Accessible Yinzers: Pittsburgh's New Disability-Friendly Social Group Is Ready to Play
Disability Pride Pennsylvania’s new social group Accessible Yinzers met for the first time at Games Unlimited in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh. This store is an amazing venue. There are racks of used and new games, puzzle tables and — my favorite part — a demo bar where an employee will cheerfully teach you new games.
That’s where I met Josh, a buggy jockey at the local Giant Eagle who loves fantasy games. We sat at the demo bar where we learned the spy game Agent Avenue, chasing each other around the board.
Rubber Paper Scissors came next. It combines Tic-Tac-Toe, Rock Paper Scissors, and card collecting. It’s fast-paced and fun!
But the best was The Gang, a collaborative card game based on Texas Hold’Em. For this one, we were joined by Lynn, whose wife, Z, watched us try to figure out whose hand was the strongest and then help that person so we’d win.
What a blast!
The concept
Inspired by Vicki Landers, DPP’s Executive Director, I want to start holding “hangs” in Pittsburgh, like she does in Philly.
“It started out where I was going someplace accessible and put the word out,” she says. Whether one or 10 or more show up, it’s always a good time. Now, there are lots of activities on our Calendar of FUN, and I’d like for Pittsburgh to have more of that, please!
With that in mind, I targeted Games Unlimited as a prime “hang” location as it’s built to be accessible, from the front entrance to the wide aisles, the bathrooms, and the cutout on the demo bar. The store’s lighting is meant for easy reading and gaming, making it comfortable on most eyes, and the aisles are obstruction-free. There are places to sit at the demo bar or the puzzle tables if fatigue becomes an issue, and we chose a time that’s generally low-traffic to make it easier to hear each other and help with sensory overload. Folks can hang back or wander the aisles, or jump in and play a game. It’s a low-pressure event by design.
Although no venue can be completely accessible for everyone, this one does an amazing job. Plus, it’s fun!
No space can be as welcoming as Games Unlimited unless it’s intentional. “It’s absolutely what we planned for,” says the owner, Kylie Prymus. He pointed to the upstairs, where the store plans to expand, noting there’s an elevator. If a lot of wheelchair users come, they turn one of the puzzle boards into a demo bar. The whole thing is beautiful.
Like many, Kylie started with video games, but then discovered tabletop games, “And fell in love, wondering why I didn’t know about this stuff earlier,” he says. The store is for any gamer, at any age and any ability level, with just about any interest.
Come play with us!
Accessible Yinzers meets at 1pm on the last Friday of every month at Games Unlimited, 5876 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. It’s free and welcome to all. Come hang out, watch, say hi or jump in and play a game. I'll be the one in the Disability Pride PA shirt, probably near the front, soaking in the vibe.
Reasonable Accommodations: Let us know by the first week of each month if you’ll need an ASL interpreter or other accommodations so we’ll have time to plan. Masks are welcome, but not required.
Getting there:
• By bus: The shop is between bus stops for the 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D, one on Shady and another on Murray.
• By car: Street parking is available on Forbes and nearby streets. It’s metered Monday–Saturday, 8am–6pm; free evenings and Sundays). The closest lots are under the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Squirrel Hill at 5801 Forbes Ave, and the Forbes & Shady lot at 1648 Shady Ave.
And if you come hungry, you’re in luck. Squirrel Hill is famously a Jewish and Chinese neighborhood — think delis and dumpling houses — with Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai spots rounding it out. There's even a French bakery, Gaby et Jules, with croissants that will make you believe you've wandered into a Parisian boulangerie.
Can't make this one? More activities are coming at different times and places.
