In 2004, AbleGamers was established as a nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying disabled voices and enhancing accessibility in the gaming industry. For nearly two decades, AbleGamers has been a prominent presence at industry events, raising millions through annual charity events and serving as a valuable resource for both developers and players. The organization's commitment to video game accessibility has made it synonymous with progress in this area, earning recognition from reporters, developers, and the public alike.
Founded by Mark Barlet, AbleGamers collaborated with major studios like Xbox to develop the [ttpp]Xbox Adaptive Controller[ttpp], PlayStation to create the [ttpp]Access Controller[ttpp], and partnered with [ttpp]Bungie for exclusive merchandise[ttpp]. Beyond these industry partnerships, AbleGamers has positioned itself as a consultant for developers, offering expertise on implementing accessibility options in games. Although the organization previously provided adaptive gaming equipment to individuals with disabilities, this initiative has been discontinued. As the accessibility movement has grown, so has AbleGamers' influence and presence within the industry.
However, approximately 20 years after its inception, new reports from former employees and members of the accessibility community have surfaced, alleging abuse, financial mismanagement by leadership, and a failure by the board to protect its staff.
Advocating Under Strenuous Conditions
Mark Barlet's vision for AbleGamers was to create a charity that championed the inclusion of disabled individuals in gaming. According to the [ttpp]AbleGamers website[ttpp], Barlet led the organization to offer services such as peer counseling, community building for disabled individuals, and consulting services. However, behind the scenes, sources report an environment that starkly contrasted with these mission goals.
A former employee, who wished to remain anonymous, shared that Barlet's behavior became concerning a few years into their employment. Over their approximately 10-year tenure, the source recounted instances of sexist and emotionally abusive comments directed at them. "He kept telling me I was HR for the charity because I'm a woman," the source said. "At the time, I was the only woman in the charity. He then sent me to work on an HR case that I now know was illegal because I didn't have the necessary credentials."
The source also reported that Barlet would occasionally make light of this HR case, causing discomfort among employees. They described Barlet's ongoing aggressive behavior, including overhearing racist remarks about other employees, intervening in conflicts between Barlet and other coworkers, and witnessing inappropriate comments such as, "We need to get the most f***ed up disabled person for our marketing, the one with real multiple disabilities." In this instance, Barlet allegedly made obscene gestures, mocking individuals with physical disabilities.
Barlet also reportedly made sexually explicit remarks about the source in front of others, particularly during staff meetings or in-person work sessions. "During an all-hands internal meeting, I was two months postpartum, and before the meeting, everyone was either on the call or in the conference room physically, and he said my jugs had gotten so big that he wouldn't know how to handle them," the source recounted. "About a week later, we were walking past each other, and he went up to me with his hands outstretched hovering over my chest and said 'Haha, they're so big, I wouldn't know how to handle them because I'm gay.'"
The source noted that while Barlet initially supported and befriended new employees, his behavior turned hostile as they progressed within the organization. Whenever confronted about his inappropriate actions, Barlet would deflect, claiming he was merely joking. The source felt that his behavior grew increasingly hostile each time she spoke out against him.
Toxicity Outside the Charity
Barlet's allegedly hostile and inappropriate behavior extended beyond AbleGamers. The source reported that he consistently demeaned or insulted other accessibility advocates. It appeared that Barlet wanted AbleGamers to be the sole resource for accessibility in the industry, and he would speak ill of or even threaten those who gained prominence.
"Especially at [The Game Accessibility Conference], he said something about almost every speaker that came up," the source said. "Anyone who spoke or was an advocate, he would call them idiots. One woman I know who worked closely with Xbox Accessibility, he claimed she only got there because of her father and didn't know what she was doing."
An anonymous accessibility advocate corroborated Barlet's behavior at industry events. During a business meeting discussing major initiatives, the source noted that Barlet grew increasingly irate, loudly interrupting discussions on accessibility by saying "Shut up, shut up, you don't know what you're talking about." He allegedly spoke over them throughout the entire 30-minute presentation.
