A lightning talk presentation from Jisc's Focus on the future: new developments in accessible and assistive technologies event held on 16 March 2022 as part of Digifest community fringe.

1. Inclusive Augmented and Virtual Reality
Experiences for Disabled Users
Dr Chris Creed
Birmingham City University
16th March 2022

2. Associate Professor in Human-Computer
Interaction (HCI)
HCI Research Group Lead
Digital Media Technology (DMT) Lab

3. Accessibility and Assistive
Technology Research

4. Inclusive AR/VR Experiences

5. Growing interest and use of
AR/VR technologies

6. Lack of research around developing inclusive
AR/VR experiences

7. Project funded by Facebook/Meta Reality Labs
(until July 2022)

8. Understand current barriers, explore potential
solutions, and identify key research areas

9. Core Project Goals/Outcomes
Research agenda for short-medium term to
accelerate impact
Share findings/outputs with the wider community
Collaborative network/community – funding bids,
research projects

10. What do we mean by AR/VR?

11. Consumer Hardware
(Head Mounted Displays and Smart Glasses)

12. 4 Multidisciplinary Sandpits
(two conducted so far)

13. Considering a spectrum of impairments
(physical, visual, hearing, cognitive)

14. Participants in split into different groups
(mix of disabled people, academics,
technologists, charity representatives)

15. Different discussion points
(e.g. barriers in different contexts)

16. £250Voucher

17. Summary of key barriers
highlighted to date

18. Around 65 barriers in total
(across impairments)

19. 6 key (high-level) barriers

20. 1. Entry Level Barriers

21. Lack of Accessibility Features
(don’t know how to get up and running)

22. Low AR/VR Literacy
(limited awareness of AR/VR capabilities
haven’t been able to use it)

23. Always have to request accessibility features
(should be there by default)

24. Financial Affordability

25. 2. Legislation and user protection

26. Lack of measures to protect vulnerable
user groups
(could lead to exclusion, cyberbullying,
abuse, harassment)

27. Particularly concerned with social and
collaborative interactions

28. Challenges around multi-tasking in
shared environments

29. Lack of understanding from others about
impact for disabled people
(which could contribute to wider exclusion)

30. 3. Usability Challenges (During Use)

31. Unique barriers for different forms
of impairment

32. Common Side Effects
(cyber-sickness, mental and physical

33. Particularly critical for disabled people
(could exacerbate existing physical or
cognitive challenges)

34. Challenges in customisation
(hardware & software)

35. No dynamic mapping of environments
based on impairments

36. Physical
Involuntary and/or limited physical
(including eye movements)

37. Physical
Dexterous interactions with current
controllers lacking flexibility
(one size fits all – no customisation)

38. Visual
“If you cannot see the environment, then
can you start using it and collaborate

39. Visual
Inaccessible menus for people with
visual impairments

40. Hearing
Challenges around lip reading
(avatar fidelity insufficient)

41. Hearing
Difficulty pinpointing locations and
navigation

42. “Increasing the volume does not solve the clarity
of audio problem”

43. Cognitive
Sensory and information overload
(changes in brightness, frame rate,
approaching, sudden/unexpected

44. Cognitive
Lack of support during use
(setting up systems and mitigating stress
associated with being detached from

45. People providing support cannot see what others
are experiencing

46. 4. Compatibility of existing
accessibility aids

47. Current AR/VR devices not easily compatible with
physical accessibility aids

48. Headsets over hearing aids
causing feedback

49. Losing balance (due to crutches,
wheelchairs, etc.)
(anxiety around hurting oneself or others)

50. Equality of cost
(additional accessibility features should
be an expense)

51. 5. Avatar Representation

52. Choice of avatar representation is important

53. Mapping between the virtual and real body then
becomes important

54. Concerns around if disabled identities/avatars are
shared with online communities

55. Choice around where disability is disclosed
(via an avatar)
(dependant on context)

56. 6. Lack of inclusion and integration in
design/development stages

57. Collaborating with disabled people across all
stages of design, development and research

58. Next Steps

59. Third Sandpit/Workshop
(25th March)

60. Potential solutions to address barriers identified
(produce draft research agenda)

61. 4th Sandpit
(April/May 2022)

62. Supplementary workshops
(exploring specific areas)

63. Please get in touch if you’re interested
chris.creed@bcu.ac.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-
390203168/