How tech is making virtual reality more accessible
TECH RADAR, JANUARY 21, 2017
Now that virtual reality is enjoying mainstream adoption with the likes of PlayStation VR, Gear VR, and Google Cardboard, the conversation is starting to turn to the huge potential that virtual reality presents in terms of allowing us to immerse ourselves in environments and experiences we could never experience in the real world.
One group for whom VR has enormous potential is people with disabilities. Anyone who experiences certain barriers to physical mobility in the real world could take control of a digital avatar’s body and visit new places, play games, or take part in rehabilitative experiences in ways that are more immersive and more meaningful than those that previous digital technologies could offer.
But designing tech that caters to the needs of disabled people doesn’t come without challenges. People who live with physical or mental disability are notoriously overlooked by large tech brands, and while the potential for VR to change that looms large, no one is yet making a considered effort to buck the trend.