Another anonymous accessibility advocate confirmed Barlet's behavior. After discovering their interest in accessibility, Barlet reportedly stated over a call, "You are a drop in the pond of accessibility. And I own the pond."
Yet another advocate reported that when discussing a collaboration, Barlet demanded they hand over all their work, claiming AbleGamers would take ownership. Barlet allegedly threatened to ruin the project through his "deep industry contacts" if they refused.
Financial Mismanagement
Barlet's negative impact extended beyond his interactions with employees and the accessibility community. As the founder and former Executive Director, he helped create new initiatives and programs for AbleGamers. Under the guise of benefiting disabled players, the charity received millions in donations from studios and players. However, questions have arisen about how these funds were used. According to another former AbleGamers employee who wished to remain anonymous, Barlet's spending caused tension within the company, with funds allegedly being misused.
"In the fourth quarter of 2023, senior leaders at the organization had been discussing finances for some time," the source said. "We were really trying to understand how to develop our budgets as pillar leads. It came to light that many senior directors were aware of the financial situation, and that the revenues were not great, while expenses were out of control."
The source noted that funds were often allocated for first-class tickets for certain leadership members, hotel rooms before or after designated events, and expensive meals for office staff, most of whom worked remotely. Employees frequently questioned the organization's financial decisions when non-essential expenditures were made. A notable example was Barlet's purchase of a van for AbleGamers services. "He bought a van one day, wrapped it, and said we're doing this. The money just sunk. The van did nothing for us," the original source explained. The purchase occurred during the pandemic, when the vehicle couldn't be properly utilized due to quarantine and work-from-home orders.
Both former employees noted the purchase of a Tesla vehicle charger for the headquarters. According to the original source, some leadership members directed their teams to be more frugal with budgets due to funding concerns. "Mark paid to have a Tesla charger at the headquarters. None of us drove a Tesla except him," the source explained. The second source noted that the independent board of AbleGamers began reviewing credit card and bank transfer statements within the past year. They came across the Tesla charger and expressed frustration with Barlet's use of AbleGamers' money to install it. The source explained that Barlet claimed it was for the organization, but like the first source, noted that nobody else in the company drove a Tesla.
The second source also highlighted internal discrepancies regarding salaries. Leadership questioned why some organization members were paid more than those in higher positions, especially since Barlet controlled salary amounts. According to the source, salaries appeared to reflect favoritism, with some employees earning more for doing less within the company.
"A lot of the directors, including senior directors, did not agree that Mark should be drawing such a high salary; that was always a point of contention," the source said. "There were people who were not directors making more than directors. There were senior directors making less than directors. There were people doing next to nothing making almost the highest amount, minus [Barlet]. There was a lack of consistency with raises."
Leadership Failures
Alongside Barlet's financial mismanagement, the original source explained that AbleGamers' board hired a Certified Public Accountant as Chief Financial Officer. For approximately two years, the source was told by leaders that the CFO "rang the alarm, saying 'Something is terribly wrong with our finances.'" Despite his concerns, the board failed to act, and the CFO reportedly left toward the end of last year but returned to the organization later (IGN reached out to the CFO via email but did not receive a reply).
Despite Barlet being the primary source of issues at AbleGamers, both former employees noted that others in leadership, especially the nonprofit's independent board, failed to protect employees and act promptly. The original source claimed that the lack of initiative by the charity's leaders, specifically the board, was orchestrated by Barlet.
"He kept the board very off-limits," the source said. "He was the only one who could communicate with them. I would ask [leadership] 'Can I talk to the board, this is getting ridiculous,' and they said, 'I don't know who any of them are.' I would say 'You're [top leadership], how do you not know who the board are?'"
The second source noted that things escalated in April 2024 when a former AbleGamers employee ordered an investigation through [ttpp]ADP[ttpp], a payroll and HR service. After several weeks, the source noted that ADP allegedly advised the independent board to terminate Barlet "immediately" due to the severity of the allegations. However, the board allegedly ignored ADP's findings.
