Investigating Accessibility Barriers in Immersive Technologies

Problem

The goal of this project was to understand the current state of immersive technologies—such as VR—from the perspective of individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities. In collaboration with the XR Access Initiative at Cornell Tech, I set out to gather insights from this target population and generate qualitative findings to inform future accessibility policies and design practices.

What I did?

I conducted 12 interviews and facilitated 6 more with participants who actively use immersive technologies and live with physical or cognitive disabilities, offering firsthand insights into accessibility challenges.

Participants came from diverse disability, educational, and professional backgrounds, including:

• Neurodivergence (e.g., ADHD, autism spectrum conditions, dyslexia)

• Physical impairments (e.g., mobility limitations, chronic pain, use of assistive devices)

• Sensory disabilities (e.g., low vision, blindness, partial hearing loss)

• Cognitive and learning disabilities (e.g., memory challenges, processing disorders)

• Mental health conditions (e.g., anxiety, PTSD)

How I did it?

The interviews were conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams over a period of two months. Participants were recruited through social platforms such as Reddit and LinkedIn, as well as online communities including Discord.

I coded the interview transcripts to identify recurring themes around perceived challenges and frustrations. Key patterns emerged in areas such as hardware ergonomics, sensory perception in VR experiences, economic accessibility, and broader sociopolitical discourse.

Themes & Key Findings

“What we're designing is really about supporting a particular demographic or community. Too often, we take a one-size-fits-all approach, but we need to think about differentiation. Every time I talk to designers, I always mention the Value Sensitive Design framework—that's the first thing I recommend people learn more about. It’s the only design approach I know that truly centers people’s values.”
— Interview Participant

9 themes emerged from the discussions. Below are some of the key findings:

Challenges related to in-game experience and a lack of user control were frequently mentioned during the interviews.

Situated contexts refer to how users’ experiences and interactions with technology are shaped by their specific environments, social settings, and personal circumstances.

Value Sensitive Design is an approach that centers the values and needs of people throughout the technology design process to create more ethical and inclusive solutions.

Limitations

• Geographic Scope: The study was conducted exclusively within the United States, limiting the generalizability of findings to other regions.

• Cultural Context: Accessibility perceptions and challenges may differ across countries due to varying cultural, technological, and policy environments. Future research should explore these differences across global contexts.

• Sample Size: While rich in qualitative depth, the number of participants limits the breadth of perspectives, particularly across specific disability types.

• Self-Selection Bias: Participants were recruited from online platforms and communities, which may have attracted individuals more familiar with or critical of immersive technologies.

Future Directions

A report will be published on the XR Access website, and further policy recommendations and standards may arise to promote greater accessibility and inclusion in immersive technologies.