{"id":28058,"date":"2018-12-08T06:50:51","date_gmt":"2018-12-07T21:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/microsoft-store-powers-new-experiences-for-all-at-ultra-accessible-theme-park-in-texas\/"},"modified":"2018-12-08T07:34:26","modified_gmt":"2018-12-07T22:34:26","slug":"microsoft-store-powers-new-experiences-for-all-at-ultra-accessible-theme-park-in-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/microsoft-store-powers-new-experiences-for-all-at-ultra-accessible-theme-park-in-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Store powers new experiences for all at ultra-accessible theme park in Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Microsoft Store powers new experiences for all at ultra-accessible theme park in Texas
\n<\/p>\n

When Gordan Hartman opened Morgan\u2019s Wonderland<\/a> in April 2010, it was the culmination of a dream he\u2019d had for five years after seeing his daughter, Morgan, a girl with physical and cognitive disabilities, wanting to play with other vacationing kids at a hotel swimming pool \u2013 but the children were leery of her and didn\u2019t want to interact with her.<\/p>\n

At that moment, he resolved to create opportunities and places where people with and without disabilities can come together not only for fun, but also for a better understanding of one another.<\/p>\n

So he and his wife Maggie built the first ultra-accessible theme park of its kind. Completely wheelchair-accessible, the destination in San Antonio, Texas, has hosted more than 1.3 million guests from the U.S. and 69 other countries since it opened. With more than 25 attractions, including rides, Wonderlands, gardens, an 8-acre catch-and-release fishing lake and an 18,000-square-foot special-event center, it\u2019s long been established as fun and understanding for everyone.<\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s going to give its visitors a new technology experience.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

From day one, Morgan\u2019s Wonderland has focused on inclusion and ultra-accessible play for people with and without disabilities, says Hartman. But technology has been a game-changer for his family.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughter, Morgan, who has both physical and cognitive disabilities, but computer technology has made it possible for her to become more engaged, to become more inquisitive and to understand more of the world around her,\u201d says Hartman.<\/p>\n

To help the park\u2019s visitors experience that same type of engagement, Microsoft Store is revamping the Sensory Village at Morgan\u2019s Wonderland. The new Microsoft Experience includes an interactive gaming area, featuring Xbox One X stations and the\u00a0Xbox Adaptive Controller<\/a>, which connects to external buttons, switches, mounts and joysticks to give gamers with limited mobility, an easy-to-set-up and readily available way to play Xbox One games.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Surface devices will connect to the park\u2019s interactive map, taking guests through the favorite attractions of the Wonder Squad, Morgan\u2019s Wonderland\u2019s super heroes.<\/p>\n

Finally, a Wish Machine, powered by Surface Studio, will take submissions from visitors for the chance to have their holiday wish granted by Microsoft Store through Dec. 20.*<\/p>\n

\"Three<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe chose the experiences based on our mission of inclusion,\u201d says Kara Rowe, worldwide director of Microsoft Store Visuals & Experience. \u201cUnderstanding that mission was paramount in determining what we chose, such as what we experience today in our stores that resonates the most with our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rowe says the company created a custom-made Xbox One X gameplay station with the Xbox Adaptive Controllers laid out to be easily accessible for wheelchairs. And in turn, they\u2019ll use the feedback they get from the park\u2019s guests to help create and refine even more accessible experiences in the future \u2013 for Microsoft Store and the company\u2019s product groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were thoughtful about the different use case scenarios for any guest to make sure that the experiences are truly ultra-inclusive,\u201d says Rowe, referring to a phrase Hartman coined from the early days at the park.<\/p>\n

The cross-company collaboration, which started with Microsoft volunteers from the Microsoft San Antonio datacenter and Microsoft Store locations, also helped provide auditory and visual cues, such as braille, that would help visitors to the Sensory Village.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery person has jumped at the chance to be involved, sharing personal stories as to why it matters to them,\u201d Rowe says.<\/p>\n

\"Visitors<\/a><\/p>\n

Hartman credits Microsoft with adding technological vitality to the park.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt utilizes technology that enables people with disabilities individuals to interact and have fun together in an environment designed to stimulate the senses,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Rowe says this is the first time a Microsoft Experience has been in a theme park.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is about understanding how to teach and help a community learn with technology available to them in an inclusive way,\u201d Rowe says. \u201cOpening up in this space is really special. It is magical for us to have local employees volunteering because our company inspires us to do these activities, to activate cross channels, to come together and align to this greater mission of empowerment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Microsoft has committed to maintain and evaluate the space to ensure refreshed experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cSensory Village is built on technology, and Microsoft is a technological giant,\u201d Hartman says. \u201cWe believe Microsoft\u2019s leadership in technology can translate into tremendous benefits for the disability community.\u201d<\/p>\n

*The Wish Machine experience celebrates the excitement of the holiday season and the power of a wish. Wish Machine is powered by Surface Studio, where contestants record a video up to 60 seconds long of themselves making a holiday wish. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to guests of Morgan\u2019s Wonderland who are at least 13 years old. Enter by December 20, 2018. For Official Rules, including prize descriptions, click here<\/a><\/em>.) Void where prohibited.<\/em><\/p>\n

The post Microsoft Store powers new experiences for all at ultra-accessible theme park in Texas<\/a> appeared first on Windows Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Source: Microsoft Store powers new experiences for all at ultra-accessible theme park in Texas<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Microsoft Store powers new experiences for all at ultra-accessible theme park in Texas When Gordan Hartman opened Morgan\u2019s Wonderland in April 2010, it was the culmination of a dream he\u2019d had for five years after seeing his daughter, Morgan, a girl with physical and cognitive disabilities, wanting to play with other vacationing kids at a hotel swimming pool \u2013 but the children were leery of her and didn\u2019t want to interact with her. At that moment, he resolved to create opportunities and places where people with and without disabilities can come together not only for fun, but also for a better understanding of one another. So he and his wife Maggie built the first ultra-accessible theme park of its kind. Completely wheelchair-accessible, the destination in San Antonio, Texas, has hosted more than 1.3 million guests from the U.S. and 69 [ more… ]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[169],"tags":[201],"class_list":["post-28058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-windows"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28058"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28058\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28060,"href":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28058\/revisions\/28060"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jirak.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}