AbleGamers Founder Mark Barlet Accused of Sexual Harassment, Misogyny, and Ableism

Anonymous sources who have previously worked at AbleGamers accused Mark Barlet, the founder of the charity, of misogyny, sexual harassment, and ableism. AbleGamers is a nonprofit organization that has worked with major studios to improve video game accessibility.

In an IGN report, a source revealed that they’ve experienced several instances of misogynistic remarks towards them. In her 10 years of working in the charity, Barlet allegedly referred to her as the HR person of the company, due to her being the only woman in the group at that time.

Additionally, Barlet would also allegedly make sexually explicit comments. An example the source cited was a comment the founder made two months after her childbirth. According to her, he talked about how her breasts “had gotten so big that he wouldn’t know how to handle them,” as well as making inappropriate gestures like stretching his hands to the point where it’s hovering over her chest and saying “Haha, they’re so big, I wouldn’t know how to handle them because I’m gay.”

In a charity that aims to make sure that disabled people are also able to enjoy video games, it would be fair to assume that they would be sensitive towards disabled people. However, the source noted that this wasn’t really the case.

According to them, Barlet said, “We need to get the most f**ked up disabled person to be on our marketing, the one with real multiple disabilities,” while doing obscene gestures and mocking individuals with physical disabilities.

April last year, a former AbleGamers employee ordered an investigation to be completed through ADP due to Barlet potentially misusing the charity’s funds, according to a second source who talked to IGN. Several weeks after the investigation, ADP advised the independent board of AbleGamers to terminate Barlet “immediately” due to the severity of the allegations. The termination only happened five months later, in September 2024.

Barlet talked with IGN regarding the misuse of funds, justifying his purchases and denying the allegations. However, IGN noted that Barlet did not provide any evidence to refute the allegations, and when asked to show documentation, he said that he would only do so if it were to be off the record.

Regarding allegations of workplace abuse and harassment, he said, “After thoroughly being investigated by an independent third-party, it was determined that none of that was true.” However, the sources pointed out that this independent third party is affiliated with Barlet and AbleGamers, which casts doubt on its integrity.

The sources also mentioned that Steven Spohn, Chief Operations Officer at AbleGamers Foundation, reached out to former employees using “manipulative language” to dissuade them from speaking with IGN for fear of ruining the charity’s reputation and his own.

After his termination last year, Mark Barlet co-founded AccessForge, an accessibility consulting business. While their range of consultation services still includes video games, the company has spread to other industries like Airports, Hospitality, and faith-based.