This intentional separation between employees and the board came to a head in June 2024. According to the second former employee, an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaint was filed in May, with at least one other employee following suit months later with their own EEOC complaint. The complaints ranged from racism, ableism, sexual harassment, misogyny, and failure by certain members of leadership and the board to protect employees. Shortly after ADP's findings, AbleGamers' independent board began their own internal investigation. However, the board's response was untimely and insufficient to address the issues (IGN received two separate copies of EEOC complaints from former employees and can confirm their validity).
"June 15 is when I submitted a written complaint," the source said. "On June 25, 10 days later, the board issued its first communication regarding the organization's transition process. They did not even name that Mark was being investigated throughout the whole [investigation]. They finally let staff know, on September 25, 2024, that the board issued communication that Mark was stepping down."
Throughout this process, the source was instructed to speak with AbleGamers' chosen legal team but never the board. No communication was provided to staff regarding project instructions, reporting structures, leadership roles, budget statuses, or the investigation process. For travel requests, staff were told to communicate with former Chief Operating Officer Steven Spohn, who, according to the source, "did not hold the interim executive director position by title or power."
The first source also noted that the internal investigation was conducted by a law firm with direct ties to AbleGamers. "We were under contract with the law firm, as we were going to take over the building. I had been to that building and met those lawyers before when touring. When I found out that they were the ones leading the investigation, ones that [Barlet] had a direct working relationship with, I brought that up to one of the board members, saying 'Is this actually a fair investigation?' And they reassured me, saying 'Yes, they are acting in appropriate manners.' But, I don't believe that," the source said. The second source noted that the law firm was to be tenants in the building, now owned by AbleGamers, for a period of "1 to 2 years, ending in 2025 or 2026, when they would move out."
The second source also acknowledged that the board's slow reaction was partly due to Barlet's control of the charity. According to the source, Barlet had access to "all the social media, bank accounts, all the different logins, control over Google Workspace, giving him the power to shut off everyone's email." A lack of transparency was one of the biggest complaints.
Barlet's removal from the organization was not without controversy. In a statement on his LinkedIn, Barlet said, "As I step aside, I am confident in leaving this mission in the hands of the next generation of leaders, who will carry the torch forward with passion and innovation. The future of AbleGamers is bright, and I am excited to see how they will continue to expand the vision we started." The board never made a statement, instead instructing staff to point others to Barlet's post. The source also noted that Barlet was given severance after his removal, causing conflict with employees. However, even after Barlet's departure, the board allegedly retaliated against several employees.
According to the first source, several employees were let go from the organization in November and December 2024. The source noted that each employee who spoke out against Barlet's behaviors, resulting in the investigation and subsequent removal, were later removed. "The people that were fired were all ones that filed reports or talked to lawyers." The source believed they would have been fired alongside former coworkers if they had not left the organization for personal reasons. The source acknowledged that the remaining employees at AbleGamers did not partake in the investigation (AbleGamers officials did not respond to our request for comment via email).
Even after the investigation and subsequent rebuilding of AbleGamers, former leadership continued to create roadblocks. According to former employees, Spohn, who acted as a "mediator" between Barlet and employees during tense moments, reached out to several former employees using "manipulative language," encouraging them not to speak with IGN for this story for fear of "ruining the charity's reputation," as well as his own. The employees noted that Spohn continued to message multiple times, using similar language. When reached for a comment via email and X/Twitter, Spohn did not respond.
Barlet's Comments
After leaving AbleGamers, Mark Barlet, along with Cheryl Mitchell, the former Director of User Research at AbleGamers, founded [ttpp]AccessForge[ttpp], an accessibility consulting group. Unlike AbleGamers, AccessForge offers services to various sectors, including transportation, faith-based organizations, hospitality, and gaming.
When interviewed about the allegations of workplace abuse and harassment, Barlet stated, "After being thoroughly investigated by an independent third-party, it was determined that none of that was true." He claimed that these allegations and their investigation only surfaced after he was advised to cut back on AbleGamers' workforce. The investigation was conducted internally, and Barlet was asked by the board to step down from his position. Sources noted that the results required further examination, leading to several EEOC complaints being filed. Sources also questioned the integrity of the internal investigation, noting its conduct by a legal team affiliated with Barlet and AbleGamers.
