How accessible is virtual reality?

Accessibility in virtual reality (VR) is still in its early days. But if it is built into the interaction design from the start, larger fonts, high contrast, speech output, alternative controls and subtitles already make a lot possible today.

The topic is becoming more important as more and more people use VR in different areas. However, there are still some challenges to making VR fully accessible.

1. Visual impairments

For people with visual impairments, VR can be hard to access because a lot of content relies heavily on visual elements. But developers can take several things into account, such as larger fonts, high contrast in the design of the space or speech output. When this is done consistently, people with limited vision may even find it easier to get their bearings in the VR world than in the real world. If the app’s interaction design allows for it, users can switch between normal view and a mode for people with limited vision. Haptic feedback systems could also help make VR easier to experience in the future.

2. Limited mobility

For people with limited mobility, VR already offers some advantages. They can visit places or have experiences that would be hard to access in the real world. Many body movements (turning, bending down, jumping …) can also be triggered at the push of a button. This allows movements in the virtual world that the user cannot perform in the real world. Still, many VR applications rely on movements that some users may find difficult. Alternative control methods such as voice commands or eye control could help here. But they have to be built into the interaction design during development.

3. Hearing impairments

People with hearing impairments need adapted solutions in VR, such as subtitles or sign language avatars. Some VR applications already include these features by default, or they are easy to add.

Conclusion

Accessibility in VR is still in its early days, but there are already some promising approaches. Developers need to keep working on making VR accessible to everyone by introducing different control options and alternative ways of communicating. If you pay attention to accessibility when developing a VR app, though, a lot is already possible today and can even bring people with disabilities major advantages.