UKIE and Many Cats Studios launch Impact campaign to platform disabled and neurodivergent games industry professionals

UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE) and Many Cats Studios have announced Impact – a campaign to profile six disabled and neurodiverse individuals within the games industry.

In UKIE’s latest UK Games Industry Consensus, the trade body identified an increase in neurodivergent workers in the industry: four per cent of respondents identified as disabled, while 18 per cent considered themselves neurodiverse.

As part of Impact, six industry professionals will be offered a platform that “showcases and celebrates” their talents. This will include speaking opportunities at companies and an invitation to talk at UK events, including Develop: Brighton.

Additionally, the six individuals will each star in a digital campaign to highlight their status as “top-tier professionals in video games”.

Applications open here on April 24, and will be open to the likes of content creators, developers, journalists and esports competitors within the industry.

Introducing Impact – the joint campaign by @ManyCatsStudios and Ukie’s #RaiseTheGame initiative to showcase disabled and neurodiverse people working in games.

Nominations are now open: https://t.co/jlUcb5HTfv#WeAreImpact2023 pic.twitter.com/6IG3XVEk0U

— Ukie (@uk_ie) April 24, 2023

The campaign is a collaboration between UKIE’s Raise The Game diversity pledge and Many Cats Studios, the latter of which works to improve accessibility in games.

“When I started in the industry, there was no-one that I saw who was disabled like myself,” shared Chris Goodyear, Many Cats Studios’ director. “I am proud to work with UKIE to create something that will show disabled and neurodiverse people that there is a place for them in this industry and celebrate the contributions of a marginalised group.”

Daniel Wood, chief strategy officer at UKIE, added that “building an equal, diverse and inclusive games industry is a key priority for the UK games sector”.

“In order to continue to thrive, we need more people working in the industry who can bring different lived experiences and perspectives to their creative work and who can show others that they can be part of this sector too,” continued Wood.

Earlier in the month, UKIE valued the UK’s game market at £7.05billion — though recently warned that “serious investment” will be required to maintain the country’s game industry growth.