THIS is the Shaman.

In the virtual world she wields a spear and a dagger and can transform into a bear, owl or cheetah.

But in real life the character is helping to empower disabled people all over the UK.

The Shaman is the latest addition to Talisman, a popular fantasy adventure created by Lymm's Nomad Games.

But thanks to a unique partnership each time someone downloads the character the money goes to SpecialEffect, a charity that adapts video games so that disable people can enjoy them.

Warrington Guardian:

Donald Whiteford, who set up Nomad Games in Church Road in 2011, said: "We saw the work the charity does and it resonates hugely with us because they are talking about using gaming to help people with disabilities.

"Games are a space where you can compete and be like everyone else. No one is going to judge you for anything except how good you are at the game.

"It’s a great thing because someone who’s got a physical disability might be the best player in that particular game.

"When we went down there we had the chance to try out some of the kit and they had facial control of a football game.

"So you put your head forward and you run, you tilt your head to move from side to side and to shoot, you smile.

"It’s absolutely amazing and the technology is getting better.

"It’s interesting because it’s like a crossover of so many disciplines. The art of the game, the technology of control and caring for people."

Warrington Guardian:

SpecialEffect was launched in 2007 in Oxfordshire.

The team of 13 work with about 360 disabled people all over the UK every year and get referrals from hospitals.

But they also take about 2,000 support calls and emails, including some from overseas.

Barry Floyd, SpecialEffect's operations coordinator, added: "This is an incredible show of support as we have little in the way of regular income.

"But it is more than just that. It’s the fact that someone from the games industry has stood alongside us. It’s amazing.

"We work with the carer and the person with the disability to find the best set up for them.

"If they are severely disabled and can’t use any part of their body to control the screen we will set up eye control and allow them to play games through that.

"Basically a person can sit there and we can calibrate their eyes to the screen and they can play games like Dirt 3 and do a lap in Finland. It amazes people. It’s like science fiction.

Warrington Guardian:

"In cases where people have a disability which restricts their movement we can get them playing with any part of their body.

"We have chin control which is basically modifying the hardware to turn the joystick into a comfortable chin rest.

"We work with a lot of people with motor neurone disease and spinal muscular atrophy but no two cases are the same.

"It helps with their rehabilitation, it helps with their mental wellbeing and we want to get that across to the general public and certain sections of the media.

"The gaming community has been treated almost with suspicion in the past and now something really positive is coming out of it. I think people are beginning to take notice "We are so thankful not only to Nomad themselves but the Talisman community.

"A lot of what we do is about community. Many of the people we work with have never had the chance to be included in anything at all but once we set them up they can join the Talisman community or the Call of Duty community.

"And then they’re not Barry with a disability, they’re just Barry. It’s about inclusion and levelling the playing field."

Games developer shares his journey

Warrington Guardian:

DONALD Whiteford wanted to become a pilot before he became a games developer.

But while training to fly in Holland everything changed when he discovered Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The Whitbarrow Road resident said: "The thing I like about simulation is you can give people, who can’t possibly be in that situation, the experience of being there."

Then Donald fell in love with TFX, a flight simulator made by Digital Image Design in Runcorn.

The 55-year-old added: "I absolutely loved it so I just wrote this 15-page monologue of how I would make it better and how to market it.

"I sent the letter off thinking nothing of it and the guy called up saying: ‘Do you fancy coming to work for us?’ That sort of opportunity doesn’t come up very often."

The first game Donald developed was EF2000, a simulation of the Eurofighter Typhoon, and he has since worked on about 20 games dating back to the original Sony PlayStation. 

Donald set up Nomad Games in 2011 after games developer THQ closed its Warrington office.

The team has since grown from five to 10 while their game Talisman, based on the 1983 Games Workshop board game, has sold more than one million copies.

Lymm's Nomad Games has also been shortlisted for a Develop Award for best use of a licence. The awards are announced next Thursday.

Donald said: "In that category there is the Lego games franchise, Angry Birds and Forza Motorsport so be among them in the running for this award is a really good feeling.

"It’s an interesting thing because board games have crept into the gaming environment through adaptations which is the stuff we specialise in.

"It’s been a total whirlwind. I’ve started up companies before but it was in a different era when the games console was the dominant thing

"Now we’re in the digital age. It’s not just about going home and having an hour with a console. We’ve got technology at our fingertips all the time.

"It’s just ingrained into the way we live and I think gaming is an important part of that."