Accessible Virtual Environments

Virtual spaces and worlds designed to be navigable and usable by people with disabilities, including consideration of locomotion methods, barrier placement, spatial layout, and environmental features. In VR research, disabled users express nuanced views on virtual environment accessibility: some want barriers removed entirely to enable unrestricted exploration, while others value realistic environments that include but make navigable real-world barriers (such as providing elevators alongside stairs). Context matters—gaming environments may benefit from barrier-free fantasy designs, while social VR environments are expected to be more realistic. World design is part of the digital layer of VR accessibility.