Intel Wants To Make PC Building Easier
July 27, 2020The human spirit is an unbreakable and unwavering force that allows people to overcome insurmountable odds and challenges. It’s reminds us that barriers are only as big as our minds make them out to be. Such is the case with Humphrey Hanley, a gamer from New Zealand living with a disability.
Hanley suffers from epidermolysis bullosa, a condition that makes his skin susceptible to damage from any kind of friction. He has no fingers either, and his entire arms are covered to protect his skin. Like most other disabilities, Hanley’s condition kept him from fitting in, and enjoying many of the activities as the kids his age.
That is why he turned to the world of gaming. It’s a place, he says where “technology can level the playing field and allow them to compete like other players.” Hanley started making videos in 2016 after recovering from a major surgery. He first began posting on his YouTube channel, No Hands, No Excuses. Soon after, he discovered Twitch, a gaming video streaming service.
Earlier this year, Hanley and Intel teamed up to build a gaming PC without modifications. The goal here, was for Intel to better understand the challenges faced by people with disabilities. Then, go about making improvements to their hardware to make it easier for everyone to assemble their own PCs.
- Here’s what Hanley had to work with:
- 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900K Desktop Processor
- ASUS Turbo GeForce RTX 2080 Ti GPU
- Intel® Solid State Drive, 660P Series, 1 TB
- ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme Motherboard
Hanley believes that the industry could do a lot more to make PC building more accessible. He says, “Things like plugs and the way that connection points go inside PCs are unnecessary barriers. So just think about those things that you are designing and making or programming, and what are the unnecessary barriers that you are putting in there inadvertently.”
He also says that the best advice he can give to the gaming industry is to involve people who can help identify barriers early in the process. This is sound advice for an industry that has always seemed to be far more inclusive than various other sectors. Regardless of one’s political stance, race, gender or creed, the gaming world can bridge the divide.
