ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces Lennie the Lion, who goes on an adventure with friends in the 1998 video game Geoffrey Goes to the Fair. Lennie uses a wheelchair and is represented in the video game as an equal among friends in an unbiased representation of disability unusual at the time. The chapter provides the background on the original research project on the representation of disability in video games completed in fall 2021, and the purpose of this new text. The chapter contextualizes the social model of disability, gives a short history of accessibility and representation in computer and digital media, and provides examples of the discussion in social media that currently surrounds disability and games. It identifies the first examples of representation of disability in video games and notes that the best kind of representation should avoid stereotyping, add understanding about the disability, and construct authentic meaning for the player. It identifies three main ways games deal with representation of disability, cosmetic, incidental, and authentic, which provide a practical way forward in analysing games. This introduction is followed by an overview of the topics in each chapter.
