The Super Mario Bros. video game is redesigned to accommodate people of all abilities (ThomasDeco / Shutterstock.com)
Many of us grew up playing Super Mario Bros. - racing through the Mushroom Kingdom, collecting coins and jumping obstacles to rescue Princess Toadstool. For some, this classic video game was (or is) such an inherent part of our childhood and teenage years, that we’ve never actually thought about what it takes to jump up to hit a brick or throw a fireball.
This is exactly why Liron Atia chose Super Mario Bros. to deliver his important message about accessibility. With his video released earlier this month, Atia – who has been wheelchair bound for the past 11 years –told When in Manila he wants to “reach people that never even thought about accessibility.”
The two-minute PSA shows a wheelchair-bound Mario zipping through a World 1-1 course - that’s been slightly modified. The course is fitted with ramps and lifts so Mario can still hurdle obstacles and collect points. The level concludes with a strong message: “It’s not the 80’s anymore. Enable access for EVERYONE.”
While Atia hopes his attention-grabbing video will get people talking about accessibility, it’s not the last step. He says, “The next goal is to make people DO something about it and not just talk.”
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