Regarding allegations of harassing members of the disability community, Barlet said, "I have had a 20-year career, going to countless events and meeting many, many people. Not everyone liked me. I think no one can say that everyone likes them."
On the issue of funding spent on in-office meals, Barlet explained that of the 17 employees on AbleGamers' staff, seven reported to the office weekly, occasionally increasing to nine. Due to the location of AbleGamers' headquarters, he claimed, "expensive [meals] did not exist." He compared the offerings to "Chipotle and Chick-fil-A," describing them as a "perk" for office visitors.
Concerning allegations of extended hotel stays, Barlet stated, "I would plan meetings before and after events. I stayed two days after the last GDC I went to. On day one, I met with a large gaming company, who then purchased $100,000 in training contracts. The next day, I had lunch with a high-value donor, who had already donated over the course of two years, $170,000. After I met with this donor, we discussed everything, and she agreed to donate another $75,000." Barlet did not specify the years these events took place or the donors' identities.
Regarding first-class flight purchases, Barlet noted, "AbleGamers had a codified and board-approved travel policy. That travel policy stated that 'Directors and above, on flights of four hours or more, could upgrade to business class if that cost was not extravagant.'" He claimed he "often flew first class" due to his disability. When pressed to provide the travel policy, he stated he was unable to share it with IGN.
However, an AbleGamers employee handbook provided to IGN by a source, specifically section 5-19 titled Business Expense Reimbursement, states, "Employees will be reimbursed for reasonable approved expenses incurred in the course of business. These expenses must be approved by the employee's Supervisor, and may include air travel, hotels, motels, meals, cab fare, rental vehicles, or gas and car mileage for personal vehicles. All expenses incurred should be submitted to the Executive Director along with the receipt in a timely manner. Employees are expected to exercise restraint and good judgment when incurring expenses." Sources familiar with the finances disputed Barlet's claim, explaining that he, along with other directors, regularly used first-class travel for flights across the United States, often costing thousands of dollars. When other employees requested upgrades, Barlet allegedly mocked them, bragged about his first-class travels, and outright denied their requests.
On the topic of employee salaries, Barlet noted, "Most of our employees were compensated based on their education, experience, and position." However, sources refuted this claim, explaining that those with bachelor's degrees in computer science, master's degrees, and years of experience were often underpaid compared to those with similar titles or experience.
Barlet outright denied allegations about the purchase and installation of a Tesla charger, claiming it was a plug, not a full charger unit. Sources noted that independent board members familiar with the device distinctly remembered a charging unit, and those familiar with the finances were appalled at the overall cost for the unit and its installation.
Regarding claims that employees did not have access to the board, Barlet noted that all members of the board were available through Slack, a workplace chat system. However, sources noted that while the internal board, consisting of Barlet, Spohn, and Mitchell, were accessible via Slack, the independent board, responsible for the investigation into Barlet's departure, was allegedly not within the company's Slack.
Throughout numerous email exchanges with IGN, as well as the interview, Barlet provided no evidence to refute the allegations, only his word. When asked to show appropriate documentation, he repeatedly denied, insisting that he was not able to provide information unless correspondence was entirely off the record. He also failed to provide other sources to corroborate his claims, again only willing to provide the information if interviews were completed entirely off the record.
For many disabled players, AbleGamers was a beacon of positivity. With limited proper disability and accessibility representation in the gaming industry, an organization advocating for the upliftment of disabled voices was a welcome sight. However, behind closed doors and within the accessibility space, leadership allegedly failed to protect employees and the people they purported to champion. For the first source, Barlet's behaviors shattered what was otherwise a dream career.
"It definitely crushed me," the source said. "I cried a lot. I cried a lot to my family, friends, and therapist because that was my dream job. [Barlet] just burned it to the ground."
