This hurts to read. I loved AbleGamers and have donated to them multiple times in the past. Support for people with disabilities isn't something I talk about too much on Tildes, but it's something...
This hurts to read. I loved AbleGamers and have donated to them multiple times in the past. Support for people with disabilities isn't something I talk about too much on Tildes, but it's something that's very important to me.
I just pulled their sticker off my water bottle; I'm no longer going to donate to them.
If anyone has any recommendations for related charities that I can support instead, please let me know.
People can be so disappointing. My main experience with a nonprofit was a local community theatre. It is amazing how when the stakes are so low, some of the pettiest assholes can let their hair...
People can be so disappointing.
My main experience with a nonprofit was a local community theatre. It is amazing how when the stakes are so low, some of the pettiest assholes can let their hair down and truly ruin things for everyone.
What services did they provide? I guess I'm not sure if they were doing advocacy alone or additional services? I'm in a lot of disability resource networks and would be happy to ask around?
What services did they provide? I guess I'm not sure if they were doing advocacy alone or additional services? I'm in a lot of disability resource networks and would be happy to ask around?
Little bit of column A, little bit of column B. They do a lot of consultation work with game developers and publishers to make gaming more accessible to people with disabilities. I know they had a...
Little bit of column A, little bit of column B.
They do a lot of consultation work with game developers and publishers to make gaming more accessible to people with disabilities. I know they had a hand in the design for the Xbox Adaptive Controller, for example.
They also do direct service to people with disabilities, helping them find games and hardware that meet their needs and help fund that in instances where it is expensive.
Mark Bartlet has responded to the allegations here
Mark Barlet’s mission with AbleGamers was to create a charity that celebrated disabled inclusion in gaming. According to a post on the AbleGamers website, Barlet led the organization to provide services like peer counseling for clients, a sense of community for disabled individuals, and consulting services. Yet, behind the scenes, sources recount an environment that failed to reflect mission goals.
According to the corroborated account of a former employee who wished to remain anonymous, Barlet’s behavior became concerning a few years after the employee joined the organization. Throughout their approximately 10 year employment with the charity, the source describes several instances of sexist and emotionally abusive comments directed toward them.
Mark Bartlet has responded to the allegations here
First, some necessary context. This is, at its core, a story of perspective. Any situation can be viewed through different lenses: friendship, co-workers, strangers. What happened here involves a long history of viewing events through the lens of deep friendship, until circumstances changed, and that same history was reframed, the lens changed without warning, to create a more sensational narrative for a tactical advantage. Reflect on your own interactions with your best friends. All the jokes, laughs, and experiences have quite different conclusions if you decide to change the lens in which you choose to view them through.
The best I can describe this article is a cherry-picked distillation of a 20-year journey, where the only contributors were those the board ultimately let go.
I’ll have to read the whole article later, but with the regards to the above statement - I hope when I reflect upon my own interactions with my best friends I don’t look back and uncover emotional...
Reflect on your own interactions with your best friends. All the jokes, laughs, and experiences have quite different conclusions if you decide to change the lens in which you choose to view them through.
I’ll have to read the whole article later, but with the regards to the above statement - I hope when I reflect upon my own interactions with my best friends I don’t look back and uncover emotional abuse ? Like wtf. What a “this is a you problem” “it’s just a prank bro” cop out. The whole response reeks of someone overly high on their own farts.
Having read both articles, I think the truth is somewhere in between. The response does bring up some valid points. The sources being only former employees does form a certain bias. There would be...
Having read both articles, I think the truth is somewhere in between.
The response does bring up some valid points. The sources being only former employees does form a certain bias. There would be a bit more credibility if there were some current employees that anonymously corroborated some of these claims. Some things do feel a bit exaggerated, like the van and Tesla charger.
That being said, I can totally believe a bit of overspending on first class flights and hotel stays. Also I can believe in needing extra days for meetings. He is the founder after all. I don't really know anything beyond these articles, so I have no idea if first class was necessary for his disability.
As he is former military, I can imagine him having a sense of humor from his old career that doesn't fly with his new workplace. I work with a bunch of people like that, but none are abusive in any way. So that isn't an excuse for any actual wrongdoings. But I don't think that all his humor was meant maliciously.
As for pay scale differences, I know first hand that the only way to get a real pay bump is by leaving. That or a big promotion. Even with a pay band, some people would still feel underpaid.
I think the founder definitely down plays his past behavior though. But I also believe that he truly wants the organization to succeed in it's goals.
I know first hand that the founder of a company can be both vital to the company's initial success, but also make a lot of mistakes. Both personally and professionally. Hopefully they have the leadership to continue
This hurts to read. I loved AbleGamers and have donated to them multiple times in the past. Support for people with disabilities isn't something I talk about too much on Tildes, but it's something that's very important to me.
I just pulled their sticker off my water bottle; I'm no longer going to donate to them.
If anyone has any recommendations for related charities that I can support instead, please let me know.
People can be so disappointing.
My main experience with a nonprofit was a local community theatre. It is amazing how when the stakes are so low, some of the pettiest assholes can let their hair down and truly ruin things for everyone.
What services did they provide? I guess I'm not sure if they were doing advocacy alone or additional services? I'm in a lot of disability resource networks and would be happy to ask around?
Little bit of column A, little bit of column B.
They do a lot of consultation work with game developers and publishers to make gaming more accessible to people with disabilities. I know they had a hand in the design for the Xbox Adaptive Controller, for example.
They also do direct service to people with disabilities, helping them find games and hardware that meet their needs and help fund that in instances where it is expensive.
Got it, I'll poke around a bit, not an area I've looked in before
Mark Bartlet has responded to the allegations here
I’ll have to read the whole article later, but with the regards to the above statement - I hope when I reflect upon my own interactions with my best friends I don’t look back and uncover emotional abuse ? Like wtf. What a “this is a you problem” “it’s just a prank bro” cop out. The whole response reeks of someone overly high on their own farts.
Having read both articles, I think the truth is somewhere in between.
The response does bring up some valid points. The sources being only former employees does form a certain bias. There would be a bit more credibility if there were some current employees that anonymously corroborated some of these claims. Some things do feel a bit exaggerated, like the van and Tesla charger.
That being said, I can totally believe a bit of overspending on first class flights and hotel stays. Also I can believe in needing extra days for meetings. He is the founder after all. I don't really know anything beyond these articles, so I have no idea if first class was necessary for his disability.
As he is former military, I can imagine him having a sense of humor from his old career that doesn't fly with his new workplace. I work with a bunch of people like that, but none are abusive in any way. So that isn't an excuse for any actual wrongdoings. But I don't think that all his humor was meant maliciously.
As for pay scale differences, I know first hand that the only way to get a real pay bump is by leaving. That or a big promotion. Even with a pay band, some people would still feel underpaid.
I think the founder definitely down plays his past behavior though. But I also believe that he truly wants the organization to succeed in it's goals.
I know first hand that the founder of a company can be both vital to the company's initial success, but also make a lot of mistakes. Both personally and professionally. Hopefully they have the leadership to continue