From Vicki’s library innovations to Steve’s accessibility advocacy, we bring two perspectives on participation. Invite either of us, or bring us together for a conversation shaped by professional experience, everyday life and the warmth of our partnership.
ALA Annual Conference, Philadelphia, 2025. Photo: Rebecca Lomax / American Libraries.
SEE THE PERSPECTIVE IN ACTION
Meet your next
conversation starter.
GDC · THE INTRODUCTION · 2022
Alanah Pearce introduces Steve.
Alanah Pearce introduces Steve’s work before the 2022 Ambassador Award presentation.
Watch on YouTubeTHE GAME AWARDS · 2018
Play can open a whole world.
The film celebrating Steve’s Global Gaming Citizen recognition, presented through Facebook Gaming and The Game Awards. This archived upload preserves the original segment.
Watch on YouTubePhoto credits
GDC photographs: Official GDC, CC BY 2.0. Resized for the web and cropped to fit.
A CONVERSATION YOUR AUDIENCE CAN USE
Choose a starting point.
STEVE · ACCESS & POSSIBILITY
What a way in
can change.
Disability, adaptive gaming, and the difference between being invited and being able to participate.
- See accessibility through the experiences it makes possible.
- Recognize how design choices affect connection and independence.
- Leave with questions to bring back to your own work.
VICKI · COMMUNITY & INSTITUTIONS
From a good idea
to everyday access.
The creator of Library Lifeline and a leader in adaptive arcade programming, Vicki brings more than thirteen years in libraries and a master’s in social work. Hear how community needs become partnerships, programs and practical support.
- Connect access with staff confidence and institutional policy.
- Think through partnerships and the realities of implementation.
- Find a useful place for your team to begin.
TOGETHER · LIFE & PARTICIPATION
Two perspectives.
A fuller picture.
A shared conversation about disability, relationships, community, and making room for more of life.
- Hear complementary lived and professional perspectives.
- Explore the assumptions that shape inclusion.
- Bring curiosity and human connection into the room.
These are starting points. We shape the topic and takeaways around your audience, format, and goals.
WATCH STEVE SPEAK
A little stage presence.
A lot of perspective.
Steve Spohn’s GDC Ambassador Award acceptance speech
Steve reflects on exclusion, the relationships that sustained his advocacy, and how accessible games open doors to connection and shared experiences.
Steve’s SXSW Game Industry Champion of Change story
Steve shares how games connected him with friends during childhood hospitalization and helped build lasting relationships. His story shows why access to play can become access to belonging.
Players load YouTube only when you choose Play. Each video also has a direct YouTube link.
A FORMAT THAT FITS YOUR ROOM
Invite the conversation in.
Virtual sessions
An accessible way to bring us into your program, with the topic, format, and audience agreed in advance.
In-person engagements
Keynotes, panels, workshops, and larger engagements quoted around location, travel, and time. Multi-day programs can bring both perspectives on site.
Tell us your date, audience, format, and what you hope people will take away. We’ll discuss fit and prepare a tailored proposal.
What should your audience
take into tomorrow?
Tell us your date, audience, location, and format. We’ll discuss fit, then prepare a tailored proposal.